Day Twelve Masterclasses, Massive Counts, and Epic Battles!

By the Green-side Insider

Sunday at Victoria Park has been an absolute rollercoaster of emotions and phenomenal bowls, featuring morning masterclasses, massive counts, a valiant afternoon battle, and a massive quarter-final clash waiting in the wings!

Men’s Triples Championship (Morning Session – Rink B3):

J. Minto, B. Byles, and C. Yeomans (Gosforth) faced a tough test against Northamptonshire’s Thrapston triple (M. James, A. Burrows, and M. Catlin). After a slow start that saw them trail 8–2 after 6 ends, Yeomans’ triple showed incredible character. Sparked by a brilliant 4-shot haul on the 10th end to narrow the deficit to 9–8, they clawed back to level at 11–11 after 14 ends. Seizing the momentum in the closing stages, another massive 4-shot count on the 15th end sent them clear, and they held their nerve to close out a fantastic 17–14 victory after 18 ends to advance!

Women’s Pairs Championship (Morning Session – Rink D3):

C. Dawson and B. Ware (Whitley & Monkseaton) kicked off their campaign against a formidable Dorset pair from Poole Park (K. Hofen and M. Tuck). Despite battling hard through an early deficit at 9–3 and trailing 14–3, our Whitley & Monkseaton duo showed tremendous fight. Sparked by securing a sensational 5-shot haul on the 11th end to roar right back into the contest, they kept pushing despite some unkind rub of the green and bad luck on the run-in, eventually bowing out 20–10 after 17 ends against very tough opposition. A proud effort!

Women’s Pairs Championship (Morning Session – Rink C2):

T. Napier and F. Charlton (Forest Hall) put on an absolute masterclass to start their championship quest against Wiltshire’s L. Laytham and D. Davis (Purton). Coming out of the blocks firing on all cylinders in a game where Charlton simply couldn’t seem to miss, our Forest Hall pair raced into a 4–0 lead, held 6–5 after 6 ends, and then blew the game wide open with a magnificent 6-shot count on the 7th end to surge 12–6 ahead! Continuing their relentless pressure to reach 19–7 by the 13th end, their opponents gracefully conceded at 20–8 after 15 ends. A truly stellar performance!

Women’s Pairs Championship (Afternoon Session – Rink D5):

T. Napier and F. Charlton (Forest Hall) returned to the green for a fiercely contested battle against Hertfordshire’s V. Challacombe and R. Russell (Welwyn & District), who had come into the match fresh off a dominant 26–0 win. Facing a tough opponent, our pair fought hard right down to the wire. Despite mounting a late comeback in the closing stages, they unfortunately fell just short with a 18–14 final scoreline after 18 ends. They left everything out on the green against formidable opposition!

Men’s Triples Championship Quarter-Final (Rink A3):

J. Minto, B. Byles, and C. Yeomans (Gosforth) delivered a sensational performance against a top-class Cumbrian triple from Workington (A. Green, S. Cook, and D. Forster). In a gripping encounter that saw the lead swing early on at 4–2 and 8–5, our lads showed incredible tactical awareness. Trailing 13–7 after 11 ends, Yeomans turned the match completely on its head: trailing the jack and following up with a brilliant draw to scoop a massive 5-shot haul! Riding that momentum, they surged ahead to 15–11 after 14 ends and 17–12 by the 16th.

Entering the final end at 17–13, Cumbria needed a massive count of 4 to force an extra end. Under intense pressure, Byles produced a world-class bowl to pull the jack, taking Cumbria’s short bowls out of the equation leaving them with no choice other than attempting to kill the end. When the skip’s effort missed, Northumberland picked up a single to seal a glorious 18–13 victory and book their place in the national semi-finals! Absolute scenes on the green! 🏆🎉

Looking Ahead to Day 13 (Monday 24th August): Semi-Finals and Blue Riband Pairs!

Monday brings another massive day of national championship action at Leamington Spa, featuring our Gosforth triple fighting for a place in the final, alongside our men’s pairs getting their campaigns underway:

12:45 (Rink A4) – Men’s Pairs Championship: A. Stewart and G. Myerscough (St Georges Dragons) kick off their championship quest against Northamptonshire’s A. Fowkes and W. Walker (Northampton West End).

12:45 (Rink D1) – Men’s Pairs Championship: K. Jameson and L. Jameson (Gosforth) take to the green to face Kent’s P. Barnicott and L. King (Appleyard).

16:30 (Rink A1) – Men’s Triples Championship Semi-Final: J. Minto, B. Byles, and C. Yeomans (Gosforth) vs Berkshire’s D. Murray, J. Webster, and M. Titcombe (Shrivenham).

Let’s get right behind all our county rinks tomorrow!

COME ON NORTHUMBERLAND! 🍀