BOWLS REPORT - July 9th 2011
Its crunch time in this seasons county competitions as they reach the semi final stages, with only the winners guaranteed a place at the national championships at the home of bowls Worthing in August. There is plenty of local interest and the Silksworth club could end up with five county finalists, in the singles Whitburn’s Stevie Don’s cracking run came to a soggy end against Dunston’s Alex Bryden who will now face Silksworth’s David Bolt in the semi finals, Bolt defeated Leadgate’s Gary Robson in the quarter finals, the other semi final is an all local affair as Houghton Dairy Lane’s Kenny Briscoe faces the 1995 champion Silksworth’s Paul Baker. In the pairs Roker Marine duo of Bobby Graham & Ray Robinson had a cracking 18-17 win over Dunston’s Alex Bryden to set up a semi final against the 2007 champions Silksworth’s Keith Avery & David Bolt, in the other semi final the Silksworth father & son pair of Scot and Paul Baker look to maintain their hopes of becoming the second father & son county champions as they face Mainsforth’s Ritchie Walker. In the triples the Silksworth quartet of Scot Baker, Gary Farquhar and Wayne Funnell had a tremendous 25-10 quarter final win over Houghton’s Kenny Briscoe to set up a semi final against the 2008 champion Darlington RA’s Andrew Kirtland, the other semi final will see RA’s Neil Buckley face Owton Lodge’s David Fenwick. In the fours Silksworth’s Billy Ferry, Paul Baker, Keith Avery and David Bolt defeated Owton Lodge’s David Fenwick in the quarter finals to set up a tasty semi final against RA’s Andrew Kirtland who ended Houghton’s David Morgan’s hopes of a semi final place. The Roker Marine quartet of Phillip Dixon, Ray Robinson, Pete Thomson and Bobby Graham turned around a 15-6 deficit to record a 23-17 win to set up a semi final against Dipton’s Michael English. This year is the last season that the two bowl championship will not have a spot at Worthing at stake, in the semi final's Barnes Park’s Tommy Jopling faces Dipton’s Dave Warnaby while Hunden’s Graham Peacock faces Owton Lodge’s Tom Grainger. In the junior singles only the county champion progresses to Worthing but the county final could be a repeat of either the 2007 or 2010 final as in the semi finals Roker Marine’s Phillip Dixon faces current champion RA’s Barry Hopkin’s while Silksworth’s Gary Farquhar faces RA’s Keith Burton. The semi finals are due to be played next week and will be spilt between the greens at Houghton Dairy Lane & Spennymoor, the winners at Houghton will be given the Durham A tag at Worthing while the Spennymoor winners will be given the Durham B tag.
Last season the Barley Mow club enjoyed a cracking finish to the season by lifting one team title and three individual titles, sadly that seems a million miles away following the recent arson attack on one the oldest clubhouses in the city where over 90 years of memories went up in smoke as well as many members bowls, shoes and club equipment, in an attempt to rise from the debris on Tuesday the Barley Mow club will continue there defence of the 3-2-1 knock out triples as they face Seaham Town in the semi finals, in the other semi final Lumley face Usworth and both ties take place on Tuesday at Thompson Park with a 6.30pm start.
The Durham County A team bring an end to there season this weekend with the final Middleton Cup group tie against Derbyshire, with the tie a dead rubber and both teams playing to avoid the bottom spot in the group the team manager has shuffled the pack and given all the fringe squad members a chance to impress, the team is all follows – S.Northam (RA), H.Shields (Silksworth), N.Buckley ( RA), A.Bryden (Dunston), P.Dixon (Roker Marine), G.Farquhar (Silksworth), M.Bertram (Park), C.Northam (RA), G.Peacock (Hundens), D.Todner (Houghton DL), A.Ward, (Owton Lodge), G.Skipp (Owton Lodge), B.Poulter (Usworrth), J.Fielding (RA), M.Jones (RA), A.Macey (RA), C.Boston (Elm Tree), V.Avery, P.Baker, W.Funnell (all Silksworth), D.Arkley (Dunston), D.Reed (Leadgate), D.Livingston (Dunston), J.Mansfield (Park)
Reserves – K.Burton (RA), A.Kirtland, C.Black, V.Rewcastle (all RA), D.Bolt, W.Ferry (both Silksworth), J.Wells (Park)
The match starts at 2pm at Houghton Dairy Lane.
The county B team gave themselves a cracking chance of lifting the Northern Counties Alsop Cup as they went to the top of the group after a 129-102 (16-6) win over group leaders Cumbria at Stockton, Houghton’s Dan Todner & Alan Dunn were part of a 31-13 rink success while Seaham’s Jimmy McAdoo’s quartet went down 18-16
Scores (Durham skips first) - M.Bertram 12-16 P.Metcalfe, A.Taylor 31-13 R.Dent, A.Dunn 30-12 P Irving, D.Oram 17- 23 S.Watson, J.McAdoo 16-18 J.Hynds, G.Cockerill 23-20 C.Phillips
The win leaves Durham top of the group and with a final game against bottom of the group Lancashire they need a 16-6 win to take the Alsop, the selectors have named the following team for the Lancashire game at Darlington Woodlands on July 16th .
K.Chicken (Spennymoor), A.Greathead, H.Dougherty, A.Taylor (Park), P.Coulson (Leadgate), D.Todner (HDL), D.Warnaby (Dipton), A.Dunn (HDL), G.Dougherty (Park), L.Taylor (Silksworth), S.Clarke (Hundens), J.McAdoo (Seaham), A.Hartley (Park), A.Clarke (Dipton), R.Robinson (Roker Marine), D.Oram (Park), D.Reed (Leadgate), A.Middleton (Roker Marine), B.Watson, G.Cockerill (both Stockton), P.Dixon (Roker Marine), J.Jolly (Spennymoor), D.Ray (Park), M.Bertram (Park),
Reserves – M.Wright (Barnes Park), A.Parnell (Stockton), A.Mole (Park)
Reserves – M.Wright (Barnes Park), A.Parnell (Stockton), A.Mole (Park)
Latest Group Standings – Durham 50 (+66), Cumbria 44 (+44), N/land 36 (+41), Yorkshire 20 (-16), Lancashire 4 (-122)
This season’s Earl Cup division one race took another twist as second placed Roker Marine were beaten 5-2 at Herrington Workmen’s, that result allowed Houghton Dairy Lane to extend there lead at the top to seven points with holders Silksworth now in third with a game in hand but nine points behind the leaders, the win for Herrington Workmen’s keeps them out of the bottom three as Thompson Park and North Biddick occupy both spots. In division two Sunderland and Houghton Town maintained there places in the promotion race while Houghton Town are still on course for a double promotion as they lead the Swan Cup division two promotion race. In the Storey Bowl holders Hetton Workmen’s appear to be running away with the title as they are sixteen points clear of Houghton Town at the half way mark.