Vipers make cup progress in Denny and Yetton tests
It was a cracking weekend for the South Shields club as the Vipers progressed into the last 16 of the Denny Cup and the women’s Yetton Plate.
In the men’s Denny, the Vipers got off to a flier against Cumbria, leading 23-8, setting the tone for the whole game as the Vipers ran out winners 80-71.
At Carlisle, both Viper squads put in cracking performances. Paul Hartley beat Stephen Farish 19-17 and Gary Farquhar beat Trevor Taylor 19-16 to leave the Vipers five shots up.
At Jack Clark, a last-end dropped five saw David Bolt go down 24-19 to Stuart Airey, leaving Ian McIntosh defending an overall eight-shot lead on the last end, which he did comfortably en route to a hard fought 24-14 win over Ken Johnstone.
In the last 16, Hartlepool will provide the opposition after a 74-69 win over Hornsea. The tie will take place on January 8.
In the Denny Plate, Gateshead eased past Stanley 8860 and will face Selby in the last 16 after they ended Darlington’s hopes 72-67.
To cap a great day for the Shields club, the women moved into the last 16 of the Yetton Plate after beating West Denton 86-81, and will face Hornsea next, also on January 8.
There was disappointment for Houghton women as they were beaten in the Mason National double fours 36-29 by Great Aycliffe.
At Aycliffe, Maureen Hall, Elizabeth Morris, Joan Baker and Norma Stephenson turned around a 12-3 deficit to run out 20-16 winners against Edna Hugill.
However, things didn’t go to plan at home. Joan Rodgerson’s quartet dropped a six mid-game to trail 11-5 and never recovered, eventually losing 20-9 to Susan Young, sealing a seven-shot loss overall. Aycliffe face Redcar in the next round.
There was better news for Houghton’s men as they progressed into the last 32 of the over-60s double fours beating West Denton 38-30.
At Houghton, Ian Whorl
ton’s quartet of Michael Wright, Terry Todd and Stevie Tindale led 11-10 at halfway, but then failed to score again, losing 19-11 against Herbie Blacklock.
At West Denton, Joe Sutherland, Peter Brickle, Frankie Froud and Dale Oram put in a five-star performance to see Houghton over the line. Trailing 5-0, Oram turned things around to lead 10-7 before a cracking seven on the 10th end extended the lead to 17-7, a late five sealing an impressive 27-11 win. Houghton face Cumbria next on January 11.
In the latest round of vets inter-club fixtures, Houghton Sancroft made it three wins out of three with a 5-0 (56-28) win over South Shields.
Ian Whorlton defeated Derek Wilson 21-8, Frankie Froud beat Ronnie Chapman 14-9 and Dale Oram completed the whitewash beating Bob Cragg 21-11 thanks to a couple of late fives – the win will see Sancroft top the group going into 2022.
Our two local clubs went head to head in the latest round of Top Ten fixtures, and it was a good day for Houghton as they ran out 10-0 winners. In the singles, Gary McPheators beat Michael Baker 21-10 while in the pairs Frankie Froud beat Keith Taylor 24-4. In the triples, Dale Oram beat Ronnie Chapman 19-12, where there was a Vipers debut for 10-year-old Layton Sykes, whose father David was part of the Sunderland Under-25 double fours national champions 23 years ago. The Houghton clean sweep saw Alan J Dunn beat Paul Hart 24-11.
In the south section of the national singles, the allHartlepool clash between Andrew Kirtland and former national champion Gary R Smith saw Kirtland run out a 21-18 winner to set up a lasteight tie with clubmate Carl Higgins.
In the north section, there was a cracking comeback by the Vipers’ Paul Hartley in a live-streamed clash with clubmate James Sneller. It looked like an early bath for Hartley as Sneller dominated the game leading 10-0, but the dogged Hartley knuckled down and not only levelled the game at 14-14 but went on to win 21-15. In the pairs, the Vipers’ Paul Hartley and David Bolt progressed with a home win over Gateshead’s Maurice Dunlop.
In the over-60s singles, there was a Gateshead double; Malcolm Johnston won a thriller 21-20 at Durham against Alan Coulson while Brian Poulter beat fellow Gateshead player Brian Orrell 21-15.
Hartlepool’s Sam Richardson beat Darlington’s Andrew Henderson 14-8 in the mixed pairs while Stanley’s Michael English had a terrific 16-3 over the Vipers Gary Farquhar. There was better news for Farquhar in the mixed fours after a 1910 win over clubmate David Bolt. In the family pairs the Thomson twins beat West Denton’s Lee Lowdon to set up a trip to Shields to face the
McIntosh brothers.
The Durham County Liberty squad will look to put behind them the disappointment of losing in the delayed 2019/20 final to Devon earlier in October as they head over to Carlisle today to face Cumbria in the first round of this season’s competition. Durham County women are also in action as they face Yorkshire in the Atherley Trophy at Durham. Following the latest Covid guidelines from the EIBA, ties may be cancelled should both counties agree with the proviso that this round and the next are played before March 4.
Houghton are in Inter County action tomorrow as they face last season’s runners-up Gateshead.
At Houghton (1pm) – M.Wright, R.Jobling, AJ.Dunn, P.Thomson (jnr), M.Baker, D.Wright, D.Todner, F.Froud.
At Gateshead (10.30am) – L.Taylor, D.Armstrong, S.Tindale, D.Oram, F.Fletcher, P.Brickle, G.McPheators, J.McAdoo.