Page 18 - Autumn 2019

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In the other Semi, Mick Watkins played Paul Cousins. This game, on contrast, went all
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the way to the end. Paul picked up 2 on the first which Mick frost matched and then bet-
tered on the 3rd end with 3 to lead 5-2. Paul rallied and levelled the game over the next
2 ends. 5-5 after 5 ends. Mick edged one shot ahead on the next to lead again. The final end
was close with Paul possibly just holding one as Mick bowled his last. And he made it count,
running out Paul’s best wood to hold 2 which Paul was unable to beat. Mick winning 8-5.
In the Final, north played South with Sunderland’s Michael Laydon playing Suffolk’s Mick
Watkins. End 1 – Mick draws the jack with his last wood only for Michael to outdraw him for 1.
End 2 – Mick has the better start but Michael holds to him to just one. 1-1. End 3 – Both start a
little short, Mike is holding but Michael is in with his last, moving the jack back to steal 3 and go
4-1 up.
End 4 – Mick’s third wood is the winner, neither make best use of their last. 4-2. End 5 –
The shot wood goes back and forth between the two of them and it’s Michael’s last wood that
does the job with a nudge in for shot. 5-2. End 6 – Michael’s first wood is on the jack and the
pressure is on but Mick gets in and just about holds on to one to keep the game alive. 5-3. End
7 – It’s to and fro stuff but needing 2 Mick pushes his opponent’s wood in to lose the end and
the game 6-3.
The player of the tournament must surely be Gill Barraclough, part of the winning Rinks
team, making the semi-finals in the Pairs and whose only mistake all week was not turning up
for her quarter final game in the Singles. If she had who know what else she might have
achieved. Another very enjoyable week and we hope to see everyone back again in 2020.
Champion of Champions 2019
Champion of Champions 2019
This year's event
was held at the
Stanley Indoor
Bowling Centre,
County Durham.
In the Rinks,
the early leaders
were Northum-
berland, the only
team to come
through their first
two games with
two wins. Sunder- Rinks Winners
Rinks Winners
land and Norfolk Sunderland’s Steve Wilson, Martin Campbell,
Sunderland’s Steve Wilson, Martin Campbell,
were unbeaten
Ryan Meldrum & Bill Liddle in White & Red
Ryan Meldrum & Bill Liddle in White & Red
but had drawn
with one another while the rest had lost at least once.
Leaders Northumberland the lost to Suffolk but stayed third, allowing Sunderland to go
into the lead on 5 points after defeating Essex with Durham in second as they came from behind
to beat Hertfordshire. Sunderland then picked up another win to finish Saturday on 7 points
while Northumberland took a third win to sit second on 6 points, 2 clear of the next best teams.
Sunderland continued their winning run on Sunday, beating nearest rivals Northumberland
to lift them 3 points clear of the teams they had just beaten, Durham and Suffolk.
Sunderland needed a win to take the trophy with a game to spare and they did just that,
meanwhile Suffolk and Cambridgeshire both won to lift themselves to 2nd and 3rd respectively.
With the title already decided Sunderland won their final game to finish undefeated on 13 points,
second place was however still up for grabs as Suffolk and Cambridgeshire played one another.
And it was Suffolk who took the win to finish runners-up with Northumberland finishing third.
In the Triple, right from the start this looked as if it was going to be the most closely con-
tested event. With two games played Hertfordshire and Essex were leading the way with 2 wins
each while Norfolk had dropped just one point.