Denny Cup heartache for Sunderland’s indoor stars
quickest off the mark leading 24-17 at the five-end mark.
By the halfway mark, the lead was 19 shots, with Gary Smith’s quartet of Alan Thurlbeck, Norman Routledge and Jimmy Lambert looking set for a big win as they led 14-2.
Across the green both Bewick and Humphrey led, with only Jim Thompson’s rink looking in trouble trailing 12-4.
At the 15-end mark, Sunderland led by 21 shots and despite a late Acle comeback the winning margin was still 12 shots.
Smith ended up beating Dennis Goodley 22-12, Humphrey got home by four and the Thompson quartet turned it around to get home by three.
The only loss saw Bewick let slip that 18-10 lead to go down 26-21.
However, a first ever final appearance was secured.
During the nineties, Cumbria had become Sunderland’s bogey team so it was somewhat ironic that the Cumbrians were to be the opponents in the final, both teams looking for a first ever Denny Cup win.
Following the tragic events at Dunblane prior to the final both teams held an emotional minute’s silence.
Unlike the previous two rounds, the Sunderland lads were held over the first five ends as it was 19-19.
At the 10-end mark, Sunderland led on three of the four rinks although the alarm bells were ringing as Bewick had slumped to 14-3 down against Andrew Baxter as the Cumbrians opened up a 38-33 lead.
Hopes of a first Denny title sadly were ultimately lost over the next set of five ends as Cumbria got a 21-10 return to lead 59-43.
Bewick was still 10 shots adrift, Thompson was 179 down and Jimmy Humphrey’s rink of Frankie Adams, Stevie Cairns and Kevin Donkin were only three down against Stuart Airey.
With Smith only 15-10 up, the deficit was 16 overall.
With heads starting to drop, a comeback was never on the cards and Smith’s 20-13 win over Neil Currie was the only Wearsiders winning card.
Bewick finished 23-11 down against Baxter, Humphrey went down 23-14 against Airey and Thompson finished 20-13 down against Hugh Thompson, leaving Cumbria 79-58 up.
Despite the disappointing end, it was a weekend that will linger long in many of the players’ and spectators’ memories.
That Cumbria squad went on to win another two Denny Cups before the turn of the millennium, while the Sunderland squad sadly failed to fulfil its potential and eventually broke up.
The other members of the squad were Matty Kilty, John Godfrey, Alan Ganley, Ken Briscoe and Tommy Smith.
Sadly, the years have been hard on that team – on the playing side Frankie Adams, Norman Routledge, Billy Bewick, Harry Barker and Tommy Smith are no longer with us.
*Sport England has teamed up with Crowdfunder to make £1 million of match funding available to help the sport and physical activity sector through the ongoing coronavirus.
This investment aims to help community sport and physical activity organisations who are experiencing short term financial hardship or the ceasing of operations during lockdown.
The match investment, of up to £10,000, aims to help organisations start to on the road to recovery, and Bowls England are encouraging all clubs who play an important role in keeping their community physically active to get involved. Visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/ funds/active-together.