2019 a year to remember for international ace David Bolt
the title from holders Northumberland's grasp, this after suffering a loss against Lancashire.
Going into the final group game at Dairy Lane, Durham needed a minimum 17-5 points win with a 10-shot advantage. As it happened Durham finished 18-4 up to land their 26th Alsop success by two points.
There was disappointment in the Balcombe Trophy double fours as Durham were beaten 42-27 by Derbyshire also at York RI – the two Durham rinks never really got a head of steam up and were both beaten.
Houghton Dairy Lane hosted the county finals. Locally there were two successes.
In the pairs final the Silksworth duo of Gary Farquhar and David Bolt repeated their 2017 win with a hardfought 21-13 win over Stockton’s David Fenwick and earlier in the day Bolt managed to defend his two-bowl title when he beat Usworth’s Brian Poulter 15-9 in the final.
In the junior singles final, Silksworth’s hope of a third title were dashed as Josh Halcrow came up against an inspired Hartlepool Old Boys’ Bryan Henderson, who ran out an impressive 21-14 winner to collect his first county title.
There was disappointment in the senior fours final as the host club’s Peter Hudspeth, John Webster, Jeff Wilson and Ray Robinson were narrowly beaten 15-14 by Hartlepool Old Boys’ Billy Maddison.
In the Northern Counties championships at a very wet Dalston there was Durham success.
In the pairs, the Silksworth combination of Farquhar and Bolt repeated their 2017 title success with a hardfought 12-9 win in the final against Lancashire’s Dominic McVittie and in the twobowl singles Bolt defended his title with a 17-11 win over Cumbria’s John Baird.
The county women’s A team crashed to a 39-shot loss against Lincolnshire in the John’s Trophy. With it being a three-team group and the fact Lincolnshire won both their games, the remaining Durham game against Notts was voided.
In the women’s county finals, the Houghton Dairy Lane quartet of Susan Forster, Carmel Guy (sub), Glynis Morgan and Joan Rodgerson were beaten in the fours final 22-15 by Stockton’s Teresa Parnell. In the triples final, the Hetton trio of Maureen Hall, Margaret Simpson and Norma Stephenson suffered the same fate against Parnell, losing 20-13.
In the ladies pairs semi-finals, Dairy Lane’s Forster and Rodgerson were comprehensively beaten by Stockton’s Barbara Ward and Lisa Simpson 23-4. Foster was also beaten in the singles semi-finals as was club-mate Carmel Guy.
In the Sunderland & District, Silksworth retained the Earl Cup for a third year running going unbeaten in the process, the newly introduced three rink format went to Seaham Town.
The Swan Cup league title went right down to the final round of games, with three teams in with a chance of lifting the title. Leaders Roker Marine needed to win at Barnes West End to make certain of the title while anything less would have left the door ajar for Houghton Dairy Lane and Silksworth to step in, although they were playing each other.
As it happens, Marine did enough as they ran out 7-0 (+28) winners against a West End outfit hampered by playing short on all four rinks, that result enough to hand Marine their first Swan Cup title in over 57 years. Hetton Workmen won the Swan Cup three-rink format.
Barnes Park B retained the veteran’s Harold Howey title and Seaham Town lifted the Storey Bowl.
The final of the 3-2-1 knock-out triples saw holders Silksworth retain their title with a 233-187 win over Seaham Town.
The Burkett Shield also set sail for Silksworth as Eric Downes (sub for Phil Dixon), Gary Farquhar and David Bolt got out of jail in the final against Houghton Dairy Lane’s Peter Hudspeth, Neil Reid (sub for Jeff Wilson) and Ray Robinson, the Silksworth trio collecting a last-end four to get home 18-17.
The Silver Jacks defending champions Silksworth’s Jimmy Richardson and Gary
McPheators missed out on retaining their title as they were beaten 22-7 by Roker Marine’s Bobby Graham and Richie Mckie.
The curtain was brought down with the Champion of Champions finals. In the main final, Usworth’s Ron Todd, appearing in his first district final, put in a spirited performance against Silksworth’s David Bolt before going down 21-11.
Bolt first won it in 1994 and this success made it a recordsetting five in total.
In the senior’s final, Hetton Workmen’s Chris Fish withstood a late fightback to secure his first district title with a 21-18 win over Sunderland’s Dennis Gibson.