King, Harris, Warrington & Robinson win places in National finals

Post date: Mar 17, 2014 2:01:30 PM

Left: President Squires flanked by Joe Martin (left)

and Derek King.

For King it was his second Over 65 county singles title in three years. But he had to do it the hard way against home favourite Joe Martin - coming from behind in a two-hour epic bowling full length jacks, to tie the match 16-16, then finally grabbing the two shots he needed for a 21-19 victory.

At the other end of age scale, 16-year-old Stamford college student Stephen Harris underlined his recent form by beating Queen Eleanor School pupil Jon Bailey 21-14 - a fellow Stamford IBC member and the defending champion .

Trailing 13-4 in the early stages Bailey recovered to 14-20 before Harris finally snatched the shot he needed. However, leading for Peter Edwards, Harris was less successful in the two-bowl pairs final which followed immediately against club-mate Adam Warrington and Peterborough Parkway's Trevor Collins, deputising for Martyn Dolby.

Warrington re-discovered some of the drawing form that had eluded him of late to keep a stranglehold on the game and despite dropping two shots on the penultimate end had done enough to run out a 19-14 winner and reach the national pairs finals for the second time in three years.

Left: Stamford IBC bowler Joan Robinson (second from the right) won both her finals. She is pictured in the mixed pairs with (from the left), Neil Wright, Fiona Richardson and Nick Wilkie.Stamford's two other finalists, despite creditable performances on an unfamiliar surface, narrowly failed to achieve their goals.In the two-bowl triples, Bob Warters, Peter Edwards and Cliff Watson came up against City's Howard Shipp, Jeff Newson and current England International Tris Morton. And it was the irrepressible Morton who finally proved the key difference, often drawing with precision accuracy to keep his side in front.And a four count on the 19th end to lead 18-12 proved crucial and although the Stamford trio picked up a two on the 20th end and held four on the final end to threaten a tie-break, Morton drew second with his last bowl to put the result beyond doubt at 18-15.

In the women's triples Joyce Foster, Margaret Andrews and Glenys Edwards lost 24-16 to Peterborough's Fiona Richardson, Margaret Linnell and Liz Barr.

Results (Peterborough IBC unless stated):

Women's 2-bowl Pairs: C Hunter/J Padley beat P Bussey/D Flowers 19-13; Women's 4-bowl Singles: J Harvey by H Bass (Whittlesey) 21-19; Under 25 2-bowl Singles: S Harris (Stamford) bt J Bailey (Stamford) 21-14; Men's 4-bowl Singles: S Law bt A Thurston 21-19; Men's 2-bowl Pairs: A Warrington (Stamford)/T Collins bt S Harris/ P Edwards (Stamford) 19-14; Men's Over 65 4-bowl Singles: D King (Stamford) bt J Martin 21-19; Mixed-2-bowl Pairs: J Robinson (Stamford)/ N Wilkie bt F Richardson /N Wright 20-12; Women's Over 60 4-bowl Singles: J Robinson (Stamford) bt H Bass (Whittlesey) 21-19; Women's 2-bowl Triples: F Richardson/M Linnell/L Barr bt J Foster/M Andrews/ G Edwards 24-16; Men's 2-bowl Triples: H Shipp/ J Newson/T Morton bt B Warters/ P Edwards/ C Watson (Stamford); Mixed 2-bowl Triples: J Harvey/ J Burrows/ K Burrows bt C Hunter/ L Sharp/ B Martin 19-9.