TUESDAY
Following the defeat of the Northants Newton Trophy team on Sunday, the news from Skegness didn’t get much better on Tuesday when the individual events began with the county losing in four of the first six disciplines, writes Bob Warters.
The highlights were wins for the men’s and mixed pairs over Norfolk and Nottinghamshire respectively with the big disappointment, defeat for the former winners of the national two-bowl rinks from Blackstones, losing to the Radwinter trio from North Essex.
The new men’s pairs combination from Whittlesey Manor of Graham Agger and Peter Brown scored an excellent 19-17 win over Norfolk’s C Derry and M Turner (Heartease BC) while Chris Morton and Simon Law, former semi-finalists from Parkway, dealt comprehensively with the Gunn duo from Rolls Leisure 21-7.
Later in the day Morton and Law reached the Friday semi-final defeating the Lincs pairing (19-13) who had earlier knocked out former world champion Nick Brett and his daughter Chloe.
However, there was no joy for Adam Warrington, Jon Earl and Martyn Dolby looking to regain the two-bowl rinks – beaten 12-22.
There was similar disappointment for Northants women making their first Skegness appearances of the week.
Kath Browning, who had qualified in three events, lost 14-20 to Karro BC (North Essex) with senior pairs partner Viv Hempsall, while in the pairs another Yaxley combination – Joan Robinson and Marlene Osbourne – went out to Suffolk 9-23.
Norma Squires (City of Peterborough) put up a good show in the 4-bowl singles before losing to Cleveland’s J Carson 17-21.
Later Stuart Reynolds, James Harford and Mike Robertson (Parkway) overcame Humberside’s Springhead rink in the 3-bowl triples 16-13 but Blackstones’ Warrington and Dolby tumbled out of their respective 2-bowl singles and veteran’s singles 17-21 and 19-21, at the hands of Steve Botten (North Essex) and K Breame (Norfolk).
A disastrous afternoon for Northants continued when both women’s rinks went out of the competition.
In the 2-bowl triples Rita Downs and Katie and Sharon Bailey (Blackstones) were defeated 13-20 by Chloe Brett’s Warboys rink while the Yaxley trio of Stella Dale, Kath Browning and Viv Hempsall were humbled 10-23 by Suffolk.
Late in the day Kath Browning made up for earlier defeats by beating her North Cambs counterpart in the Secretaries singles, with clubmates Robert Heath and Tony Belson beating Notts in the senior pairs first round.
WEDNESDAY
Hopes of a run in the men’s pairs by Graham Agger and Peter Brown were halted by Durham first thing this morning 17-19.
And Mick Duell was unable to improve on his national veteran singles title last year when he lost 16-21 in the 4-bowl singles.
Kath Browning also went out of the Secretary’s singles 21-9 but Val and Jeff Newson, despite daughter Sarah suffering with a broken toe, sailed into the next round of the mixed triples with a comprehensive 23-6 win.
There was also good news for the Senior pair of Robert Heath and Tony Belson who beat Hunts 19-14 to progress to the semi-finals. Also through to the last four are the Parkway trio of Stuart Reynolds, James Harford and Mike Robertson 20-15 victors over Cleveland. They play Nick Brett’s Hunts rink.
Completing a hat-trick of Wednesday winners were Anne and Peter White (Langtoft) who knocked out North Cambs 17-10 in the senior mixed pairs.
Jack Corney and Zak Brown (Whittlesey Manor) defending the Under 25 Open pairs, won by Stephen Harris and Darren Middleton last year, edged home 20-19 against Notts and will play North Cambs on Friday morning.
Sadly the end of the road came for Julie Masters (Parkway) in the 2-bowl singles beaten 21-12.
THURSDAY
Skegness Championships veteran Malcolm Squires quickly hit the ground running on Thursday with a convincing 21-11 victory over D McDonnell (Cleveland) in the secretaries singles, representing City of Peterborough BC as well as Northants.
It made up in some way for his wife Norma’s first round exit in the 4-bowl singles.
In the women’s seniors event Julie Masters (Parkway) went out to Humberside veteran M Whittle.
Later in the day, Northants suffered mixed fortunes with only a handful surviving until Friday.
Stephen Harris ( Blackstones) is on target to reach the Under 25 singles for the second successive year after beating T Leslie (North Essex), 21-11; his sister Louise, after her 21-11 first round victory, now plays E Davison from Cleveland.
Elsewhere the Newson family lost their mixed triples 22-9 against hunts’ international trip Lewis Baker, and Chloe and Nick Brett 22-6.
Brett had also been part of the Hunts three-bowl rink which ended Northants hopes 18-12 in that discipline.
There was also little to cheer for either of our champion of champions county singles representatives. Adam Warrington lost 21-15 to I Parker (Suffolk) while Penny Hart (Whittlesey Town), having earlier won 21-13, lost 21-19.
FRIDAY
Chris Morton and Simon Law (Parkway) have reached the final of the EBF mixed pairs at Skegness to be played against either Humberside or Cleveland on Saturday morning (9.15).
In a tight semi-final they beat competition favourites E Haddon-Holmes and Russell Robinson 15-14.
Blackstones brother and sister Stephen and Louise Harris will also contest the semi-finals of their respective Under 25 singles.
Stephen beat Derbyshire’s C Borrett 21-10 while Louise toppled Cleveland’s E Davison in a 21-20 thriller.
Sadly, the Langtoft couple, Anne and Peter White, went out of the senior mixed pairs 20-15 to Ann Lennie and Herbie Blacklock and (Northumberland) and secretary singles representative Malcolm Squires lost 21-11 to Notts’ Alan Turton.
In the afternoon, Northants’ county champions in the Under 25 Open singles, earned a semi-final place in their bid to emulate Stephen Harris and Darren Middleton, who took the national title in 2016.
But after beating North Cambs 16-15, Jack Corney and Zak Brown from Whittlesey went out to tournament favourites and England indoor internationals Harry Ward and Ed Elmore (Hunts) 15-20.
Louise Harris finally lost to K Jones (Notts) 4-21 in the women’s Under 25 singles semi-final and brother Stephen lost in a gripping semi-final 20-21 to Durham’s J McKenna from the Simonside club.
SATURDAY
NORTHANTS’ hopes of salvaging a title from the 2017 English Bowling Federation championships at Skegness ended in disappointemt on Saturday morning.
Chris Morton and Simon Law from the Parkway Club had their chances in the final of the mixed pairs after three outstanding wins but were pipped in the final 19-18 by Chris Hanslip and his partner from Humberside.
Local rivals from Hunts had a more successful week with five titles.
After winning the Durham Centenary Shield four-rink title at the start of the week, they added the 2-bowl triples (Lewis Baker, Simon Leader and Nick Brett), the 3-bowl rinks (Lindsey Swannell, Ed Elmore and Brett) and the Under 25 Open pairs (Elmore and Harry Ward).
Rebecca Moorbey rounded off an exceptional week for Hunts, taking the women’s under 25 singles. BW
(Additional reporting by Cliff Watson)
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