Controversial but winning start at national finals

Post date: Apr 21, 2015 9:11:29 PM

NORTHANTS BOWLERS got off to a flying start when the English Federation finals got under way at Newark IBC on Tuesday morning with a run of three successive victories, but only after a delay following controversy over Simon Law's set of multi-coloured Aero TriFecta bowls, writes Bob Warters.

The bowls, which have been passed as legal by the World Bowls Council, can allegedly affect players and spectators suffering from epilepsy and a player on an adjoining rink to Law complained ahead of her mixed triples match that the strobe light effect the bowls can produce, may have damaging consequences.

The organisers were forced to delay that match but after a short break Law and his Peterborough IBC partners in the men's rinks - Neil Wright and Tristan Morton, substituting for James Harford - quickly established an advantage over Lincolnshire's representatives from Grantham.

With all three combining well they built up a 17-6 lead and finally ran out 19-10 winners to earn a second round clash with Notts who beat Humberside.

Elsewhere Jan Want from Empingham, joined Stephen Harris and Nick Wilkie in the mixed rinks as substitute for Mary Malton and played her part in a 23-10 defeat of North Essex.

And in a thrilling quarter final against Hunts they held a slender lead going into the last end but when skip Harris played his last bowl he was facing a three shot deficit. But showing the temperament of someone beyond his 17 years he calmly drew the shot to win the game 17-14.

The women's rink from Peterborough - Sheila Craig, Pat Bussey and Liz Hext -had earlier set the wheels of success in motion with an 18-12 defeat of local rivals Hunts.

However, they later lost to Durham 21-9.