Northumberland Edge Out Cumbria in Grandstand Finish

Northumberland secured a thrilling victory over Cumbria in their latest fixture of the National Mixed Over 60s Competition. Contested by 6 rinks over 18 ends, with teams featuring 2 male and 2 female players per rink, it was a straight aggregate battle where every single shot proved vital.

The game see-sawed all afternoon before concluding in an incredibly dramatic finish.

The Combined Team Battle: End-by-End

End 5: Northumberland 23 – 31 Cumbria

Cumbria hit the ground running across the six rinks, opening up an early 8-shot collective advantage. S. Harvey’s rink picked up a solid start to lead 4-1, but strong early replies from Cumbria on other fronts gave the visitors the upper hand.

Northumberland began to steady the ship during the middle ends, narrowing the total deficit to 6 shots. A strong push from G. Richardson saw them hit double figures at 10-4, while S. Richardson’s rink also rallied well to reach 9-10.

Northumberland turned the game on its head with a massive push in the third quarter to edge two shots ahead. S. Harvey’s rink did magnificent work during this phase, flying ahead to lead 20-5, while S. Richardson held a 15-12 advantage to put Northumberland in front on the master scoreboard.

What followed was an unbelievable grandstand finish as Cumbria fought back to level the match overall. With the aggregate scores tied and just two rinks left on the green, S. Harvey picked up 1 shot following a tense measure to put Northumberland 1 up on the aggregate game.

This left just 2 bowls remaining on G. Richardson’s rink. The Cumbria skip failed to draw shot with their final delivery. With Northumberland already holding the shot, and G. Richardson holding the final wood of the match in his hand, the smart team decision was made NOT to play the final bowl. This left the end as it stood, safely locking in a sensational 2-shot aggregate victory.

Match Verdict

A massive well done to the entire squad, including the rinks led by W. Ray, B. Houghton, and R. Donkin, for showing incredible nerve to see out the win at the very death!

🆚:Lancashire or Durham

🗓️: Tuesday 14th July

📍:Home(TBC)