Plenty of county success for local bowlers in 2014
be shot out of the water on the first end when Kirtland collected a six and by the fifth end the lead had been extended to 9-1.
By the ninth end it was 14-5 and RA’s four looked set to replicate their 2011 win. However, cometh the hour, cometh the man and Bolt then took matters into his own hands. Nine shots over the next four ends saw the Silksworth lads back in it at 14-14.
A treble on the 18th end saw them open up a 2016 lead but the RA quartet showed their class by collecting counts of three and two which saw them go into the final end 21-20 up.
A tense final end saw the head change several times but a cracking first bowl from Bolt set up a match-winning lie and when Kirtland’s final draw attempt ended up two feet short, Bolt’s squad were crowned county champions.
Later in the day Kirtland gained some revenge in the singles final when he beat Bolt 21-15 to land a career fifth county singles title.
The men’s A team lifted the Muras Trophy for the first time in four years.
However, they blew a great chance of progressing to the Middleton Cup last eight. Despite beating Lincolnshire and Northumberland they lost their final group game against Lancashire 20-2, leaving the door open for Northumberland to qualify.
The women’s John’s Trophy squad however beat group leaders Nottinghamshire 18-4 to set up a quarterfinal against Lincolnshire, and despite a cracking performance they lost by 15 shots overall.
Domestically, Silksworth retained the Earl Cup for a third consecutive season.
A 6-1 home defeat to Dairy Lane may have ended a 27-game unbeaten run but it still secured the title with a game to spare.
In the Swan Cup, Houghton Dairy Lane won only their second Swan title and despite going into the final round of Harold Howey senior fixtures in third place, Silksworth A snatched the title on shots difference.
Hetton Workmen landed the Storey Bowl. Usworth beat Sunderland in the 3-2-1 final 237-195.
In the Sunderland & District knockout competitions, Silksworth’s David Bolt and Gary Farquhar won the Silver Jacks and the Marine trio of Alan Middleton, Bobby Graham and Ray Robinson secured the Burkett Shield. This was the Marine club’s ninth in the last 11 years and the 25th since the competition started back in 1927.
The Champion of Champions finals produced two stunning comebacks.
In the main final Usworth’s Steven Copeland recovered form 13-3 down against Grindon Mill’s Alan Patterson to win 21-15, making-up for his 2011 final loss.
The Vets final saw two great names no longer with us battle it out. Silksworth’s Bobby Rollason led 20-13 against Barnes Park’s Tommy
Jopling and held the all important shot.
However, Jopling produced a typical wonder bowl to not only save the game but break Rollason’s heart - on a measure 21-20.
In the Grindon League Silksworth landed a league and Tommy Thompson double fours clean sweep.
In the SWBA competitions Roker Marine’s Alice Curtis recovered from 158 down to beat Thompson Park’s Anne Raine with the last bowl in a thrilling singles final 21-20. Curtis went on to lift the pairs with club mate Pat Wayman.
There was some consolation for Raine with the triples title. Sunderland’s Sue Almond won the fours and then added the Marjorie Marshall triples title while Houghton Town’s Ellen Faith landed the champion of champions.
In what turned out to be their final year competing in the league Houghton Dairy Lane successfully defended the league title for a third consecutive year.