Semi-Final Weekend: High Stakes and Heavy Drama at Portland

By The Green-Side Insider & Bev

The sun was out in force at Portland this weekend, and the atmosphere was electric. With every one of the four sides of the green packed with spectators, the stage was perfectly set for our semi-finalists to battle it out for a spot in the final—and, for those in the Men’s Fours and Pairs, a coveted ticket to the Bowls England National Finals in August.

Men’s Pairs: A Masterclass in Quality

The semi-final clash between L. Jameson (G) and B. J. Byles (G) was a fantastic, high-quality exhibition of the sport. The game was defined by superb drawing bowls and several dramatic “head-changing” shots that kept the crowd on the edge of their seats—at one point, the tension was so thick that even the feeler gauge had to be brought out to settle a vital end.

Jameson initially took the initiative, holding a 6-2 advantage after the first four ends. Byles, however, displayed true resilience, fighting back to level the score at 8-8 by the tenth end. The match reached its decisive phase shortly after, where Jameson surged ahead with a powerful scoring burst, picking up five shots on the 12th end followed by three on the 13th to pull away to 16-9. From there, Jameson maintained that composure, showing great consistency to steer the game to a 22-12 victory and secure a place in the final.

Myerscough Cruises into Final

In the second semi-final, G. Myerscough (ST) faced off against G. Richardson (AS). While the early ends were tightly contested, with Richardson holding a 2-0 lead after two ends, Myerscough quickly found his groove. By the fourth end, Myerscough had surged into a 3-2 lead, and he didn’t look back, building a commanding 10-2 advantage by the seventh end.

Richardson fought to stay in the contest, picking up a two-shot end on the eighth and showing grit to keep the deficit manageable, but Myerscough remained in control. As the match neared its conclusion, Myerscough pulled away further, including a dominant six-shot haul on the 18th end to seal an impressive 24-13 victory and book his spot in the championship final.

King’s Fours Clinch Momentum

In the Men’s Fours semi-final, the rink skipped by J. King (BD) put on a display of tactical precision against P. Harvey (G). King established a steady rhythm early, building a 6-4 lead by the seventh end. While Harvey’s rink stayed in the fight throughout the middle stages, King’s side pulled away decisively in the second half of the match.

Key to their progress was a massive four-shot end on the eighth, followed by consecutive three-shot hauls on the 11th and 12th ends, which propelled them to a 16-8 lead. Harvey’s rink tried hard to recover, including a two-shot return on the 15th, but King’s side maintained their pressure to secure a 20-11 victory and claimed his spot at the National Finals.

Ross Advances in Strategic Fours Clash

In the second Men’s Fours semi-final, D. Ross (BD) faced off against N. Aitchison (ST) in a match where every single shot was hard-earned. The contest was nip-and-tuck in the opening stages, with the score locked at 4-4 by the sixth end. The pivotal moment arrived on the eighth end, where Ross delivered an impressive five-shot haul to create some daylight and take an 11-4 lead.

While Aitchison responded with three shots on the ninth and two on the tenth, Ross consistently maintained his composure to stay in control. Ross continued his steady performance through the final stages, picking up two shots on the 13th and three on the 17th to close out a 19-10 victory and secure his place in the final.

Women’s 2 Bowl Singles Semi Finals

Sarah took a 1 on the first end then Marysia got in her stride and after 6 ends was 6-3 up.

Sarah immediately answered taking a 2 on the following end to cut her deficit to 5-6. Sarah managed to take 4 more ends scoring 4×1, but it was Marysia who had the consistent line taking 3×2 and 4×1 to finish the game 14-9 and take the victory over last year’s champion 🎉

Sue had a lead of 3-2 after 3 ends. After 6 ends she had extended her lead to 7-2. Bev began to find her line and after 10 ends had cut her deficit to 6-8. Sue was more consistent and pushed ahead to 10-6 on the 12th end. Sue then stalled on 10 for the next 4 ends whilst Bev pushed on hard to take a lead of 11-10 on the 16th end. However Sue dug deep and pushed back taking 3×1 & 2 over the last 4 ends to take the win 15-11 🎉

What’s to come?

With the dust settled on a spectacular evening at Portland, the stage is set for the finals. In the Men’s Pairs, we look forward to a clash between L. Jameson (G) and G. Myerscough (ST), while the Men’s Fours final will see J. King (BD) take on D. Ross (BD) in an all Benfield final.

Congratulations also goes to Marysia and Sue who will meet in the final to see who takes their place to represent Northumberland at Leamington Spa.

But the fun doesn’t stop there! We have two more action-packed semi-final days ahead. Join us on Saturday at Gosforth, 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM to witness more exciting games as the quest for championship glory continues.

As always, our thanks goes to Portland, Umpire Rachel, Markers Anne-Marie & Paul and YOU, the spectators, for creating an amazing atmosphere – same again tomorrow!