Day Nine Benfield Brilliance and Extra-End Heroics!
By the Green-side Insider
Thursday at Victoria Park brought a phenomenal day of blue riband action, with our Benfield rinks putting on an absolute masterclass of grit, high-stakes drama, and unforgettable moments on the Leamington greens!
Day Nine Round-UpMen’s Fours Championship (Morning Session – Rink C5):
P. Carr, S. Welsh, A. Johnson, and J. King (Benfield) got our county off to a flying start against Durham’s strong Houghton Dairy Lane quartet (J. Sutherland, I. Armstrong, J. McAdoo, and D. Oram). Coming storming out of the blocks with a commanding 10–2 lead after 8 ends, King’s rink kept their foot down through a strong progression at 12–6, 12–10, and 16–10 before comfortably closing out an 18–10 victory to advance in style!
Men’s Fours Championship (Afternoon Session – Rink C2):
P. Proctor, A. Pomfrey, P. Brimer, and D. Ross (Benfield) took to the green against Bedfordshire’s Houghton Regis four (S. Mead, S. Dawkins, B. Shorter, and S. Muir) in what became an instant classic. Following a tight start at 3–3 and falling behind 10–4, our Benfield lads dug deep to close the gap to 10–6 before a game-changing 5-shot haul on the 13th end rocketed them into an 11–10 lead! Though Bedfordshire rallied to edge ahead 17–12 late in the game, Ross’s rink showed extraordinary heart on the 18th end: trailing by five, Brimer edged the jack back toward our bowls to hold four, followed immediately by Ross drawing in another superb bowl to pick up a tremendous 5 and force an extra end! Capitalizing on that monumental momentum, they sealed an incredible 18–17 win!
Men’s Fours Championship (Late Afternoon Session – Rink D2):
Returning to the green for their second match, P. Carr, S. Welsh, A. Johnson, and J. King faced a tough Dorchester four from Dorset (L. Edwards, G. Costello, M. Pavey, and N. Voss). In a contest that stayed remarkably close throughout the first half at 9–8 after 12 ends and 12–10 after 14, Dorset managed to sneak ahead over the closing stages. Despite King’s rink fighting back fiercely from 17–12 down with a late 3-shot charge on the 18th end to finish at 17–15, they narrowly missed out in a thrilling encounter. A fantastic effort across a demanding double-header!
Men’s Fours Championship (Evening Session – Rink B4):
Keeping the Benfield flag flying high, P. Proctor, A. Pomfrey, P. Brimer, and D. Ross followed up their earlier heroics with a nail-biter against Sussex’s Hove & Kingsway four (V. Minter, R. Moses, D. Anderson, and J. Fairhall). The match was an absolute arm-wrestle from start to finish: locked at 4–4 after 5 ends, 7–7 after 9, 11–11 after 13, 12–12 after 15, and 13–13 heading toward the wire. Showing nerves of absolute steel, Ross’s rink edged the final end to snatch a magnificent 14–13 victory and cap off an unforgettable day for the club!
Looking Ahead to Day 10 (Friday 21st August): More Blue Riband Action!
The championship intensity continues tomorrow as our Benfield men return for the next round of the fours, alongside our women’s triples getting their national campaigns underway:
09:00 (Rink B1) – Men’s Fours Championship: P. Proctor, A. Pomfrey, P. Brimer, and D. Ross (Benfield) return to the green to face Essex’s S. Reading, C. Fleming, S. Mitchinson, and J. Holmes (Kings Chase).
12:45 (Rink A3) – Women’s Triples Championship: M. Ross, R. Cartwright, and K. Proctor (Benfield) kick off their championship quest against Herefordshire’s H. Urquhart, B. Zorab, and J. Brooke (Bromyard).
12:45 (Rink C1) – Women’s Triples Championship: C. Formosa, P. Bell, and A. Stevenson (Gosforth & Coxlodge) take to the green to face Sussex’s D. Coshan, V. Mellor, and D. Jarvis (Southwater).
Let’s keep this incredible momentum rolling!