Dolby reaches County Senior Singles final on extra end

Post date: Mar 30, 2015 1:30:05 PM

IN a nail-biting finish to the semi-final of his Lincolnshire County Senior (Over 60) singles at Horncastle, Stamford IBC bowler Martyn Dolby reached the finals with a defeat of Boston's John Maury in overtime after they had tied 16-all in the requisite 21-ends match, writes Bob Warters.

Dolby, 67 last week, will face Louth's Tony Musson in the final at Sleaford on April 19. Musson won 22-8 against Stamford's Alan Romaine who never got the breaks his play often deserved.

For Dolby, however, it was a game of two halves and at one stage when 1-13 behind and struggling to come to terms with the unfamiliar surface, contemplated concession with ends running out against a wily opponent with an accurate firing discipline.

As a last resort when he regained the jack, Dolby opted to bowl a minimum length and immediately hit back with successive maximum counts of four. When the ends ran out the scores were tied.

On the toss of a coin, Dolby won the right to cast the jack to another shorter length and snatched the shot he needed to claim a final place and the chance to re-capture the trophy his clubmate Bob Warters won last year.

Said Dolby: "One of the locals told me that my model of bowls 'never work on that particularly rink' but eventually I found a way to win. And to win that toss of a coin was crucial."

Sadly, he was the only Stamford semi-finalist to get through after Jay Travis-Jenner, John Holroyd and Roger Martin were beaten 21-10 in the County Triples by Boston's Chris Gill, Keith Tointon and Tony Powell.

Welland Academy pupil Travis-Jenner later claimed a set off Spalding's experienced Ashley Caress in the Under 25 singles but lost the deciding set.

Other results

Men's singles: M. Orrey (Grantham) bt J. Philpott (Spalding) 21 – 7; D. Brown (Lincoln) lost to P. Bark (Horncastle) 16 – 21. Under 25 singles: A. Berridge (Grantham) lost to J. West (Boston) 0 – 2. Pairs: D. Brown & B. Jackson (Lincoln) bt P. Bark & K. Jackman (Horncastle) 21 – 16; A. Caress & G. Smith (Spalding) lost to P. Roberts & D. Bristow (Sleaford) 10 – 23; Mixed pairs: P. Thompson & D. Auckland (Grantham) lost S. Plaskitt & K. Rands (Lincoln) 16 – 19; R. Simpson & G. Smith (Spalding) bt K. Tointon & A. Field (Boston) 21 – 16.

Triples: M. Pulling, D. Auckland & M. Orrey (Grantham) bt K. Rands, D. Brown & B. Jackson (Lincoln) 14-12. Rinks: S. Ashton, J. Sheldon, G. PLaskitt & G. Draper (Lincoln) lost to M. Whyers, M. Spencer, A. Caress & G. Smith (Spalding) 11-21; K. Rands, A. Watts, D. Stevenson & B. Jackson (Lincoln) bt J. Morris, B. Hawes, J. Mountain & G. Morris (Skegness) 22-4.

Stephen Harris and Martyn Dolby will carry Stamford hopes into the closing stages of the English Indoor Finals at Melton on Friday (April 3) when they compete in the pairs against two from Wellworthy in Dorset.