Page 17 - july 2023

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East Coast Week a Feast of Bowls

The annual East Coast Triples & Pairs Week at Potters Resort in Hopton-
on-Sea provided its usual mix of two competitive short mat bowls events
in the International Arena coupled with great entertainment and dining.
The East Coast Triples began on Tuesday morning with 48 triples playing
in four groups of twelve and the four group winners qualifying for the
semi-finals. By Thursday afternoon defending champions Colin Hayman,
Jill Hayman & George Hume of Norfolk’s East Harling had cemented their
place in the semi-finals by winning the Red Group with eight wins, two draws
a n d just one defeat which was against Suffolk’s Gloria Scott, Cheryl Grabham &
Michael Rice.
Finishing second in the group, and just missing out, were Paul Bruce, Julia Bruce & Alan Hare
who finished one point behind Hume’s triple. Norfolk’s Billie Barker, Will Townsend & Melvyn Barker
topped the Blue Group. Just one point behind them were Doreen Andre, Michael Haslam & Andrew
Miles winning nine games with one draw and one defeat, which came on Thursday morning against
Barker’s triple in a crucial encounter.
The Purple Group was won by Harling’s Val Easter and Suffolk’s Bob Cousins & Colin Sharp
who won nine games, drew one game and lost one game. Norfolk’s Gill Coleman, Gill Davidson &
Russell Davidson finished just one point behind. The Green Group was hotly contested with David
Kerslake, Trish Taylor & Terry Newby of Carleton Rode coming out on top with sixteen points. Close
behind them on fifteen points were Pauline McCallum, Arthur Jackson & Mac McCallum of Durham
& North Yorks, Sue Pledger, Paul Whitcombe & David Blundell and Gillian Amos, John Jeffery &
Robin Amos.
In the semi-finals Will Townsend, Billie & Melvyn Barker’s triple beat last year’s winners
George Hume, Jill & Colin Hayman with an end to spare while Val Easter, Bob Cousins & Colin Sharp
beat Trish Taylor, David Kerslake & Terry Newby by 7-1.
The result of the final on Friday morning was in doubt until the last bowl. Billie Barker, Will
Townsend & Melvyn Barker made a fantastic start taking four shots on the opening end. Two quality
woods by Will Townsend put Sharp’s triple in trouble and skip Melvyn Barker added two more. Billie
Barker’s lead woods on the second end kept the pressure on again until a fine backhand by Val
Easter took shot. A great last wood by Sharp reduced the deficit to 4-2.
Lead Bob Cousins ditched the jack on the third end after Billie Barker had drawn a toucher.
Sharp then drew in another with his last wood to level the game at 4-4. A competitive fourth end
ended with the umpire being called in to measure and it went Sharp’s way to move his triple 5-4 up.
A superb last wood by Colin Sharp on the fifth end took shot after Barker’s triple had held two
shots and Colin Sharp’s triple moved into a 6-4 lead with two ends to go.
Val Easter played a couple of great bowls on the sixth end and Sharp defended by putting in
a blocker with his first wood. Melvyn Barker attacked with both his bowls and was unlucky not to get
a result as his triple fell 7-4 behind going into the final end. Wymondham’s Billie Barker played a
cracking bowl to take shot, and Will Townsend drew in both his woods leaving them holding three
shots with just the skips left to bowl.
Sharp’s attempt to draw in failed when he hit the block with his first wood while Melvyn Barker’s
first bowl fell short of the head. With the pressure mounting Colin Sharp drew second wood with his
final bowl with just Barker’s last wood to be played. Sharp’s bowl was in Barker’s view and he at-
tempted to push it out of the head which, if his bowl had stayed in its place, would have given them
four shots and the match but it was not to be as his bowl stayed just a little too far out and Sharp’s
triple had won the final by 7-6.
The third place play-off was won George Hume’s triple who beat Terry Newby’s triple by 11-
3. The East Coast Pairs was played over three evenings. In the final Mac McCallum of Durham and
Ivan Lunn of Derbyshire faced Will and Joy Townsend of Norfolk club Hingham. For Will Townsend
it proved to be the first of two final appearances after clinching a triples final place earlier in the day.
On the night McCallum & Lunn were in unstoppable form as they powered their way to a 9-1 win,
taking five shots over the last two ends.