Rub of the green goes against defending champions Barnes
The defending Harold Howey League champions Barnes Park B had a tough afternoon away at Houghton Town A. Despite the host club playing a rink short, Barnes were beaten 3-1 (-4¾).
Town’s Herbie Lyons defeated Keith Sykes 28-16, which covered Ken Taylor's 17-10 loss to Des Hills. It wasn’t all good news for Houghton, though, as their B team went down by a single shot at Thompson Park.
Roker Park won the Roker derby, defeating Marine 3-1, albeit by two shots. Result of the day saw North Biddick A stun fancied Dairy Lane B 3½-½ in another tight affair, 34-33.
In Division Two North, Biddick B won 4-0 against Sunderland A by 56-22. Pemberton B enjoyed a 3-1 (13½33) win at Barnes Park A, while the Pemberton A team notched a second win, this time 3-1 (+5) at home against Chester le Street.
There were 3-1 wins for Roker Marine B and Washington A against Seaham Town and South Hylton respectively. In the 3-2-1 knock out triples, Roker Park defeated Thompson Park 241-191. Their reward is a trip to Usworth.
The draws for the two Sunderland & District knockout competitions have been made. In the Silver Jacks, the Marine defending champion, Richie Mckie, heads to Dairy Lane to face Jeff Wilson, while the Burkett Shield holders will not be defending their title.
As the Grindon league got under way, holders Silksworth Pumas worked hard for a 4-1 (+10) home win against Whitburn, while Houghton Dairy Lane were pushed all the way at Hylton Colliery, as Dairy Lane won a thriller 3-2 by a single shot. The remaining tie saw Usworth defeat South Hylton 4-1.
In the county championship singles first round, Dairy Lane’s Ray Robinson won a thriller against the Pumas’ Paul Baker 21-20. Brian Poulter’s (Usworth) good early form continued with a live-streamed 21-10 win over Jaxon McKenna (Pumas). Barnes Park’s Lee Harrison
defeated Adrian Dalzell (Pumas) 21-10, while Dale Oram won an all-Dairy Lane clash with Gary McPheators 21-9. Silksworth’s Josh Halcrow eased past Dairy Lane’s Ron Dixon 21-8 but there was better news for another Dairy Lane hopeful, as Alan Hind beat Marine’s Sam Patterson 21-20.
The new three-bowl 18end pairs format has also started. Current county champions Gary Farquhar and David Bolt (Pumas) got their title defence under way, beating club mate Peter Brickle 16-10. Barnes Park’s Les Taylor defeated Dairy Lane’s Gary McPheators 19-14 and the Pumas’ Baker father and son combo had a good 2110 win at Marine against Alan Middleton. The remaining
tie saw Barnes Park’s Bryan Sanderson get home 14-10 at Usworth against Gary Graham.
In the women’s singles, the former county champion, Dairy Lane’s Glynis Morgan, set up a trip to Jarrow West End after a 21-8 win at Darlington RA against Nicole Kirtland. Roker Marine’s Carolyn Barthram made home advantage count with a hardfought 21-19 win over Newton Hall’s Christine Budd. Barthram heads to Dairy Lane next to face Susan Forster.
In the pairs competition, six of the eight planned firstround ties were walkovers. Locally, Sunderland’s Charlotte Bayliss and Lorraine Breheny enjoyed a 20-13 win at Darlington South Park. The Sunderland duo jump to the
last eight, after a walkover, where they will host Darlington Woodland’s Julie Robinson.
Plenty action has occurred in the local section of the various Bowls England competitions. In the men’s over 55 singles, Usworth’s Brian Poulter had a cracking 218 win at Silksworth against Peter Brickle, while Barnes Park’s Bryan Sanderson went down 21-18 at Hunden’s to Stuart Clarke. There were mixed results for Dairy Lane hopefuls. Alan Hind won 21-15 away at Dunston’s Mal Johnston but Jeff Will lost at home to another Dunston lad, Alan Jobling, 21-17.
In the over 55 pairs, Dairy Lane’s Ron Dixon went down 20-10 away to Spennymoor’s Barry Attwood and clubmate
Dale Oram lost 18-13 at Dunston against Brett Arkley. North Biddick’s Bob Johnson lost at home 18-15 to ElmTree’s Allan Hart and Silksworth’s Peter Brickle went down 20-12 to Dipton Park’s Eddie Henry. In the women’s event, ex-national champions from Dairy Lane, Glynis Morgan and Joan Rodgerson, beat Durham’s Joyce Woodward and will host Woodland’s Julie Robinson next. The latter ended the hopes of Sunderland’s Sue Almond by 17-12.
There were a couple of wins in the mixed pairs for Dairy Lane entries – Carmel Guy got home 17-15 away at Consett Park’s Sue Ramage and Jeff Wilson notched an 18-10 home win over Pelton Fell’s Brian Brown.
The Silksworth Pumas’
Scott and Paul Baker defeated Marine’s Peter Thomson 20-14 in the family pairs.
There was some sad news for the local bowls scene with the passing of two “good lads”.
Former Sunderland indoor club chairman, Tony Pucci, was a steady away lead and will be best remembered from his days at the noww defunct Grindon Mill club. In the 1980s, he starred alongside the likes of Billy Ferry, Keith Sykes, Jimmy Heron, Jimmy Bell, Teddy Hall, the Byers brothers and many more. Tony was one of the game’s great characters of that era. Houghton Town’s Brian Rutherford, a member of the Houghton indoor club and one of the game’s good guys, also passed away. Both will be sadly missed.