🏆 County Finals: Day 2

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News / 26th July 2026

Weather Defied as County Finals Day 2 Delivers at Portland

By Your Green-Side Insider & Bev

County Finals Weekend at Portland rolled into its second day with the elements trying their absolute best to show off. While the early morning brought welcome relief with the wind finally settling, it wasn’t long before the skies opened up. Torrential downpours arrived in waves throughout the day, keeping players darting on and off the green in a true test of patience and adaptability. Yet, true to form, the unpredictable weather did nothing to dampen the exceptional quality of bowls on display.

The morning session hit the ground running with five rinks packed to capacity, featuring men’s, women’s, and mixed pairs, the women’s fours, and the men’s champion of champions. As the afternoon progressed and the rain continued to fall on and off, all six rinks hummed with activity across an extensive line-up including the men’s 2-bowl, men’s triples, women’s and men’s singles, plus the men’s U24 pairs and women’s senior fours, both of which were a battle for a coveted national finals spot.

Amidst the fierce competition, the day also brought a sobering moment when the women’s senior fours came to an abrupt halt following an accident involving one of the Gosforth & Coxlodge players. The thoughts and best wishes of everyone at Bowls Northumberland are with Heather—we wish her a very speedy recovery and look forward to seeing her back on the green soon.
The tie will be played tomorrow (Monday 27th July) @ Gosforth – we’d love for you to come along and show your support!

Men’s Pairs

The Men’s Pairs final on Rink 5 brought together G. Myerscough & A. Stewart (ST) and father and son duo, K Jameson & L Jameson (G) in a tremendously close battle. Jameson seized the initiative early on, building a solid foundation with consistent scoring across the opening six ends to lead 7 – 0. However, Myerscough mounted a fierce recovery as the morning’s conditions tested everyone’s resolve, stringing together vital scores on the back half of the game to close 7 -10 at 12 ends. With the pressure mounting in the final third, Jameson duo held firm just enough to cross the line, securing a narrow and hard-earned 13–10 victory.

Women’s Pairs

B. Ware (WM) 9 v T. Napier (FH) 17

Both Thelma and Fiona were on fire today with some really accurate bowling.

Forest Hall took an early lead of 5-1 after 3 ends. W&M scored on the next 2 ends to cut their deficit to 3-5. By end 10 Forest Hall still led 8-6. In heavy rain Forest Hall pushed on hard and despite some close heads they took the following 3 ends with 2×1 & 5 to extend their lead to 15-6. No matter how many W&M held on some ends, Fiona always found a way in to take the shot. After 16 ends Forest Hall were leading 16-9. Despite W&M drawing in to hold 2 shots on end 17, Fiona again in the pouring rain still glided in beautifully to take shot and win the game 17-9.

So Thelma and Fiona become our County Champions. Congratulations.

Both pairs are in the National Finals and we wish them good luck at Leamington Spa.

Mixed Pairs

P. Tait (FH) 16 v S. Richardson (G) 20

Simon and Pam took an early lead of 6-0 after 3 ends. Paul and Dorothy immediately pulled back a 4 on the following end to cut their deficit to 4-6. Despite the rain Simon and Pam took the next 2 ends to increase their lead to 10-5. Paul and Dorothy replied taking the next 2 ends to cut their deficit again to 8-10. Simon and Pam took 2×3 & 1 to increase their lead again to 17-8. But Paul and Dorothy were not going down without a fight and pulled back with 2×2 & 4 on the next 3 ends so they were only down 16-17. In the heavy rain Simon and Pam scored 2&1 on the final 2 ends to win the game 20-16 and become our County Champions. Congratulations.

Women’s Fours

A-M. Murray (FH) 16 v M. Green (NB) 15

Both teams started well being level 3-3 after 4 ends. After 6 ends they were still level on 4-4. Then Newbiggin went in front on end 7 taking a 2 to lead 6-4. But they then stalled on 6 for the next 5 ends as Forest Hall pushed on hard taking 3×1 & 3×2 to take a lead of 13-6 after 13 ends. Newbiggin fought back taking 2×3 to cut their deficit to 12-13. Forest Hall won the next end and then Newbiggin pushed hard and took a 3 on end 17 to retake the lead 15-14. All to play for on the last end as Forest Hall scored 2 to take the win 16-15 to become our County Champions. Congratulations.

Both teams are playing at the National Finals and we wish them good luck at Leamington Spa.

Men’s Champion of Champions

The action on Rink 2 provided a gripping battle as B. Davidson (WR) went head-to-head with J. King (BD) in a race to 21 shots. The match started as a tight affair with both players trading early blows with King pulling away to lead 8-2. Davidson found early momentum with a strong mid-match surge, picking up a 3-shot haul on the 9th end followed by a 2 on the 10th to bring the game level. However, King responded with incredible resilience and precision as the game wore on. Controlling the second half of the contest, King strung together a relentless sequence of consistent scoring—including key multi-shot gains on the 11th and 12th ends—to pull away from the pressure. Despite Davidson fighting to the very end and adding a pair of shots on the 17th, King maintained his composure through 20 ends to reach the magic 21 mark, sealing a hard-fought victory with a final single shot on the 20th end to take the title 21–10.

