Page 22 - Winter 2012

Brits 3:Layout 1 07/01/2013 09:16 Page 1

22 ENGLAND TRIO
TAKE THE TRIPLES

The opening round saw the Stubbs broth-
ers Ronald, Raymond and Gordon win
for Ireland with a 21 - 5 victory over the
Isle-of-Man’s Dave Taggart, Seamus
Whelan & Colin Holland.
In the other match, Wales Aled
Humphrey’s, Andrew Jones & Nick
Evans opened up with a five and then a
three to lead 8 - 0 after the first two ends
over Scotland’s Jock Hiddleston, John
Marchbank & Stella Clyne, with Wales
eventually winning 18 - 9.
The next game saw England’s
Chris Hopkins, Chris Weston & Edward
Sawbridge entering the fray against
Triples Winners England’s Chris Weston, Wales and they found themselves 1 -8
Chris Hopkins & Edward Sawbridgeh and down after just four ends. Two ends later
Ireland’s runner-up Raymond, Ronald it was 2 - 9 but finding another gear, four
& Gordon Stubbs singles then a two and a finishing three
gave them an 11 - 9 win.
Bouncing back from their opening defeat The Isle-of-Man’s Dave Taggart, Seamus Whelan
& Colin Holland romped home 19 - 9 over Scotland. However, in their next match they came
undone against England, who won 16 - 5 with an eight shot finish over the closing three ends.
Ireland meanwhile heaped more troubles on Scotland as the Stubbs brothers won 22 - 4. In
their next match the brothers then came back from 5 - 7 against Wales with seven shots over
the final four ends for a 12 - 7 victory. England opened up with a single and two fours against
Scotland and eventually won 18 - 5.
The final round of games Aled Humphreys, Andrew Jones & Nick Evans completed their
matches with a 23 - 3 victory over the Isle-of-Man. The big match was the winners take all game
with England’s Chris Hopkins, Chris Weston & Edward Sawbridge facing Irelands Ronald, Ray-
mond and Gordon Stubbs. What followed over the next twelve ends was an astonishing match
in which England won just 4 of the 12 ends but won the match and with it the British Isles title.
Chris Hopkins, Chris Weston & Edward Sawbridge scored a stunning five on the second
end to lead 5 - 2 but the Stubbs brothers struck back with eight shots over the next four ends to
lead 10 - 5 and it looked like the title was on its way to Ireland. An exchange of singles left the
score at 11 - 6 but another stunning five to the English trio brought the scores level and they fol-
lowed this up with a three to lead14 - 11, an astonishing turnaround in just two ends.
A single to Ireland put them just two shots behind going into the last end. A draw was good
enough to give the Irish the title as they had a superior shots difference and with just the last
bowl to go they held two but Chris Hopkins played a bowl under phenomenal pressure to nudge
out an Irish bowl to concede one and thus take a 14 - 13 Championship victory.