National Finals 2026: The Grand Finale & Campaign Conclusion

By the Green-side Insider

Day Seventeen Round-Up

Club Two Fours Championship Final (Morning Session – Rinks A4 & A5):

Fresh off a phenomenal tournament run, our unchanged Gosforth squad of Karl Jameson, Steve Harvey, Josh Minto, and BJ Byles (on Rink A5) alongside Michael Cymber, Simon Richardson, Phil Harvey, and Chris Yeomans (on Rink A4) capped off their brilliant fortnight by capturing the National Gold!

After facing a tough early test that saw Worcester Bowling Club A pull ahead 11–6, Gosforth fought back to narrow the gap to 13–12 after 14 ends before putting their foot firmly on the accelerator. High drama followed—including two dead ends, one sending the jack flying over the bank into the stands of A green!—as Byles’ rink surged to a dominant 28–10 win and Yeomans fought back brilliantly (highlighted by a crucial 4-shot count to level at 11–11). Gosforth closed out a magnificent 36–28 victory to claim the title! 🥇🏆

Top Club Quarter-Final (Afternoon Session – B Green):

With no time to rest following their gold-medal triumph, the lads headed straight back out on B Green at 4:30 pm to take on Leicestershire’s Kingscroft in the Top Club quarter-final (played across five disciplines for a total of 5 points):

2 Bowl Singles (Simon Richardson): Fought hard through a tough battle, trailing 6–12 at 13 ends and 7–13 at 15, before finishing at 7–16 after 17 ends.

Pairs (Chris Yeomans & Karl Jameson): Kept within touching distance early at 3–2, but faced heavy pressure as Leicestershire pulled away to an 18–8 lead before closing out 8–22 after 16 ends.

Triples (BJ Byles, Luke Jameson & Michael Cymber): Started brightly, leading 6–2 after 4 ends, but a middle-end surge from Kingscroft turned the tide as the score moved to 10–17 after 12 ends.

Fours (Phil Harvey, Steve Harvey, Dillon Slassor & Richard Curtis): Delivered an absolute nail-biter. Trading blows all afternoon, they fought back from 8–7 down to lock the score level at 12–12 on the very last end! With the final bowl of the game, a dramatic shot hit the jack into a back bowl, sending it sideways and agonisingly denying us shot down as it finished 12–13.

Singles / 4 Bowl (Josh Minto): Engaged in an epic, seesaw battle. Trailing 13–10 and later locked level at 13–13, Minto traded heavy blows down the stretch against top-tier opposition before narrowly bowing out 19–21 after a fantastic contest.

Conclusion of the 2026 National Campaign

What an extraordinary 17 days of action at Victoria Park! Across the fortnight, nearly 90 members took part across 24 disciplines, showcasing the incredible strength and depth of our county.

We have lived through unforgettable moments: watching our first-ever Para bowls competitor, G ‘bear’ Robinson, progress through to the semi-finals, accompanied expertly by C. McGready acting as VI Director to help secure a fantastic Silver Medal in the Para Open Pairs; K. Sultman putting on a stellar display as part of the combined Cumbria, Yorkshire, and Northumberland Amy Rose team, ‘Angels of the North’, reaching the national semi-finals; our Father & Son Jameson duo securing Silver in the Family Pairs; and culminating in our magnificent National Gold in the Club Two Fours.

From phenomenal comebacks like Ross’ fours who were 5 down on the last end and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat to heartbreaking battles that slipped away in the dying ends like Yeomans men’s triples in the semi-finals, every single player gave their all on the green and represented Northumberland with immense pride.

Important Notices & Sign-Off

Presentation Night: As the season draws to a close, don’t forget to sign up for the Northumberland Presentation Night on November 7th at Kingston Park (£25) to celebrate a wonderfully successful 2026 season. Speak to your club secretary to sign up!

Looking Ahead: Keep an eye out for next year’s competition forms and get ready to do it all again!

Lastly, thank you for all the incredible support you’ve shown our players home and away throughout the national finals.

I hope you’ve enjoyed all the reports—the Green-side Insider will be back next season! 🍀