Exciting matches at club finals weekend
Post date: Apr 8, 2017 9:26:49 PM
Presidents Maggie Holden and Denis Stapleton with women's fours winners, from the left Sue Moir, Margaret Bloxham, Joan Robinson and Christine Barnes.(Images by Alan Romaine).
SATURDAY
High quality, exciting matches were the feature of the first day of the Stamford IBC club finals on Saturday with barely a shot to separate the contenders.
The mixed pairs came down to a one-bowl shoot-out when Paul Bailey playing with his daughter Katie (pictured in action, left) and facing a three-shot deficit when leading 16-14, sprung the jack to hold the shot they needed for victory. Stephen Harris, playing with sister Louise, just missed his attempt to snatch back the initiative.
It was a similar story in the mixed triples when Stephen Harris, skipping Moira and John Holroyd, trailed octogenarian Peggy Birch and Christine and Alan Barnes by three, playing the last of the 18 ends.
This time Harris, whose trio had led 8-3 at one stage, managed to trail the jack for two but it was not enough to force an extra end.
Joan Robinson collected two titles in one day. Partnering Margaret Bloxham, she won the women's pairs 28-11 against Birch and Glenys Edwards, then overcame her regular adversary Chris Ford, who had led 17-10 at one stage but conceded 11 shots in six ends.
In the men's triples Adam Warrington, Jonathan Earl and Martyn Dolby (pictured left in red with opposition skip Bob Warters) took control early on against Mal Smith and defending champions Jay Travis-Jenner and Bob Warters. They led 7-3 but 12 shots in eight ends took Warters' rink clear and a four count on the penultimate 17th end sealed it.
The junior competition was won by Owen Aspinall after a tiebreak against Noah Tarabad.
Results
Junior (jnr) competition - Owen Aspinall beat Noah Tarabad 2-1 (after tie-break); Women's pairs - J Robinson & M Bloxham bt P Birch & G Edwards 28-11; Mixed pairs - L Harris & S Harris lost to K Bailey & P Bailey 14-17; Women's singles - J Robinson beat C Ford 21-18; men's triples - A Warrington, J Earl, M Dolby lost to Mal Smith, J Travis-Jenner, B Warters 12-19; Mixed triples - M Holroyd, J Holroyd & S Harris lost to to C Barnes, P Birch, & A Barnes 18-19.
SUNDAY
Martyn Dolby will represent the club again in next season's EIBA champion of champions event after retaining his 4-bowl singles title against John Holroyd.
He eased into a 10-1 lead, then held a 15-5 advantage before the Yorkshireman staged a comeback with a full house to trail 13-18. However, a three count on the 20th end took Dolby over the line.
In the men's pairs, Jay Travis-Jenner and Paul Bailey were looking to complete a double of titles, having already won the triples and mixed pairs respectively.
But they found John Little and Alan Barnes (pictured left) in excellent drawing and converting form. The pair raced ahead into an 18-6 lead with great skill and a five count on the 16th end, despite their opponents closing the gap, finally put the result beyond doubt.
The future of the women's game at Stamford looks assured after 18-year-olds Louise Harris and Katie Bailey partnered Helen Holroyd (21) to the final of the triples - only to lose heroically on the last end.
Against Joan Robinson (pictured left), who later completed a quartet of titles, Margaret Bloxham (3 wins) and Sue Moir, the youngsters pulled back from 1-11 behind to lead 16-11 in eight subsequent ends. However, the experience of their opponents proved crucial and they were unable to snatch the two shots they needed to force an extra end.
In the men's Over 65 singles, Martyn Dolby and Bob Warters served up a treat in a see-saw battle.
Dolby took the initiative with 11-5 and 16-8 leads but with nine shots in four ends, Warters led 17-16. He held game at 18-17 before Dolby drew a winner, then the defending champion was holding three at 18-19 only for Warters to trail the jack for one. Two on the 24th end was enough to earn Warters, the current Northants Federation champion, a 21-20 win.
Jay Travis-Jenner won the Junior (snr category) for the third successive year, beating Katie Bailey in the final.
Results
Men's singles - M Dolby 21 J Holroyd 13; Men's pairs - J Travis-Jenner & P Bailey 11 J Little & A Barnes 23; women's triples - J Robinson, M Bloxham & S Moir 19 L Harris, H Holroyd & K Bailey 18.
Men's senior singles - M Dolby 20 B Warters 21; Mixed rinks - K Bailey, H Holroyd, J Earl & P Bailey 23 M Ramsden, C Barnes, P Birch & A Barnes 15.
Junior (snr) Competition - Jay Travis-Jenner beat Katie Bailey 2-0; Women's rinks - J Robinson, C Barnes, M Bloxham & S Moir 18 J Brennan, J Want, S Suffling & C Ford 12; Men's rinks - A Romaine, S Travis, D Want, P Edwards 2 M Dolby, S Harris, J Earl & P Bailey 18. BW
The presidents with the mixed fours winners, from the left, Jonathan Earl, Helen Holroyd, Paul and Katie Bailey
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Stephen Harris reached his second Lincs IBA county final to be played at Boston on April 22, when he beat title favourite Kevin Rands (Lincoln) 21-14 at Boston on Friday. He will play Gary Morris (Skegness) in the final who beat Adrian Field (Boston) 21-11.
He is already in the final of the pairs with Martyn Dolby, due to be played on the day he competes in the English Bowling Federation Under 25 singles at Newark.
The Scunthorpe rink of Neil Rowe, Phil Boulton, Phil Parker and Alex Mullen lost 20-9 in the final of the EIBA Over 60 Fours against the Victory Club at Nottingham.
Lincoln won the title in 2014 after Stamford were finalists the previous year.
Stamford IBC members Richard Montgomery and Cliff Watson were members of the Northants Federation team which won the Eversley Trophy on Sunday. The competition, first introduced in 1974, is now played on a one-day round robin basis and is for current county executives and past presidents. They beat teams from Suffolk, Durham, Humberside and Hunts.