The IIBC (International Indoor Bowls Council) Junior World Championships were held at East Kilbride. Australia’s Nathan Black took the men’s title beating Malaysia’s Muhammad Idham Amin Bin Ramlan in straight sets 9-0, 8-6. Ireland’s Shauna O’Neill landed the women’s title beating Scotland’s Amiee Harris 7-6, 7-1 in the final. The irish young gun completed a double as 24 hours earlier leading in for Ryan McElroy they won the Mixed Pairs title. In the final they beat England’s Emily Kernick and Harry Goodwin 8-3, 8-7.
In a truncated inter county fixture Houghton beat Durham 9-1, the fixture was due to be played the previous weekend but the Houghton leg had to be cancelled due to a Durham mix up with the starts times. However the leg at Durham did take place with Houghton coming away with a five shot advantage. Steve Hanlon, Ray Robinson, David Armstrong and Jimmy McAdoo ground out a 16-9 win over R Scanlan while Dale Oram’s rink of Steve Krimpen, Richard Thorpe and Peter Brickle late rally wasn’t enough and went down 16-14 to G Alderson. The Houghton leg was played at the weekend with both Houghton squads recording wins. Dave Robson, Chris Blake, David Wright and Frankie Froud nearly squandered a 17-4 lead but held on to a 18-14 win over M Goodyear. Mal Baker, John Burglass, Freddie Fletcher and Dan Todner were always in control against Bill Routledge and eased to a 22-7 win. Those scores gave Houghton a 75-40 win overall, next up for Houghton is a clash with group leaders Stanley on 7 January.
The Durham County seniors made it two wins out of two as they beat Yorkshire 120-111 in the latest round of Midland Senior League fixtures. The Durham lads returned to York and got a little bit of revenge for the national loss to Yorkshire by running out 18-4 winners. Across the green Durham won on four and lost on two rinks, Houghton’s Dale Oram with club mate Steve Tindale at two beat C Holmes 30-20. South Shield’s Billy Ferry with club mate Mal Peach at three and Houghton’s Joe Sutherland leading in beat J Phillips 22-13. Gateshead’s Alan Jobling got home 19-16 and Stanley’s Keith Minnis won 17-13. Darlington’s Tony Macey lost by thirteen and Stanley’s Brian Houghton went down by four. Durham top the three team group by fifteen points and are next in action on 1 February against Lincolnshire at Darlington.
Hartlepool’s run in the Denny Cup came to an end as they were beaten 74-64 by Cumbria, in the regional final the Cumbrian’s will face Hornsea who ended Lincoln’s hopes 81-77. In the Denny Plate Gateshead were beaten by Redcar.
In the women’s Yetton Plate the Shield’s Vipers beat Durham 80-65 and will face Lincoln next on 6 January.
Former Egham Trophy winners Hartlepool saw their hopes dashed at the regional final stage by Lincoln 79-68.
There has been more local action in the area one national competitions. In the singles Houghton’s Gary McPheators beat Gateshead’s Brian Orrell 21-14 and will now head to Gateshead to face Maurice Dunlop next, Dunlop beat West Denton’s Kevin Blaylock 21-12. The Parks Chris Yeomans beat West Denton’s Paul Timney 21-14 to set up a tasty clash with the Vipers David Bolt next.
In the pairs Stewart Hubbard won an all Shields clash with Ian McIntosh 18-6 and will face a trip to Carlisle to play Stu Irwin next. The Vipers Jack Deverson moved into the next round of the triples with a 23-15 win over Gateshead’s Frank Close, club mate James Sneller eased past Stanley’s Bret Arkley 18-9. There was a cracking win for Houghton’s Dale Oram 14-13 at Shields against Gary Farquhar, Oram will face Sneller next.
In the fours the Vipers James Sneller beat Houghton’s Dale Oram 24-5 and will face club mate Gary Farquhar next, the latter beat West Denton’s Paul Timney 20-8.
Houghton are in EIBA Over 60’s double fours action today as they face Cumbria.
At Houghton – M Baker, M Wright, I Whorlton, F Froud, At Carlisle – J Sutherland, S Tindale, P Brickle, D Oram
The latest round of the vet’s inter club fixtures take place this week. Tomorrow Houghton Kepier head to Hartlepool (1030am start) and on Thursday Houghton Sancroft will be looking to go back top as they host South Shields (1230pm start).
Kepier Team – P Hicks, P Butters, J Rowland, J Twidale, A Ross, P Bambrough, T Joicey, D Armstrong, R Nicholls, M Maley, I Wren, D Spottiswood.
Sancroft team – M Wright, R Jobling, F Fletcher, F Froud, J Sutherland, D Sim, P Brickle, D Oram, S Hanlon, R Robinson, D Wright, I Whorlton
Houghton women are in inter club action tomorrow as they face Hartlepool (1230pm start)
At Houghton – J Classen, P Bambridge, E Faith, V Bambrough, J Watt, L Watson, S Forster, J Rodgerson.
At Hartlepool – M Hall, E Morris, F Phythian, N Stephenson, M Godfrey, P Ramshaw, B Robson, J Baker.
Both Durham County teams are in national action at the weekend, in the men’s Liberty Trophy for a ninth consecutive year Durham will face Cumbria, this year Cumbria have home advantage and have won the last two games at Carlisle, Durham have won six of the nine head to heads but were beaten the last time they travelled to Carlisle. The County women are also in action as they host Yorkshire at Durham.
There was good news on the international scene for the Vipers Paul Hartley as he has earned a recall into the England team for the home international series to be held at Falcon IBC, Essex in March. Hartlepool’s Paul Mosley is travelling reserve while club mate Amica Fordy gets a first cap in the women’s Under 25 team.
Hartlepool are planning to run a Christmas Open Singles on Friday 29 December, entry is £15 via Carl Higgins. They are also running a Dave Morgan Christmas triples on the following day again entry is £15.