After last season’s disappointing Alsop Trophy campaign the Durham County B team made a winning start to this season’s campaign beating Lancashire 20-2.In conditions more akin to winter it was a tough afternoon for both sides with the match reduced to 15 ends. Across the green Durham won on five of the six rinks, the pick of the bunch was Chris Blake (New Herrington), Gary Vaughan, Dan Todner (both Dairy Lane) and Colin Watson (New Herrington) who beat T Riley 20-4. New Herrington’s Garry Wallace steered his quartet to a 19-10 win over Shayne Rimmer. Another local skip Dairy Lane’s Jimmy McAdoo beat Graham Ellis 14-3 as Durham ran out 99-46 winners.
The Alsop squad are back in action on Saturday as they head to Benfield to face Northumberland. The latter also made a winning start beating Cumbria 14-8 at Silloth.
A Lambert (DRA), A Birtles (DRA), P Thomson (RM), D Mallaby (SWE), J Sutherland (HDL), S Tindale (HDL), D Armstrong (HDL), J McAdoo (HDL), T Cairns (DRA), G Dougherty (B), C Watson (BC), M Campbell (SWE), P Coulson (DRA), C Bradley (DSP), A Jobling (JWE), D Paterson (S) B Poulter (Us), S Brodie (DSP), N Hodgson (DRA), G Wallace (NH), C Blake (NH) G Vaughan (HDL), D Todner (HDL), C Watson (NH)
It was a different tale for the County women’s Northern Trophy squad as they were beaten 7-3 by Northumberland at Hexham. Across the green it was an even split but ultimately the overall score was decided on Durham’s Arlene Stafford’s rink as they lost 27-6 against A Murray. The other game saw Yorkshire beat Cumbria 8-2, Durham host Cumbria next on May 22.
The Sunderland & District leagues resumed as round two of the Earl Cup was played out in sub zero temperatures. Early leaders are Roker Marine who notched a second win this time 6-0 at Dairy Lane B. There was better news for the Dairy Lane A squad as they ground out a 5-1 home win over newly promoted Pemberton. With ground work still taking place at New Herrington they travelled to Sunderland and came away with a good 5-1 win. Holders Silksworth Pumas were beaten 5-1 at Barnes Park..
In Division 2 Houghton Town are the early leaders after a 5-1 home win over Thompson Park albeit by a single shot. Seaham Town are also unbeaten after a 5-1 win at Ryhope. Usworth bounced back from their opening loss to beat South Hylton 5½-½, the other two results hadn’t been submitted.
The Swan Cup Division 2 also got underway, Hetton Workmen beat Thompson Park 6-0 as did Pemberton against Washington. Usworth ground out a 5-1 win at Houghton Town while new to the Sunderland & District Simonside made a winning start 5-1 over Whitburn.
The remaining league programme gets underway this week, Swan Cup holders Houghton Dairy Lane head to newly promoted North Biddick. New Herrington who missed out on the title by half a point head to Silksworth Pumas.
The Harold Howey holders Barnes Park open up their defence with a trip to Roker Marine. Newly promoted Washington B and Pemberton A go head to head.
The Storey Bowl holders Seaham Town head to Houghton Town while Jarrow West End make their bow in the Sunderland & District hosting Thompson Park.
This year’s County Championships saw a move from a North/South draw to an open draw with a return to offering two dates rather than the fixed dates. In the singles there were a couple of Silksworth Pumas wins. James Sneller had a good 21-12 win at Stockton West End against Dave Mallaby and Daniel Bennett won a thriller against Darlington RA’s Alan Birtles 21-20.
In the pairs Dairy Lane’s Ian Armstrong beat Pelton Fell’s S Elsbury 20-5 and will face club mate Phil Bambrough next. Sunderland’s Mick Bayliss had a cracking 20-10 win at Darlington South Park and will head to Silksworth next to face James Sneller. Marine’s Pete Thomson lost his opener 23-10 away at Jarrow West End.
New Herrington’s Chris Blake had a good 18-13 away win in the Two Bowls Singles against Jarrow West Ends Alan Jobling. Blake heads to Dairy Lane next to face Brett Cummings.
In the women’s County competitions the triples start on Monday. Locally the following ties will take place – C Barthram (Marine) v S Pearson (Eldon Grove), N Stephenson (Dairy Lane) v P Bainbridge (New Herrington), C Bayliss (Sunderland) v C Wade (Darlington Woodland), J Rodgerson (Dairy Lane) v J Pattison (Darlington Woodland), T Pearson (Consett Park) v N Graham (New Herrington).
In the Bowls England Over 60’s singles Dairy Lane’s Mal Peach lost 21-7 at Jarrow West End against Alan Lawton. Barnes Park’s Bryan Sanderson beat Sunderland’s Patrick Hore 21-10 and will play Hartlepool Old Boys Paul Barton, the latter beat Usworth’s Brian Poulter 21-20.
New Herrington’s Colin Milburn lost 24-5 in the Over 60’s pairs against RA’s Tony Macey.
Silksworth Pumas David Bolt made progress in the mixed pairs beating RA’s Clare Michie 16-14 and will host Spennymoor’s Barry Attwood next. New Herrington’s Colin Watson won an extra end 15-14 clash against RA’s Alex Wood. Watson will head to Darlington Woodland next after Carol Wade beat Silksworth’s James Sneller 13-11. Another Puma exit saw David Sykes lose 18-2 at Newton Hall against Christine Budd.
Houghton Dairy Lane played host to a Bowls England Junior Developement day, fifteen young guns from around the northern counties were put through there places all trying to impress hoping to get to Leamington Spa
England’s Commonwealth Games preparations continued as the made the trip to Newport to face Wales. After already beating the welsh 51-45 at Maidenhead a couple of weeks ago England completed a double with a 46-29 win. The two meet again on May 23/24 at Desborough before both countries join Guernsey and Scotland in a Four Nations Test series on June 13/14.
The World Bowls are holding its now annual Indoor Championships at Ocean Grove Bowling club in Australia. It comprises of men’s and women’s singles plus a mixed pairs, representing England are the two current England indoor national champions Tom Holmes and Sian Honnor (main photo credit Bowls England)