Durham women overcame early scare to secure cup
county finals were completed at Lanchester. Locally, there were four opportunities for a county title and in the end two titles were claimed.
In the George Turley champion of champion’s singles final Barnes Park’s Kevin Richardson topped off a terrific run by claiming the title 21-20 against Stockton’s Bob Watson.
The Barnes star looked down and out trailing 16-8 but held his nerve to get back to 17-17. Richardson went 2017 down but won the next four ends to seal a 21-20 win.
The other county title came in the fours. In an all Houghton Dairy Lane final, James McKinney, Ian Lambert and David Morgan were part of the quartet that beat Kenny Briscoe 25-7.
In the pairs final Silksworth’s Ian Riches was beaten 26-12 by RA’s Neil Buckley and Silksworth’s Gary Farquhar lost the under-25 singles 21-12 to another RA lad, Liam Macey. It was a cracking year for the Darlington RA club as they won five of the six titles.
In the ladies county competitions there was double disappointment for Houghton Dairy Lane’s Joan Rodgerson. In the pairs semifinal, partnered by Susan Forster, the Houghton pair defeated Consett Park’s Ann Bernard 27-13 but then lost the county final 21-13 to Consett Park’s Gill Jones.
Rodgerson’s second disappointment came in the singles when Consett Park’s Gill Jones inflicted a 21-8 semifinal defeat.
In the Sunderland & District leagues Silksworth went unbeaten as they successfully defended their Earl Cup title but missed out on the Swan Cup as holders Usworth’s final game 6-1 win over North Biddick sealed back to back titles.
Silksworth A did however win the vets Harold Howey league, Seaham Town’s town 19-year wait for a sixth Storey Bowl title was ended as a 7-0 win over Hylton Colliery sealed the deal.
The Silver Jack pairs went to the Roker Marine duo of
Ray Robinson and Bobby Graham and the Marine club landed the Burkett Shield as John Smith, Richie Mckie and Peter Thomson took the title, in the 3-2-1 knockout triples final, Silksworth beat defending champions Usworth 228-198.
The champion of champions final saw Silksworth’s England international David Bolt face Barley Mow’s Brian Sanderson.
Bolt looked set to collect his fourth success in the competition as he led 20-18 but a single narrowed Bolt’s lead to 20-19 and then Sanderson put four within a foot to hold game.
Bolt, having narrowly missed with two running bowls, drifted under to leave a delighted Sanderson a 2120 winner. This was the Barley Mow star’s third success on the back of the 2010 and 2011 titles.
In the Senior Champion of Champions final a new name was added to the roll of honour as Roker Marine’ s Rod Maxwell faced Barley Mow’s
Bobby Sanderson.
Maxwell raced into a 8-0 lead and while Sanderson fought back to 8-5, Maxwell wrapped up the final with a very impressive 21-8 win.
Houghton Dairy Lane retained the Sunderland women’s league title, Silksworth’s Norma Stephenson won the town singles and triples while Sunderland’s Sue Almond landed the fours and Marjorie Marshall triples.
Ryhope’s Margaret Mitchinson landed the pairs while Brenda Forrest beat Sunderland’s Sue Almond 21-20 in the champion of champions final. The last secretary & treasurers title went to Roker Park’s Jean Huntingdon.
The Grindon league went to Houghton Dairy Lane and Barnes West End won back to back Tommy Thompson double fours.
There was a home winner in the Seaham Town Open Pairs competition as the Henderson father and son combination won 10-9 in the final.