Saturday 14th August 2008

The Sunderland & District Burkett Shield triples final was played on a very tricky looking Whitburn green, this years final saw Hetton Workmen’s T.Teasdale, Rod Maxwell and Peter Harding take on Houghton Dairy Lane’s Mel Owen, Phil Smithson & Brian Cain. A respectably sized crowd were entertained off the green as the final was played out against the back drop of music as a twenty-twenty cricket fixture at the neighbouring cricket club but this didn’t detract from the action on the green. The early exchanges saw Harding lead 6-2 and then 9-7, on a surface where counts were at a premium the next end proved crucial as Harding collected a five to lead 14-7, by the 14^th end it was 15-8 before a count of six to the Hetton lad’s on the 15^th end was the signal for the Cain triple to shake hands. This success was a first for Teasdale & Maxwell while Harding had previously lifted the shield back in 1998.

There was double disappointment for Houghton Dairy Lanes Joan Rodgerson as the Ladies national championships came to a close at Leamington . Having qualified in the singles Rodgerson opened her campaign up with a 21-19 win over Buckinghamshire’s Margaret Lomax, a second round win over Essex ’s Marilyn Crane 21-14 set up a last sixteen tie against Leicestershire’s Diane Hurst which resulted in a 21-19 win to the Houghton star. The quarter finals saw Rodgerson face England internationalist Derbyshire’s Jean Baker, unluckily in a gripping last eight tie the Houghton star went down 21-20. The second disappointment came as Durham’s hopes of lifting the Walker Cup double fours were ended as they went down to eventual winners Somerset 48-34 in the semi final.

At the men’s national championships its been the fours competition that has been taking centre stage, sadly both Durham representatives made early exits, John Well’s made a first round 18-17 exit while fellow Hartlepool quartet skipped by Cliff Simpson made it to round two before going out 27-10. In the Under 25 singles former Whitburn youngster now playing out of Darlington RA Craig Northam had a tough opening tie against one of the favourites Cumbria’s Danny May and so it proved as Northam went out 21-17.

Next week will see the pairs and singles commence, in the pairs the Houghton Dairy Lane duo of Stevie Jones & Phil Smithson face a preliminary round tie against Suffolk ’s Adrian Holden with the winner facing Cumbria ’s Trevor Taylor in the first round. In the singles Thompson Park ’s Peter Thomson faces Northamptonshire’s Keith Height in the first round with the winner set to face either Cumbria ’s Danny May or Northumberland’s Craig Cooper in the next round.

Seaham Town once again held its Open Pairs competition, last years winners were the Silksworth duo of Keith Avery and David Bolt and they favourites to repeat their success after reaching the final again however it was not to be as the Whitburn pairing of Frank Smith and Stevie Don came out on top in this years final.

As the outdoor season starts to come to an end all thoughts will turn to a new indoor season at Crowtree, all members are reminded that the leagues start on Saturday 6^th September. 

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