South Shields Vipers pair fightback to clinch crown
There was more local local success at the delayed 2019-20 Indoor National Championships played at Nottingham.
South Shields Vipers’ Jackie Stewart Tallack and Maureen Charles landed the Women’s Over-60s Pairs title.
A cracking opening 2319 win against Desborough’s Mary Price was then followed up with a 32-5 demolition of Bodmin’s Yvonne Rojano.
A late charge in the semifinal against Royal Tun Wells’ Sheila Huggett saw the Shields duo get home 17-10 to set up a final against Dorchester’s Margaret Cullip.
The early signs in the final weren’t great as Shields trailed 8-1 and then 12-4, however, they battled back to get within a couple at 1513 with three ends to play.
With momentum on their side Stewart and Charles took their opportunity, winning all three ends to seal a 19-15 victory.
There was very nearly more success this time in the Men’s Over-60 Inter Club Double Fours.
In the semi-final, Stanley defeated Clacton 41-26.
Both Stanley squads won, Derek Craig beat Lincoln Townrow 22-13 and Ian Peacock beat Jim Pallett 19-13.
Sadly in the final, it was not to be as Stanley were beaten 42-27 by Plymouth, both Stanley rinks lost.
Craig lost 23-11 against Phil Downs and Peacock 1916 to Mike Avent.
In the Men’s Pairs, Stanley’s Brett Arkley was well beaten 22-3 by Kingsthorpe's Jamie Walker, while in the women’s competition, the Vipers’ Nina Riches and Ann Upsall won their opener against Stamford’s Katie Bailey 18-15, but were beaten in the last eight 17-12 by Clevedon’s Stef Branfield.
The Vipers’ triple of Jaxon McKenna, Phil Smithson and Shaun McIntosh reached the semi-final stage.
A thrilling 21-20 win over St Neot’s Ross Tomlinson was followed by a 19-14 win against Moonfleet 2000s James Lockwood.
Sadly in the semi-final, McIntosh was beaten 22-11 by Blackpool’s current world Singles champion Mark Dawes.
The title however went to Exonia’s man of the moment Sam Tolchard.
The Men’s Denny Plate was won by Norfolk, while in the Women’s Yetton Plate, Moonfleet 2000 were crowned champions without bowling a bowl as Ipswich conceded.
Likewise, Exonia took the Egham title after Lincoln conceded the final.
Spalding landed the Top club after beating St Neot’s 12-4 in the final.
As the delayed 2019-20 competitions finally come to a close, this year’s competitions are underway and there has already been a couple of singles ties played.
The Vipers’ Phil Dixon got off to a winning start when beating Gateshead’s Malcolm Johnston 21-6, Durham’s talented youngster Conrad Morrison beat West Denton’s Gareth Heard 21-8 and Houghton’s Peter Thomson received a walk over against West Denton’s Keith Miller.
The delayed County Champion of Champions finals were played at Hartlepool last weekend and were dominated by Stanley’s Brett Arkley.
The Stanley star landed the Singles, Triples and Fours titles.
In the Singles, Arkley beat Ferryhill’s Alan Hind 21-16. In the Triples, Arkley was joined by James McKinney and Ian Peacock to beat Aycliffe’s Dave Quickmire 20-9.
The Arkley treble was completed when former Sunderland member Steve Angus slipped in at two in a 20-10 win over Aycliffe’s Barry Attwood.
Hopes of a local win in the Pairs were dashed as the Houghton Thomson twins lost out in a low scoring final 13-12 to Ferryhill’s Colin Larcombe and Conrad Morrison.
Due to fixture congestion
Houghton’s first round clash in this year’s Egham Trophy against Stanley was brought forward two weeks and takes place tomorrow (1pm).
At Houghton: E.Barkes, V.Bambrough, F.Fletcher, F.Froud, J.Sutherland, M.Baker, S.Forster, J.Rodgerson.
At Stanley: E.Morris, J.Baker, P.Brickle, P.Thomson (Jnr), M.Hall, N.Stephenson, S.Tindale, D.Oram.
On Wednesday, the Houghton women kick off their Inter Club campaign against Gateshead.
At Houghton: J.Watt, S.Moody, B.Robson, E.Fith, D.Fenwick, E.Barkes,
V.Bambrough, J.Rodgerson.
At Gateshead: M.Hall, K.Sinclair, L.Morris, N.Stephenson, C.Bayliss, I.Whitfield, L.Breheny, J.Baker.
The first of the season’s Open Singles Circuit events was held at Lincoln last weekend, the winner of the £1,000 first prize was the home clubs Richard Ashton.
Lincoln will also host the next PBA qualifying event today and tomorrow where there are 56 entries in the Singles and 28 in the Pairs and they will all battle it out for the golden ticket down to Potters.
The final qualifying event will be held at Stanley in two weeks time, where currently the Singles has 69 entries, while the only Under-25s event has 31 entries.
Both the Stanley events will be live streamed via the Bowls Sunderland website.
There was some sad news for the local bowls scene, former Pemberton, Sunderland and Barnes Park member John Todd sadly passed away.
John was the last Durham County Bowling Association President in 2006 before the County rebranded to Bowls Durham.
There was also sad news for Hetton Workmen’s as Terry Murphy also passed away.