County women hoping to repeat 2013’s cup success
There will be plenty of interest in the local stages of this season’s Bowls England competitions.
In the double fours the Silksworth Pumas will be looking for an extended run.
In the Durham section of the draw the Pumas will host Hundens. Houghton Dairy Lane have a tricky trip to Darlington South Park while Roker Marine will look to repeat their surprise win over the strong Darlington RA as the two meet again, and this time Marine have home advantage.
In the top club the Pumas travel to Pelton Fell while Dairy Lane head to Dipton Park.
The only local entry in the Tony Allcock over 60’s double mixed fours will see Dairy Lane host Hundens.
In the men’s over-55 singles Peter Brickle (Pumas) tackles former county lead Usworth’s Brian Poulter while Barnes Park’s Bryan Sanderson has a tough opener away to former county singles champion Hunden’s Stuart Clarke.
There are four Dairy Lane entries. Ron Dixon is away to Spennymoor’s Malcolm Robinson, Alan Hind travelstoDunstontofaceMalcolmJohnstonandJeffWilson hosts another Dunston lad, Alan Jobling. The fourth hope is Mal Peach, who has a tough trip to Darlington RA to face Peter Coulson.
In the women’s event there are three Dairy Lane entries. Susan Forster hosts Darlington Woodland’s Julie Robinson, Norma Stephenson heads to Durham City to face IIona Kock-Klau while former county singles champion Glynis Morgan hosts another Durham player, Pauline Charleton.
In the over-55 pairs Roker Marine’s Ray Bell will entertain Barnes Park’s Bryan Sanderson. The tie of the round will see Dairy Lane’s Dale Oram travel to Dunston to face Brett Arkley. North Biddick have a rare entry as Robert Johnson will have home advantage over Elm Tree’s Allan Hart.
Other local ties – P Brickle (Pumas) v E Henry (Dipton
Park), B Attwood (Spennymoor) v R Dixon (Dairy Lane), M.Robinson (Spennymoor) v M Peach (Dairy Lane).
In the women’s competition Sunderland’s Lorraine Berheny is at home to Newton Hall’s Eileen Horan, and past national champion Dairy Lane’s Joan Rodgerson hosts Durham City’s Joyce Woodward.
Other local ties – P Charleton (Durham City) v N Stephenson (Dairy Lane), J Robinson (Darlington Woodland) v S Almond (Sunderland).
In the men’s champion of champions the Pumas David Bolt has a home tie against Darlington RA’s Liam Macey while Seaham Town’s Bryan Henderson heads to Darlington South Park to face Frank Dixon. Roker Marine’s Alan Middleton has to travel to Jarrow West End to face Alan Hughes, and there is a trip to Hunden’s foe Usworth’s Brian Poulter to face Vic Tunstall.
Surprisingly there is no local interest in the women’s event.
The mixed pairs will see Marine’s Rod Maxwell head to Consett Park to face Ann Mitchell while Dairy Lane’s Gary McPheators hosts Spennymoor’s Barry Attwood. The Pumas’ Jaxon Mckenna heads to Darlington Woodland to play Jane Pattison.
Other local ties – M Peach (Dairy Lane) v D Livingston (Dunston), S Ramage (Consett Park) v C Guy (Dairy Lane), J Wilson (Dairy Lane) v B Brown (Pelton Fell).
There are only two local entries in the mixed fours and they have been drawn against each other. Dairy Lane’s Mal Peach hosts the Pumas’ Jaxon McKenna.
In the family pairs the Pumas’ Josh Halcrow makes the trip to Darlington South Park to face Scott Morland, with the winner to host Hylton Colliery Welfare’s Gary Wallace.
There are a couple of local affairs. Marine’s Pete Thomson has home advantage against the Pumas’ Paul Baker and Dairy Lane’s Jeff
Wilson hosts Marine’s Sam Patterson.
The Durham County women’s Northern Trophy and Stella Logan squads have been confirmed, with several local players included.
Thisseasonachangeinformat will see three bowl triples adopted. Lorraine Berheny, Sue Almond (both Sunderland), Susan Forster, Glynis Morgan, Joan Rodgerson, Norma Stephenson, Maureen Hall (all Dairy Lane) have been selected in the Northern Trophy squad while Charlotte Bayliss (Sunderland), Karen Sinclair, Eveline Barkes (both Dairy Lane) and Whitburn’s Vicky Happer are included in the Stella Logan squad.
Durham County women will be looking to replicate their national title-winning 2013 Walker Cup double fours exploits.
The selectors have named a strong-looking squad for the tie against Northumberland due to be played on June 27 at Houghton Dairy Lane: Susan Forster (HDL), Fay Slinn (NH), Glynis Morgan
(HDL), Joan Rodgerson (HDL), Teresa Pearson (CP), Joan Brown (PF), Norma Stephenson (HDL), Ann Anderson (DWL), with reserves J Woodward (DC) and S Almond (Sun).
Fixtures for the Sunderland Women’s leagues have been confirmed. Sadly there are only six teams left but the six do play each other home and away. The opening games will see defending champions SilksworthtraveltoHoughton Town, Barnes Park host last season’s runners-up Sunderland and Roker Marine tackle Whitburn. The format for the 2021 league is three bowls triples over 16 ends.
Devon’s Robert Paxton has decided to withdraw from the England Commonwealth Games squad due to family reasons. Paxton won a bronze medal at the 2018 Gold Coast games, there are currently no plans to name a replacement as the squad look forward to warm-up matches against Ireland in May and a new home nations event in July and September.