BOLT REACHES NATIONAL FINALS WITH AREA WIN
BOWLS NOTES WITH RICHARD MCKIE
South Shields’ David Bolt has qualified for the National Championships at Nottingham in March after beating Durham’s Mark Higgins in the area singles final at Ferryhill.
As expected, there was no quarter given with both players producing a string of quality draw bowls.
With the scores at 7-7, a loose Higgins end saw Bolt capitalise and count a vital four to lead 11-7.
That changed the game in Bolt’s favour, as he raced into an 18-7 lead.
However, full credit to Higgins, who dug in and battled back to 19-18 down.
Any thoughts of a remarkable comeback by the Durham lad were dashed, though, as Bolt secured a double to seal a 21-18 win.
He could now face his England skip, Exonia’s Jamie Chestney, in a last-16 opener at Nottingham on March 29, and might yet add victories in the area finals of the fours and two bowl singles.
He joins Shields teammates Phil Dixon, Mal Peach and Gary Farquhar to take on Hartlepool’s Paul Hartley in the fours at West Denton on Thursday.
And after Hartlepool’s Vinnie O’Neill defeated clubmate Glen Skipp 21-9 in the two bowl singles, Bolt awaits in the final.
In the over-60s singles, Gateshead’s Brian Orrell defeated Stanley’s John Thurlbeck 21-13 to book an area final against Thornaby’s Steve Slaughter.
The area final of the over50s triples will see Aycliffe’s Barry Attwood tackle Durham’s Mark Barkess, the latter having ended The Park’s Peter Dawson’s run with a 27-5 win.
There is a chance to see some of the country’s best players as Hartlepool hosts the latter stages of the mixed fours and mixed pairs.
South Shields are represented in both competitions, with Nina Riches, Ann Upsall, Ian Riches and David Bolt facing Hounslow’s Amanda Donoghue in the mixed fours, and in the pairs Bolt skips Jackie Stewart Tallack against Norfolk’s Wayne Willgress.
The Durham County seniors produced a stunning team performance at South Forest to defeat defending champions Norfolk 131-110 in the semi-finals of the national over-60s Inter-County competition.
A slow start saw Durham trailing 37-27 but by the halfway mark they had turned things around to lead 63-56, and from then on they never looked back.
Across the green Durham had three winning rinks.
Aycliffe’s Barry Attwood steered the Durham trio of Steve Krimpen, Alan Musgrove and Malcolm Robinson to a 31-14 win over Peter Hurren, Stanley’s Ian Peacock recovered from 11-1 down to defeat Brian Taylor 26-15 while Peacock’s clubmate David Webb got home 24-16 against Charlie Boon.
South Shields’ Billy Ferry lost on the last end 18-17 against Mike Taylor and Darlington’s Alan Stephenson narrowly lost 22-19 against Tony Dunton.
The remaining rink skipped by Durham’s Jim Hutchinson went down 2514 to Rodger Barnbrook.
In the final, Durham will face Kent at Nottingham on March 23, the two counties having met in the final before when Kent ran out winners by 34 shots in 2011.
Next weekend the County Liberty Trophy squad will look to emulate the seniors and book a 14th Liberty final appearance as they face Northants in the semi-finals at Doncaster.
Northants have only made one final appearance, lifting the title in 2015.
The Durham selectors have kept faith with the team that beat Lincolnshire by 34 shots, with the winners set to face either Berkshire or Devon in the final.
Durham Team: B.Henderson, M.Laydon, P.Smithson, M.Barkess, R.Bewick, M.Higgins, GR.Smith (all Durham), J.Sneller, J.Halcrow, P.Dixon, M.Peach, G.Farquhar, D.Bolt (all South Shields), M.Ray, C.Boston, M.Squirrel, D.Oram, C.Higgins, G.Skipp, V.O’Neill, P.Mosley M.Jones, P.Hartley (all Hartlepool), J.Harston (Aycliffe).
The final round of group fixtures in the seniors InterClub League take place next week.
In Group 3, Houghton Sancroft’s hopes of reaching the play-offs are surprisingly still alive as they go into the group’s remaining fixture against Gateshead A.
With Stanley already through as group winners Sancroft would pinch second spot from South Shields if they win 5-0 and by a 24-shot margin at home against Gateshead.
Meanwhile in Group 4, Houghton Kepier bring their season to a close with a battle to avoid bottom spot against Gateshead B.
Currently, Kepier have a 2½-point advantage over bottom-placed Gateshead but they have a worse shot difference.
Houghton Sancroft team v Gateshead A: M.Baker, P.Thomson, T.Joicey, F.Froud, G.Brown, B.Walsh, D.Wright, J.Jones, P.Collins, A.Ferguson, F.Fletcher, I.Whorlton.
Houghton Kepier team v Gateshead B: W.Race, G.Charlton, D.Armstrong, F.Kell, A.Grimes, W.Wells, D.Spottiswood, W.Barkes, E.Joice, P.Taylor, D.Ward, K.Hembrough. Latest Standings: Group 1 – Spennymoor 7-21, Great Aycliffe 6-18, Darlington A 7-17, Shildon 7-14½, Durham A 7-14½.
Group 2 – Darlington B 8-26, Hartlepool A 7-24½, South Shields B 8-19, Ferryhill 7-14, Houghton Gilpin 7-11½.
Group 3 – Stanley 6-24, South Shields A 6-15, Houghton Sancroft 5-10, Gateshead A 5-6.
Group 4 – Parks A 8-27½, Durham B 24½, Hartlepool B 7-24½, Houghton Kepier 7-5½, Gateshead B 6-3.
The draw for the Grindon League Tommy Thompson double fours has been made, with holders Silksworth opening their defence away at either Barnes West End or South Hylton.
The ties are: Wearmouth v Hylton CW or Usworth, Barnes WE or Sth Hylton v Silksworth, New Herrington v Grindon Mill, Houghton DL v Ryhope or Whitburn.
Finally, Bowls England have confirmed John McGuinness as their new high performance director.
McGuinness has a vast amount of experience on the international scene, making his international debut in 2000, and has been captain of the England men’s senior team since 2015.
He has represented his country at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, achieving a silver medal in the Men’s Fours and takes over the role vacated by Cumbria’s John Bell.