Houghton Kepier put up battling performance in defeat to Durham
In the latest round of the seniors Inter-Club competition, all eyes were on Houghton Kepier as they entertained Durham B and, with the latter already in the delayed 2019-20 title play-offs, it was always going to be a big ask for the Kepier lads to get a positive result...and so it proved.
Despite a battling performance, David Armstrong’s quartetwentdown14-8against Dennis Christie.
It was a tough shift for Dave Spottiswood, losing 212 against Malcolm Robinson. The remaining rink of Taylor, Rowland, Twiddle and Davies were left thinking what might have been, leading Keith Minnis 7-1 and 10-6 before a costly dropped five turned the game on its head.
With the score 11-11, the Kepier quartet agonizingly missed out on the last end 1211. Overall, it was a harsh 5-0 whitewash and by 26 shots overall.
Houghton Gilpin return to action on Tuesday (12.30pm) when Ferryhill arrive: R.Potts, D.Robson, T.McLaren, K.Morris, E.Downes, R.Wilson,D.Gibson,R.Robson, R.Leonard, R.Thorpe, D.Scott, W.Roberts.
The remaining relegation place in the 2019-20 InterCountyLeaguehasfinallybeen confirmed; despite losing the remaining fixture 8½-3½, it wasenoughforStanleytosend DurhamdowntoDivisionTwo.
Final Standings – Hartlepool 56, Gateshead B 39½, Great Aycliffe 29½, Houghton 27½, Stanley 27½, Durham 25, Ferryhill 5. Promoted from DivisionTwo:DarlingtonandThe Parks.The2021-22fixtureswill be released shortly.
Next Saturday will see our two local sides kick off their Denny Cup campaigns. Houghton face Gateshead whiletheSouthShieldsVipers face The Parks.
Houghton team – W.Roberts, AJ.Dunn, D.Wright, J.McAdoo, M.Baker, I.Whorlton,P.Brickle,F.Froud, J.Sutherland, S.Tindale, D.Todner, D.Oram, F.Fletcher, D.Armstrong, G.McPheators, P.Thomson ( jnr).
The Vipers open up their Egham Trophy charge tomorrow
(10am) as they face West Denton.
At Shields – JS.Tallack, M.Charles, J.McKenna, P.Hartley, P.Browne, P.Bryne, P.Dixon, G.Farquhar.
At Denton – M.Paton, P.Carlin, M.Peach, J.Sneller, J.Chapman, V.Happer, S.Hubbard, J.Halcrow.
HoughtonfacetheDurham CountyVicePresidentstomorrow at 1pm, when the normal six-rink fixture has been reduced to just a four-rink fixture.
Houghton Team – S.Farrell, T.Grimes, E.Morris, K.Morris,W.Race,J.Eggleston, B.Robson,D.Robson,G.Brown, M.Eggleston, D.Surtees, TW.Todd, J.Watt, T.Patterson, D.Armstrong, S.Tindale.
In the Area Two national
singles, there was a Vipers treble:PaulHartleyhadagoodwin at Gateshead 21-11 against Brian Poulter, Stewart Hubbard beat clubmate Jaxon McKenna21-8andGaryFarquharbeat Gateshead’s Maurice Dunlop 21-10.
Stanley’s Brett Arkley beat Gateshead’s Alan Lawton 2110 while Houghton’s Frankie Froud lost at home 21-8 to Gateshead’s Brian Orrell.
In the pairs, Gateshead’s Malcolm Johnston eased past West Denton’s Lee Lowdon 25-5 and the Vipers’ McKenna had a comfortable 21-7 win at Houghton against David Armstrong.
Gateshead’s Alex Bryden moved into the next round of the triples with a 19-10 win at West Denton against Aaron
Robson. Stanley’s Brett Arkley beat Gateshead’s Lee Pope 19-12.
In the two-bowl singles, there was a thrilling 21-20 win at Shields for Gateshead’s Alex Bryden over Paul Hartley, and more Gateshead success as Brian Poulter ended Durham youngster Conrad Morrison’s hopes 21-14.
The mixed pairs has already seen five walk-overs, while in the games that have been played an all-Shields affair saw Phil Dixon beat Dave Paterson 18-9, Gary Farquhar had a cracking 21-12 win at Stanley against Brett Arkley and Hartlepool’s Carl Higgin lost 21-14 at home to Darlington’s Andrew Henderson.
In the Champion of Champions, Redcar’s Vinnie O’Neill beat Durham’s Conrad Morrison 21-10 and will face the Hartlepool champion Jonny Forcer,currentlyplayingoutof Shields, while Durham’s entry GarySmith,nowplayingoutof Hartlepool,beattheVipers’Ian McIntosh 21-17.
The final chance to grab a golden ticket entry into the World Open Singles at Potters in January is taking place at Stanley today, as the last of the Professional Bowls Association(PBA)qualifyingevents take place.
Seventy-one players will battle it out for the solitary spot, which features several internationals on show plus a good local contingent.
Gary R Smith, David Bolt, Paul Hartley, Alex Bryden, Barry Hopkins, Peter Thomson,
Brett Arkley, Michael Laydon, Laughlin Todd, Gary McPheators, Maurice Dunlop, Mark Higgins, Gary Farquhar, Frankie Froud, Alan Theobald and Ian McIntosh all feature.
The action starts at 8.30am right through to the end of the quarter-finals, starting at around 8.30pm. The semi-finalsandfinaltakeplacetomorrow from 9am.
There are also 26 under-25 players fighting it out for the one qualifying place in the Under-25 championships, also at Potters.
These start tomorrow at 9am with the final due to start around 4.45pm.
Both days’ action is being live streamed via the Bowls Sunderland and Wrong Bias websites, plus via Facebook.