End of the line for Dolby's singles hopes

Post date: Apr 23, 2015 3:08:28 PM

MARTYN Dolby's hopes of completing a quintuplet run of five singles titles in one season were dashed when he lost the semi-final of English Bowling Federation indoor Senior Singles at Newark IBC.

The Stamford IBC bowler had already won his club's 4-bowl and Over 65 singles, the Lincs County Senior singles and the Northants Federation Senior title, for which he qualified for this event but the form of Norfolk's Barnie Wymer proved just too much on the day and he lost 15-21 on the dreaded rink eight.

"Wondering how the rink would play and how it would suit my bowls or not kept me awake last night," said Dolby "and my concerns were proved correct. But to be fair Barnie found the end rink and its trickiness better than me and he deserved to win."

Wymer cruised into a 9-3 lead and extended it to 12-5 then 16-12 before Dolby hit back with a two on the 20th. Wymer finally rounded off the match by taking singles on the last three ends without reply. Wymer went on to lose a late night final 21-16 to Hunts' Dave Peak.

Later on Thursday on the same rink, Nick Wilkie and Andrew Thurston earned a semi final spot in the men's pairs on Friday morning with a 27-9 demolition of Lincolnshire S Ashton and George Draper.

Earlier Jenny Harvey lost her 4-bowl singles to North Cambs 9-21.