Men’s U24 Pairs

Over on Rink 1 for the afternoon session, the Men’s U24 Pairs final saw A. Scott (ND) & P. Shilton (AS) face off against L. Jameson (G) & T. Houghton (G). Scott and Shilton came firing out of the blocks, dominating the early stages with a phenomenal opening burst that built a commanding 13–3 lead by the 9th end. Although Jameson and Houghton dug deep to battle through the tricky afternoon showers—putting together important replies including a strong 2-shot pickup on the 11th end and fighting all the way to 7 shots—Scott and Shilton maintained their composure under pressure. Continuing to find the jack when it mattered most, they closed out a brilliant afternoon performance to secure an 18–7 victory. I’d also like to highlight this was Houghton’s very first season competing, with an excellent display of talent, I’m sure we’ll be seeing him contending for trophies for many years – well done!

Men’s 2-Bowl Singles

On Rink 5, the afternoon weather set the stage for a compelling Men’s 2-Bowl Singles final between A. Johnson (WK) and B. Davidson (W). Johnson grabbed an early advantage, dictating the pace and putting points on the board to establish a 3–2 lead through the opening phase. However, Davidson displayed fantastic focus as the afternoon showers pressed on, shifting gears midway through the contest. Stringing together a series of precise ends, Davidson turned the match completely around, pulling clear down the stretch with some outstanding drawing to seal a hard-fought 17–5 victory.

Men’s Triples Final

Over on Rink 6, the Men’s Triples final showcased an incredible display of tactical play as the trio skipped by C. Yeomans (G) took on M. Bennett’s (G) triple. Yeomans’ team hit the ground running with a brilliant early surge, establishing a commanding 10–4 advantage through the first six ends. Bennett’s side showed great grit to fight back through the heavy downpours. On the 11th end, Bennett’s trio were holding shot in a very close head however Yeomans played a phenomenal bowl to edge to jack sideways and nestling it amongst 4 of team Yeomans’ bowls almost touching the jack! After Train narrowly missed the pack to reduce the deficit, Bennett’s trio decided to call it a day meaning Yeomans’ sealed a well-earned 19–6 victory after 11 ends to claim the county title.

Women’s Singles Final

S. Carter (HX) 21 v K. Sultman (FH) 15

Shelagh took an early lead of 5-0 after 3 ends. Kacee then took 2×2 to cut her deficit to 4-5 after 5 ends. Shelagh pushed on hard and by end 10 she was leading 13-5. With some good heads developing Shelagh was still in front after 12 ends 15-6. Then Kacee got in her stride taking the following 5 ends with 3, 2×2 & 2×1 to level the scores at 15-15. Due to another heavy down pour the players were asked to come off the rink for a short time, which obviously impacted on the flow of the game, but the player’s safety had to come first. Shelagh was straight back in with some very accurate bowling and she took the last 3 ends with 1,3&2 to win the game 21-15 and become our County Champion. Congratulations.

Both Shelagh and Kacee will play in the National Finals and we wish them good luck at Leamington Spa.

Men’s Singles Final

To cap off an unforgettable day of action on Rink 3, the marquee Men’s Singles final delivered a heavyweight clash between G. Myerscough (ST) and M. Rogan (HW). The contest swung back and forth amidst the swirling afternoon weather, with Myerscough establishing an early edge of 12-4 before Rogan clawed his way back into contention through the middle phase to keep the pressure high with a score-line of 14-13 to Myerscough. Refusing to let up, Myerscough found another gear down the home stretch, stringing together key scores—including a vital 3-shot haul on the 18th end—to pull away. Displaying incredible resolve through 22 intense ends of singles play, Myerscough crossed the finish line with a little help from Rogan turning over Myerscough’s bowl to give him the second shot he needed to win the game and lift the crown – final score 21-14.

Closing Remarks – County Finals Weekend

As County Finals Weekend draws to a close, we want to extend our deepest thanks to Portland Bowls Club for hosting us so superbly. Their facilities have been first‑class, and the team have delivered fantastic service throughout the weekend — both behind the bar and in the kitchen. Your hard work kept players and spectators going in some truly challenging weather.

A huge thank you to our markers — Karen, Peter and Richard — and our umpires, Rachel and John, for their professionalism, commitment and resilience. Standing out in relentless rain is no easy task, yet you carried out your duties with absolute dedication.

To our spectators, thank you for turning out in force all weekend despite the conditions. Your support, energy and encouragement created a brilliant atmosphere and meant the world to our finalists.

And finally, to our players — what a masterclass. Across every discipline you delivered skill, composure and quality bowling, setting the perfect tone as you prepare for the big stage at Royal Leamington Spa in August. Northumberland will be right behind you.

Before that, next weekend will see our Men’s Champions compete in the Northern Counties Championships at Appleby – supporters always welcome!

Looking Ahead – 2026 Presentation Evening

Keep your eyes peeled — details for our 2026 Presentation Evening will be advertised very soon. We’d love to welcome all finalists, families and friends for an evening of celebration with food, drinks, raffles (please bring a prize!) and more as we mark another fantastic season together.