Bolt for the blue after bowls singles success
South Shields Vipers star David Bolt will once again get the opportunity to grace the famous blue portable rink at Potters after securing the remaining qualifying spot in the World Open Singles in January.
The final PBA event was held at Stanley with a field of 71 players vying for the last place.
Bolt opened up with a hard fought 1½-½ win over Scarborough’s Jack Bird.
A straightforward 7-5, 9-1 win over Thomas Coombe was then followed by a 9-1, 9-1 win in the last 16 over John Sproat.
In the quarter-finals, Bolt tackled another Viper in the shape of Ian McIntosh and, again, notched a straight sets win 6-3, 7-1.
In the semi-finals, Bolt had to be at his best to get the better of Stanley’s Brett Arkley, after tying the first set 6-6. Bolt took the second set 5-3 to clinch a place in the final against Scotland’s John McHutchison.
A slow start in the final saw Bolt trail 4-0 but then the whole tie was turned on its head after McHutchison lost the jack.
A change of length by Bolt saw the Shields lad take the set 10-4 and, in fact, McHutchison never got the jack again as Bolt sealed the deal 7-1 to secure the golden ticket into the televised World Open Singles at Potters in January.
The other local hopes all fell along the way. The Vipers’ Paul Hartley won his first set against Lancashire’s Jason Parkinson 10-3, only to miss out eventually on a tie-breaking measure.
Another Viper, Gary Farquhar, had a cracking opening tie breaker win over Scottish international Darren Weir before losing to Liam Nicholson 1½-½ in the next round.
Hartlepool’s Gary R. Smith eased past Dan Catterall 2-0 and looked nailed on the go into the quarterfinals until a wonder bowl from Scotland’s John McCrorie ended Smith’s hopes in the last 16.
Gateshead’s Maurice
Dunlop defeated Scottish internationalist Carla Banks and Shayne Rimmer before coming unstuck in the last 16, losing 2-1 to a junior Scottish internationalist Beth Riva.
Houghton’s Peter Thomson beat Gateshead’s Alex Bryden 2-1 but then lost in straight sets to Peter McCulloch in the next round.
In an all-Houghton clash, Gary McPheators beat Frankie Froud before losing to the Vipers’ Ian McIntosh. The latter also ended Hartlepool’s Mark Higgins’ hopes in the last 16.
In the Under 25 qualifying event, the only local entrant was Hartlepool’s Bryan Henderson. After losing the first set 9-0 against Cumbria’s Daniel Pool, he bounced back to win the second set 5-4 and, in the final tie breaker, held shot, only for Pool to draw a cracker.
It will be of little consolation that Pool eventually went on to secure the place at Potters with a straight-sets win over Darren Weir.
The Denny Cup gets under way today with all the local teams in action.
Houghton will need to be at the their best against a good Gateshead side, while South Shields Vipers should have too much in the tank for the Parks.
Durham face Cumbria and there is a local derby as
Darlington face Hartlepool.
Houghton team v Gateshead – W. Roberts, A. J. 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.
The Yetton Trophy is also taking place, in which the Vipers face Great Aycliffe, while Houghton have conceded their tie against Cumbria. Disappointingly, there were only nine names nominated for the game.
The Vipers defeated West Denton 89-71 to set up a clash with Houghton in the next round of the Egham Trophy next Sunday.
Hartlepool defeated
Ferryhill 103-29 and Durham beat the Parks 103-94, while Darlington beat Great Aycliffe 83-79.
There has been plenty of action in the area two national competitions. In the singles, an all-Hartlepool affair saw Russell Bewick beat Bryan Henderson 21-9 and clubmate Gary R. Smith beat Darlington’s Mike Lynch 2113, while another Hartlepool lad, Mark Higgins, eased past Redcar’s Denis Galvin 21-2.
In the northern section, Shields’ Josh Halcrow beat Houghton’s Peter Thomson 21-9 and will now face Stanley’s Brian Houghton.
Stanley’s Brett Arkley beat Shields’ Alan Lawton 21-10 and will face another Viper,
James Sneller, next. The latter beat Houghton’s Dale Oram 21-12, while Stanley’s Michael Laydon beat West Denton’s Arron Robson 21-11 and Shields’ Phil Dixon won a thriller 21-20 at West Denton against Kevin Blaylock.
In the pairs, the McIntosh brothers beat Houghton’s Thomson brothers 23-11 and will head to Stanley next to face Derek Craig. Houghton’s Dale Oram had a cracking 18-14 triumph at Gateshead against Brian Orrell.
In the two bowl singles, Shields’ Mal Peach beat Gateshead’s Malcolm Johnston 21-8 and will host Houghton’s Peter Thomson next. Thomson beat the Vipers’ Josh Halcrow 21-18.
Two of the delayed 201920 four seniors champion of champions’ titles came to the local clubs.
In the triples, Houghton’s Peter Thomson, Mal Baker and Frankie Froud defeated Hugh Murray 23-13.
In the fours, the Shields quartet of Michael Bryne, Bobby Graham, Ebby Dent and Billy Ferry won a thriller against Stanley’s David Webb 17-16. The only local loss came in the singles, where Shields’ Fred Knubley lost 21-14 to Hartlepool’s John Ainger.
The Bowls Durham AGM takes place on Tuesday, November 16 (7pm) at Houghton Dairy Lane.