Durham's men miss out on Muras to Northumberland
It was a case of what might have been for the Durham County men’s Muras Trophy squad.
In the traditional doubleheader played this year at Blackhall, Durham narrowly missed out. In the morning opener, a dramatic last end saw Northumberland snatch athreeandtiethegameoff8585,butwithDurhamonlywinning on two of the four rinks left Northumberland came out on top 13-9.
Northumberlandthenproceeded to seal the trophy by beating Yorkshire 20-2, leaving the final Durham versus Yorkshire game a dead rubber as Durham couldn’t catch the Northumberland points total. As it happens, Durham beat Yorkshire 19-3 to finish second.
Table – Northumberland 33, Durham 29, Yorkshire 5.
Durham are in Middleton Cup action today as they tackle Nottinghamshire at Dairy Lane (2pm). Tomorrow the county are in double fours action as they head to Dunnington to face Yorkshire at 1pm.
Balcombe squad – J.Harston (Spennymoor), J.McKenna, G.Farquhar, D.Bolt, J.Halcrow (all Silksworth Pumas), I.Jackson, P.Hartley (both Blackhall), D.Oram (Dairy Lane).
Thewomen’scountyStella Logan squad were beaten by Yorkshire at Driffield 8½-1½ and by 19 shots. Durham had one draw and a win across the five-rinkformat.Thewomen’s John’s Trophy team are in action today as they head to Appleby to face Cumbria in what isawinner-takes-alltiefollowing Nottinghamshire’s withdrawal.
There has been plenty of action in the north section of the men’s county competitions, with the triples taking place. Holders the Pumas' David Sykes, Gary Farquhar and DavidBoltsurvivedalatescare against Dairy Lane’s John Inch, getting home 18-16, and will head to Marine next to facePeterThomson,whobeat Jarrow’s G.Smith 23-8.
Barnes Park’s Bryan Sanderson had a cracking 265winatPeltonFellagainstPhil StokerandwillhostDunston’s Bryn Jones next. Dairy Lane’s
Dale Oram won a a high-scoring 20-20 clash against Marine's Richie Mckie 30-14 and willhavehomeadvantagenext against the Pumas' Josh Halcrow, who eased to a 30-8 win at Pelton Fell.
In an all-Dairy Lane affair, David Armstrong beat Mal Peach 18-7 and in an all-New Herrington clash Colin Watson got the better of Barry Thomas 32-6. Seaham’s Bryan Henderson Snr beat the Pumas' Adrian Dalzell 18-15 and will play another Puma in the shape of Scott Baker. This weekwillseethesingles,pairs andtwobowlcompleteanother round.
In the women’s county competitions, Dairy Lane's Susan Forster’s wait for a first singles title goes on after a 2114 loss at Darlington Woodland against Tracy Fairless. Clubmate and former county champion Glynis Morgan moved into the last 16 with a 21-14winoverDurham’sJoyce Woodward.
Whitburn’s Vicky Happer beat Middleton St George’s C.Wilson and will face Darlington Woodland’s Julie Robinson next. Marine’s Carolyn Barthramlostathome21-13to
Darlington Woodland’s Jane Pattison.
There was better news for Barthram in the pairs after a narrow 15-14 win at Bishop AucklandgetstheMarinepair atriptoSouthParknext.Dairy Lane’s Joan Rodgerson progressed into the next round, a hard-fought 20-18 win at Newton Hall against the 2021 county champion Faye Slinn handing Rodgerson a trip to Darlington Woodland’s next. The defending pairs champions Dairy Lane’s Norma Stephenson crashed out in the first round 17-14 at home against Woodland’s Jane Pattison;therewerealsolossesfor two Sunderland squads, Lorraine Breheny and B.Ledger.
Locally, in the Earl Cup Division One, Barnes Park's 5-1 home win over Dairy Lane A propelled them to the top of the table, while previous leaders Hetton Workmen lost 5-1 atNewHerrington.RokerMarine bounced back to winning ways with a hard-fought 4-2 win over Silksworth Pumas, and Usworth jumped to midtable with a comprehensive 6-0 win over North Biddick. Bottom-of-the-table Pemberton got off the mark with a cracking 4½-1½ win over Seaham Town.
DivisionTwoleadersDairy Lane B made it five out of five with a 5-1 win over Hylton Colliery Welfare, and secondplaced South Hylton suffered a setback losing 5-1 at Sunderland. Whitburn's 6-0 win over Thompson Park moves them up to third, while two of the bottom three notched wins; Washington beat Ryhope 5-1 and Houghton Town beat Roker Park 4-2.
RoundfiveoftheSwanCup saw the top three all win, leaders Seaham Town 5-1 at Marine, Dairy Lane 6-0 against Hetton Workmen and holders Barnes Park 5-1 against NewHerrington.Resultofthe night saw North Biddick beat Silksworth Pumas 6-0 and by 30 shots.
The Division Two leaders Usworth got back to winning ways beating Houghton Town 5-1, Washington’s 4-2 win over Roker Park moves them up to second, and Hylton Colliery’s 6-0 win at Thompson Park saw the latter drop to the foot of the table. The other result saw Pemberton beat South Hylton 4-2.
The Harold Howey champions Barnes Park B have had a good week, firstly beating Roker Park 3-1 in a rearranged game and then following it up with a narrow two-shot 3-1 win at Roker Marine B. South Hylton maintained their unbeaten start; in a thrilling last end the Hylton lads snatched a last-end double to get home 3-1againstDairyLaneB.There was better news for the Dairy Lane A team as they beat Washington B 4-0. In Division Two, the leaders New Herrington B were beaten 4-0 at Ryhope, which allowed Pemberton A to go top after their 4-0 home win over South Hetton.
In the Bowls England family pairs, the New Herrington Wallace father and son combination had an impressive 23-10 win over Jarrow West End's Colin Moeliker, and the Wallaces will have home advantage against Blackhall’s IanJacksoninthenextround. The Pumas Layton and David Sykes also progressed into the nextroundbeatingDarlington South Park’s Scott Morland 17-11, meaning the Silksworth pair travel again, this time to Darlington RA to face Tony and Liam Macey.