Local Player WINS Stamford Open

Post date: Oct 6, 2014 7:24:34 PM

The winner of the "Nigel Kettle" Open played over this last weekend was Matt Whyers from Spalding. who on his way to the final beat teammate, Graham Smith, to win the £50 bounty that had been placed on his head by Planet Bowls under whose rules the tournament was run. Not content with beating Smith, Whyers went on to beat former world number 3, Mark Royal in the next round on his way to picking up a cheque for £700 for the winner. The runner up was Jonathan West from Boston who received prize money of £300. Monies for the finalists was kindly donated by club member Nigel Kettle who presented the cheques to them.

Smith survived a close encounter in the second round when he met up with England under 18 international, Lydia Cutmore, who had traveled from Hornsea in Yorkshire where she had been in the semi finals of the equivalent competition in her own club last season. Winning the first set 7-4 Smith was put under pressure in the second when she showed her class to win 10-5. This brought the game to a climax in the nerve tingling tie break situation where both players battle it out to see who can win the end and extra shots become meaningless. Smith's experience told in these ends as he calmly managed to get in the necessary nearest bowl to edge out Cutmore only to fall to the eventual winner in the next round.

Further prize money was picked up by the loosing quarter finalists and semi finalists and the total prize money on offer tempted some of the best players to enter which resulted in some excellent matches played in good spirit. Several Stamford players tried their hand and some spirited performances resulted. Teenager, Jay Travis-Jenner beat club mate Chris Ballard to progress to the second round and another club member, Tony Barwell, who also progressed to that round was unfortunate in that he met up with the in form Whyers in the next round.

Full results at http://www.planetbowls.com/stamford_draw.html