Bowls England National Finals continue at Royal Leamington Spa.
The Women’s Singles started with only game for our County Champion in Wooler’s Victoria Symons, and Victoria beat Lancashire’s Barbara Knowles 21 – 9. Victoria’s second game was another Northern Counties player, and this time Durham’s Susan Forster, and this was a nail bitter going down to the last bowl and Victoria won 21 – 20. At this same time our other representative and first time qualifier in Morpeth’s Fiona Charlton, and Fiona took on Huntingdonshire’s Juliet May, unfortunately for Fiona she lost 21 – 10. Victoria’s next game was the one on the TV rink (A1) and Victoria lost 21 – 14 to Lauren Finbow from Cambridgeshire. A Great effort by Victoria reaching the last 16.
The Women’s Pairs also started on Saturday pm and Fiona Charlton was back in action with Karen Milner; our girls took on Gerrards Cross (Bucks) and lost 13 – 23. Our other pair played on Sunday am.
The Family Pairs started at the finals and this comprised of 16 qualifiers playing regionally first. And our qualifiers were Steve & Phil Harvey (St. Georges Dragons), and Steve & Phil lost to Jacqueline & Alex Squires (another Bucks opponent). To note Jacqueline & Alex went on to lift the title, scoring a 3 on the last end to defeat Cambridgeshire’s Adam & Jamie Barker 17 – 16.
On Friday afternoon Gosforth took on Gerrards Cross from Buckinghamshire. The game started fairly level at 4 / 5 ends, with Simon Richardson leading Alan Price 6 – 0, but Chris Yeomans was losing by the same scoreline to John McGuiness. The next end Price dragged the jack and Gosforth lost a count of 5. Across on Yeomans rink and despite lying John McGuiness got results, even when missing, and the pattern of the game continued in the same vein unfortunately. Final Score Gosforth 21 Gerrards Cross 35. To note Gerrards Cross went on to lift the national title and they become the first club to lift the title 3 times.