Three Northants county titles for Stamford bowlers

Post date: Mar 15, 2015 7:59:00 PM

STAMFORD INDOOR BC BOWLERS will feature in three national finals when the English Federation championships are staged at Newark next month, writes Bob Warters.

Martyn Dolby competes in the veterans singles, Stephen Harris in the mixed triples and Richard Allam and Ann Holmes in the mixed pairs after a thrilling win against last year's national runners up and current county champions Joan Robinson and Nick Wilkie.

And it was the pairs that proved the biggest upset with Holmes and Allam dropping a maximum four shots on the first end and trailing 6-13 after nine of the allotted 21 ends before switching positions as Federation rules allow.

Allam (57) opted for shorter jack lengths and then proceeded to help them win eight of the subsequent nine ends ratcheting up 14 shots to finally run out winners 20-15.

Said Allam, punching the air in delight: " We managed to turn it round by bowling shorter jacks and when I didn't get close enough, Ann managed to find some winning shots. I am delighted for her; I have won the pairs before with Derek King but for her this is a new experience."

" I can't believe it," she said " I can't stop shaking."

Harris (17) was outstanding in his trio's triples win over seasoned campaigners Sarah and Jeff Newson and Andrew Thurston. He switched places with Mary Malton to skip after nine ends and with Nick Wilkie producing some telling bowls, over turned several heads to help his team to a comfortable 22-11 victory.

For Dolby the result was never in doubt. He recovered his compsure after an early slip to score a convincing 21-5 win over John Burrows in just 13 ends.

However, he quickly recovered from the embarrassment by racing to a 21-5 triumph in just 13 ends.

Heroine of the day was Peterborough Parkway's Jenny Harvey who followed up her early win in the 4-bowl singles against Julie Masters by joining Carol Hunter to beat Stamford's Shirley Suffling and Margaret Andrews 21-9 then out bowled Sheila Craig 21-13 in the Senior singles.

Craig, however, had earlier earned the right to represent the county in the national finals at Newark in April by joining Pat Bussey and Liz Hext to take the women's triples in a nail-biter with Sue Moir, Andrews and Glenys Edwards. The Peterborough rink led 13-5 at halfway but only held on 21-20 after completing the 21 ends.

Results

Mixed Triples - S Harris (Stamford IBC), N Wilkie, M Malton bt S Newson, A Thurston, J Newson 22-11; Women's triples - P Bussey, E Hext, S Craig bt S Moir, M Andrews, G Edwards 21-20; Women's singles - J Harvey bt J Masters 21-4.

Women's pairs - J Harvey, C Hunter bt S Suffling, M Andrews 21-9; Men's singles - S Law bt A Thurston 21-15 ; Under 25 singles - J Randall lost J Harford 21-16.

Men's Veteran singles - J Burrows lost to M Dolby 21-5; Men's triples - N Wright, J Harford, S Law bt H Shipp, J Randall, J Newson 22-16; Women's Senior singles - J Harvey bt S Craig 21-13; Mixed Pairs - N Wilkie, J Robinson lost Holmes, R Allam 20-15. Men's pairs - Wilkie and Thurston bt H Shipp and Wright 18-15.