TITLE HAT-TRICK FOR DOLBY

MARTYN Dolby (Blackstones) will be chasing three national titles at the English Bowling Federation championships at Skegness next month (Aug 21-28).

On a sizzling hot day at the City of Peterborough club, he won the county mixed pairs with Jane Needham and both the triples with Adam Warrington and John Earl, but missed out on a fourth when beaten in the veterans singles by Peter Cox (Langtoft Pearl), whose wife Angela won the women's secretaries singles.

Yaxley's Robert Heath also reached four finals, but had to be content with both the men's pairs titles with Tony Belson.

Ketton pair Chris Ford and Shirley Suffling both won two out of three finals, Ford combining with husband Dick to win the senior mixed pairs, while Suffling collected the two-bowl singles before they joined forces to win the senior pairs.

Also doubling up on the day were Parkway pair Sophie Morton and James Harford, the former winning the pairs with Merisha McKernan and the four-bowl singles at the expense of Helen Holroyd (Stamford), while Harford claimed the Champion of Champions prize before skipping Paul Dalliday and Michelle Coleman to the mixed triples.

While Blackstones won both the men's triples, the Ketton club lost in both the women's equivalent, the two-bowl to Conservative's Linda Toms, Tina Tinklin and Liz Hext and the three-bowl to Stamford's Helen Holroyd, Linda Starbuck and Moira Holroyd, who replaced Ann Holmes from the trio that won it in 2019.

It was compensation for Tinklin and Hext, who had earlier lost in the pairs, while luckless duo Kevin Vinter (Stamford) and Carol Grief (Crowland) lost two finals apiece.

Wayne Morris (Blackstones) qualified for the first time by defeating team-mate Adam Warrington in the four-bowl singles, while Roger Stevens (Whittlesey Manor) won the two-bowl title against Malcolm Mann (Empingham), who won two county titles when the event was last held in 2019.

FINAL RESULTS

MEN

2b singles: Roger Stevens (Whittlesey Manor) bt Malcolm Mann (Empingham) 21-12.

4b singles: Wayne Morris (Blackstones) bt Adam Warrington (Blackstones) 21-12.

Veterans singles: Peter Cox (Langtoft Pearl) bt Martyn Dolby (Blackstones) 21-18.

Champion of Champions: James Harford (Parkway) bt Kevin Vinter (Stamford) 21-10.

Secretaries singles: Melvyn Beck (Whittlesey Manor) bt Robert Heath (Yaxley) 21-19.

Pairs: Robert Heath & Tony Belson (Yaxley) bt Martin Bailey & Kevin Vinter (Stamford) 20-14.

Senior pairs: Robert Heath & Tony Belson (Yaxley) bt Dave Corney & Roger Martin (Whittlesey Manor) 23-12.

2b triples: Martyn Dolby, John Earl, Adam Warrington (Blackstones) bt Les Sharp, Robert Heath, Tony Belson (Yaxley) 20-17.

3b triples: Martyn Dolby, John Earl, Adam Warington (Blackstones) bt Brian Martin, Mike Robertson, Trevor Collins (Parkway) 15-13.

WOMEN

2b singles: Shirley Suffling (Ketton) bt Emma Providence (Market Deeping) 21-11.

4b singles: Sophie Morton (Parkway) bt Helen Holroyd (Stamford) 21-14.

Senior singles: Wendy Stevens (Whittlesey Manor) bt Joan Robinson (Yaxley) 21-15.

Champion of Champions: Myra Landsburgh (City of Peterborough) bt Pam Owen (Deeping) 21-12.

Secretaries singles: Angela Cox (Langtoft Pearl) bt Carol Grief (Crowland) 21-16.

Pairs: Sophie Morton & Merisha McKernan (Parkway) bt Tina Tinklin & Liz Hext (Conservative) 15-14.

Senior pairs: Shirley Suffling & Chris Ford (Ketton) bt Viena Slater & Carol Grief (Crowland) 19-9.

2b triples: Linda Toms, Tina Tinklin, Liz Hext (Conservative) bt Carol Warters, Shirlehy Suffling, Chris Ford (Ketton) 19-14.

3b triples: Linda Starbuck, Moira & Helen Holroyd (Stamford) bt Helen Tilley, Val Du'Kett, Elaine Upson (Ketton) 17-13.

MIXED

Pairs: Jane Needham & Martyn Dolby (Blackstones) bt Chrissie Baker & Paul Bailey (Stamford) 18-6.

Senior pairs: Chris & Dick Ford (Ketton) bt Ann & Malcolm Cullingworth (Langtoft Pearl) 25-15.

Triples: Paul Dalliday, Michelle Coleman, James Harford (Parkway) bt Roger Stevens, Michelle Smith, Graham Agger (Whittlesey Manor) 27-17.

* Both the Under 25 singles finals were uncontested, so Stephen and Louise Harris (Blackstones)  automatically go through to the national finals, and they will also team up in the Under 25 open pairs.