Day Sixteen Masterclass, Semi-Final Triumph, & Day Seventeen Preview!
By the Green-side Insider
Thursday at Victoria Park delivered absolute scenes of glory and relentless determination as our Gosforth squads stormed through the quarter-finals and semi-finals to reach the national final, alongside another phenomenal campaign from our Mixed Fours!
Day Sixteen Round-Up
Club Two Fours Championship Quarter-Final (Afternoon Session – Rinks A4 & A5):
Gosforth B put on a phenomenal, dominant display against Cambridgeshire’s Newmarket Avenue to secure a resounding 39–19 aggregate victory and march into the semi-finals!
Representing the mighty Gosforth club across the two rinks were Karl Jameson, Steve Harvey, Josh Minto, and BJ Byles on one rink, alongside Michael Cymber, Simon Richardson, Phil Harvey, and Chris Yeomans on the other.
Right from the opening ends, our lads seized total control of the green, racing out of the blocks to establish a commanding 19–9 lead by the halfway mark and extending their aggregate advantage to 33–12 before Newmarket Avenue gracefully conceded at 39–19.
Rink Breakdown:
- Byles (16–13): Overcame a slow start where they trailed by 3 shots after 9 ends, sparking a massive comeback with a crucial 4-shot count, following it up with another 4-shot haul on the 13th end, and dropping a final 2 when the game was conceded to take a brilliant win.
- Yeomans (23–6): Put on a relentless masterclass from the off, holding a 12–1 scoreline after just 6 ends and losing only 4 of the 13 ends played before the match was conceded.
Club Two Fours Championship Semi-Final (Evening Session):
Continuing their unstoppable run with an unchanged team, Gosforth locked horns in an absolute thriller of a semi-final against Hampshire, ultimately sealing a hard-fought 35–24 victory!
Match Momentum: Gosforth flew out of the traps to lead 10–2 early on and maintained a solid grip through the middle stages, leading 18–12 at the halfway mark. Drama struck when a dropped 5-shot count gave Hampshire a glimmer of hope, but the team immediately answered back by clawing 3 shots back on the adjacent rink to steady the ship, pulling away down the stretch as the opposition conceded on the 35th end.
Rink Breakdown:- Byles (19–11): Got off to a flying start leading 14–3 after 9 ends. Although they dropped a 5 on the following end, Byles expertly managed the game down the stretch with a series of crucial singles to seal victory after 17 ends.
- Yeomans (16–13): Faced a much tighter contest, initially trailing 11–7 before digging deep. Scoring a 3 and then a 1 brought the game level, sparking a second-wind surge where they picked up 5 shots over the final 5 ends while conceding just 2 to clinch the win.
Mixed Fours Championship Quarter-Final (Evening Session – Rink C2):
Paul Tait, Anne-Marie Murray, Thelma Napier, and Jonathan Morgan (Forest Hall) took to the green for a tough quarter-final battle against Cheltenham, Gloucestershire’s Hannah Smith, Iona Bird, James Fitzgerald, and Tom Holmes.
Facing a very strong opponent, our mixed four battled hard through the early ends, trailing 8–1 after 2 ends and 10–3 after 4. Despite getting on the board across the middle ends—including picking up scores on ends 7 and 8—Gloucestershire maintained heavy pressure to reach 20–7 after 14 ends, at which point Northumberland graciously bowed out and conceded. They left everything out there on the green and reached the final eight in the country—a fantastic tournament run!
Looking Ahead to Day 17 (Friday 28th August): National Final & Top Club Action!
The stage is set for a monumental Friday at Leamington Spa as our Gosforth stars contest the national title and kick off their Top Club campaign:
09:00 (Rinks A4 & A5) – Club Two Fours Championship Final: Gosforth (Northumberland) vs Worcester Bowling Club A (Worcestershire).
16:30 (Rink TBC) – Top Club Quarter-Final: Gosforth (Northumberland) vs Kingscroft (Leicestershire).
Let’s get right behind our teams as they chase national glory!