Houghton squads see mixed week as the season opens
As the indoor bowls season gets into full swing, it has been a mixed week for two of the three Houghton senior squads.
Despite the 2019-20 inter club senior end of season play-offs yet to be concluded, the new season got under way with Houghton Sancroft getting off to a winning start with a 4-1 (54-28) success away against South Shields Vipers A.
Top Houghton rink was Michael Wright, Brian Race, Terry Todd and Frankie FroudastheybeatDerekWilson 22-8.
Meanwhile Dale Oram’s quartet got home 21-7 against Ronnie Chapman, and the only Shields win saw Bob Cragg’s rink beat Ian Whorlton 13-11.
It was not such a good start for the Houghton Kepier squad as they were well beaten at home 4-1 (56-29) by Hartlepool B.
Dave Spotiswood went down 26-6, Bob Johnson lost 18-9, with the only Kepier win coming from Tom Davies with a score of 14-12.
The remaining Houghton Gilpin squad get their campaign under way in two weeks time at home to Hartlepool A.
The inter club Top Ten competition begins today with both local sides in action. Houghton head to Stanley for a 10.30am start while South Shields Vipers head to Durham with play getting under way at 10am.
The Houghton squad is P Brickle, J Sutherland, D Oram, S Tindale, D Armstrong, L Taylor, E Downes, K Armstrong, T W Todd and D Wright
The Vipers squad is M Baker, R Chapman, J Halcrow, P Hart, J McKenna, K Taylor, B Thompson, K Thompson, W Upsall and D Wilson
The remaining inter club relegation place from the protracted 2019-20 season will most likely be decided in the rearranged Houghton v Durham final game.
With Ferryhill already relegated the remaining place will be filled by the loser of the Houghton/Durham
clash, which is scheduled to take place on October 3.
The current standings are Houghton 21½, Great Aycliffe 20½, Durham 20, Ferryhill 4.
The Houghton side is as follows: M Baker, D Armstrong, P Brickle, F Froud, F Fletcher, S Tindale, R Mckie and D Oram, with the game being played at 1pm.
And at Durham it is 10.30am: M Wright, L Taylor, G McPheators, P Thomson Jnr, J Sutherland, T W Todd, D Wright and J.McAdoo.
The long awaited 2019-20 indoor national championships get under way tomorrow at Nottingham.
With Covid precautions in place there is a limit of 100 spectators allowed into the venue via pre-booked tickets and temperature checks will be taken on arrival
On the green there could be some silverware heading north on day one as the Durham County Under-25 young guns look for a national title as they face Somerset in the final of the Under-25 Inter County Double Fours.
Durham’s only success in the competition came 20 years ago while Somerset are appearing in their first final.
The Durham squad is Jordan Harston, Matthew Gleeson (both Aycliffe), Matthew Ray (Hartlepool), Josh Halcrow (Vipers), Conrad Morrison (Durham), Josh Minto
(Vipers), Bryan Henderson (Hartlepool) and Jaxon McKenna (Vipers).
On Monday at Nottingham the singles get under way.
Having qualified out of Durham but now plying his trade at Hartlepool, Gary R Smith has already made it to the last eight after a walk over against Egerton Park’s Michael Stone.
In the women’s event the region’s hopes are being carried by Hartlepool’s Lauren Mosley who tackles Spalding’s Ruby Hill.
In the men’s over-60 singles the Vipers’ Dave Paterson faces Cotwold’s Dave Howes in the last 16.
Later in the week the two
bowl singles gets under way, locally Jonny Forcer (Vipers) has a tough opener against Kingsthorpe’s England internationalist Connor Cinato while Hartlepool’s Devon Cooper goes in the women’s event and faces Barwell’s Barbara Lewis.
Next Saturday the Durham County Liberty Cup squad will get the chance to rack up a twelfth title as they face Devon in the final.
The two counties have met three times in the final with Durham winning all three. The only change in the Durham line up from the semi-final win over Cambridgeshire sees the Vipers’ Neal Ridley replace club mate Phil Dixon who is unavailable. Durham line up: J Harston (Aycliffe), C Boston, M Squirrell, P Mosley (all Hartlepool), K Minnis (Durham), C Higgins, G Skipp, V O’Neill (all Hartlepool), J Halcrow, J Mckenna (both Shields), M Jones (Hartlepool), P Hartley (Shields), L Hall (Durham), R Bewick, B Henderson, G R Smith (all Hartlepool), M Peach, N Ridley, G Farquhar, D Bolt (all Shields), J.Minto (Shields), D Oram (Houghton), J Sneller, P Smithson (both Shields).
The final Bowls England outdoor national titles were decided last weekend at Leamington, in the top club Silksworth Pumas conquerors Langwith Junction were beaten 5-0 in the quarter finals by Hampshire’s Atherley.
The eventual winners were the Kent-based Bromley club who beat Devon’s Culm Vale 3-2 on an extra end in the fours.
There was better news for Devon as the women’s title was successfully defended for a third year running by the all conquering Kings Club.
Reading landed the men’s double fours, in the final they defeated Lincolnshire’s Burton House 28-22 while Oxfordshire’s Banbury Central lifted the Tony Allcock Trophy.