Page 14 - july 2023

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Champion of Champions
Champion of Champions

This year's event was held over 2-day weekend

at the Stanley Indoor Bowling Centre, County Durham.

Rinks Championship

Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Sunderland
were all off to winning starts. But only Suf-
folk were able to repeat their win in the sec-
ond round of games, and therefore led the
way. Sunderland were second, still unde-
feated, after drawing.
Suffolk took a comfortable victory over
nearest rivals Sunderland in the next ses-
sion, extending their lead at the top to 2
points, with Herts moving into second with
their first win, although they hadn’t yet lost
a game.
Rinks Winners Suffolk’s - Saturday ended with the top 2 teams
Tom & Sam Runnacles and Clint & Emma Watling playing one another, a game which ended
in a draw, leaving Suffolk still 2 points clear, Herts still unbeaten, and tied with Essex and Sunderland
for second place.
Suffolk and Sunderland both won at the start of Sunday. Suffolk maintained that 2 point gap
at the top, but Essex lost, to fall out of contention. Just as the competition was starting to look like it
might be settled, along comes a curveball. Durham dropped Suffolk to their first defeat, but with Sun-
derland only able to draw, Suffolk still held the lead, although it was now down to a single point over
both Sunderland and Durham.
The closest challengers did all they could in their final games, by winning, but Suffolk did so
too, with their result in little doubt after picking up 4 on the first end. Suffolk finished on 11 points,
Sunderland and Durham were a point back, and Hertfordshire one further point behind.
Triples

Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, and Sunderland
all won their first games. Of those four, only Essex and
Hertfordshire won their second games, although Cam-
bridgeshire drew to stay undefeated. Herts continued
their winning streak, and were now sole leaders, as Cam-
bridgeshire dropped Essex to their first defeat, and
moved into second. Both Herts and Cambs both won
again in Saturday’s final games, and were pulling away
from the rest of the field. They were on 8 and 7 points re- Triples Winners Cambridgeshire’s
spectively, with Essex next best on 5 points. Jamie Smith, Amy & Simon Missing
For Hertfordshire, Sunday started as Saturday finished, with fifth win, but Cambridgeshire fell
to a last end defeat against Norfolk. That means that with 2 games to go, Hertfordshire were now 3
points clear of Cambridgeshire, and had one hand on the trophy.
However, Hertfordshire throwing away a good start in their penultimate game, against Essex,
and fell to their first loss. But luckily for them, Cambridgeshire could only manage a draw.