It has been a great seven days for the New Herrington club as they secured two titles. First one came in the Sunderland & District David Morgan Mixed Pairs, the final as it happened was an all Herrington affair as Linda & Colin Watson were looking to defend their title against Pam Bainbridge and Garry Wallace (Jnr). In a cracking final which looked like it was going to the wire it wasn’t until the last three ends that the champions saw their grip on the title slip away. In the end Wallace ran out a 20-8 winner to seal both players their first Sunderland & District success.
The second title came in the women’s SWBA league, going into week thirteen New Herrington knew a win over Barnes Park B would seal a first league success as nearest challengers Sunderland A were on a bye. A 4-0 win sealed the deal with one round of games to play, after finishing runners up in their first season to go one step further is a tremendous achievement and is testament to the progress that the club has made.
As expected the destination of the Swan Cup went right to the wire with three clubs still in with a chance to take the title. New Herrington lay there claim to the title with a 6-0 win over Seaham Town and needed Dairy Lane to drop a point at Barnes Park. As it happens the Dairy Lane squad just got over the line 5½-½ to snatch the title agonisingly from New Herrington by just half a point. The relegation places were also still up for grabs, Roker Marine’s great escape continued as they beat Usworth 5-1 which saved Marine but ended Usworth’s brief return to division one. The other relegation place was nearly just as dramatic, current holders Silksworth Pumas were beaten 5-1 at home by Hetton Workmen, had Hetton collected all six points then the Pumas would have been relegated but as it happens Hetton make a return to division two.
With North Biddick already crowned as Division Two champions the other promotion place went to Hylton Colliery Welfare, a 6-0 win over bottom of the table Washington cemented second place. Pemberton miss out despite a 5-1 win at Houghton Town, new champions North Biddick beat South Hylton 5-1.
Round seventeen of the Earl Cup failed to decide the relegation places, with Silksworth Pumas already champions they won 5-1 at Sunderland, that defeat for Sunderland coupled with Seaham Town’s 6-0 loss against Dairy Lane A means two from three will fight out the relegation places this week. In the final round of fixtures bottom of the table Seaham host third bottom Sunderland and second bottom Usworth host the Pumas.
The Harold Howey division two title and promotion place will depend on a couple of outstanding games. Sunderland B are the current leaders after a 4-0 win over Houghton Town but have completed all there fixtures. Pemberton A won 3-1 at Thompson Park and third placed Washington B beat there A team 4-0, both are only 1½ points behind the leaders. Pemberton A finish off at Washington A while Washington B are at Whitburn A. In the other final round of games Usworth finished fourth with a 4-0 win over Sunderland A, Whitburn A beat Roker Park 3-1 and Pemberton B beat Seaham Town B 3½-½.
The Storey Bowl champions are Seaham Town, a 7-0 win at Hylton Colliery coupled with second place New Herrington’s 6½-½ loss at Thompson Park was enough.
The National Championships have got underway at Leamington Spa, the eighteen day extravaganza is the highlight of the Bowls England calendar. There has already been a local success, in the men’s Over 60’s singles Lyndhurst’s Kevin Bone took the title beating Lincolnshire’s C Hanslip 21-18 in the final. Earlier Bone recorded wins over Norfolk 21-11, Kent 21-10 and in the semi final Sussex 21-18.
In the men’s Two Bowl singles Usworth’s Brian Poulter lost his opener against Leicestershire’s Darren Allsopp 16-6, RA’s Dave Newman also lost his opener 17-8 against Oxfordshire’s Craig Morphet. In the women’s event both Durham hopes were beaten in the first round. Woodland’s Jane Pattison lost 16-8 against Cornwall’s Katie Strutridge and South Park’s Clare Michie lost on an extra end 17-16 against Lancashire’s Gillian Hinsley.
In the Junior Pairs there was mixed fortunes for the county youngsters, the men’s the pairing of Layton Sykes (Pumas) and Alex Wood (Darlington RA) beat Northants Cauly Swift 18-13 but then lost 20-9 against Hampshire’s Luke Bell. In the women’s event the Woodland’s pairing of Olivia Lewis and Sophie Wood won two thrillers, first up 20-18 against Hampshire’s Alice Lovett and then 17-16 against Dorset’s Daria Rampelt. The great run sadly ended in the quarter finals as the Durham duo lost to the eventual national champion Surrey’s Yasmina Hasan.
In the Under 17 championship Sophie Wood lost her opener 21-19 to Gloucestershire’s Emily Burke, in boy’s event the Pumas Layton Sykes also lost his opener 21-10 to Cornwall’s Dontai Joseph.
After qualifying in the revamped Walker Cup the Durham squad were beaten in the Quarter Finals by Hertfordshire. Durham lost all four disciplines; the title eventually went to a strong Devon outfit.
It was the same story in the Amy Rose where the Durham youngsters were beaten by Gloucestershire. The only Durham win came in the Pairs where Silksworth’s Charlotte Williams and RA’s Abi Porter won 10-9. The eventual winners were Somerset.
In the men’s Balcombe Trophy Northumberland beat Bedfordshire 60-20 but were beaten in the semi finals 72-53 by Leicestershire, the only Northumberland win came in a thrilling singles clash which saw Josh Minto beat Joe Dawson 21-20.
The championships continue this week with the start of the blue riband events, locally the Pumas Jaxon Mckenna, Neal Ridley, John Leeman and David Bolt are in the fours plus Mckenna & Bolt feature in the pairs. Durham are also in the semi finals of the Over 60 Mixed Inter County.