There was a double local celebration at Hartlepool last weekend as the WBT UK Open and UK Masters qualifying events were held. In the UK Open the Vipers Paul Hartley secured the place at the main event in March at Cambridge & Chesterton. A field of forty seven started the day, Hartley opened up with a straight forward 14-0,9-1 win over Ryan Laurie, that was followed up with a tricky 8-4, 7-4 win over the ever improving Jacqueline Henderson. In the quarter finals Hartley faced the host clubs Paul Mosley, again Hartley produced the goods winning 8-2, 6-5 to set up a mouth watering semi final against Scottish International Darren Weir. The Vipers star dropped the first set 9-6 but looked home and hosed to level it off in the second set until Weir produced a tremendous runner to remove all of Hartley’s bowls to actually hold a match position. However Hartley held his nerve with his last bowl and thanks to a measure took the set 5-3. Into the three end tie break Hartley again showed his class running out a 2-0 winner. In the final he faced his good mate Hartlepool’s Marc Squirrell, the latter had accounted for Scotland’s Stewart Douglas, Teviotdale’s Danny Porter, Cumbria’s Eddie Murray, Lancashire’s Rhy’s Vaughan and then another Cumbrian Paul Wallace. In a cracking final Hartley took a tight first set 6-5 and then sealed the deal 8-3 in the second set. Hartley will now head to the main event looking to try and notch some vital WBT ranking points with the aim of breaking into the much sort after top sixteen places. The win also ensures Hartley a place in the Tourcard event in March as he is now ranked second, club mate David Bolt’s run to the last eight saw him rise to the number one spot.
The following day saw the latest UK Masters qualifier take place, again it was a good day for the area as the host clubs Russell Bewick secured his first ever trip to Potter in January. A hard fought 8-3,2-5,2-1 win over Jacqueline Henderson was followed by a 9-6,7-5 win over Darlington’s John Lynch. An epic quarter final with Dumbarton’s Alan McDade saw Bewick get over the line 6-4,4-5,2-1. In the semi final Bewick beat Scotland’s Kenny Bald 6-5,6-3 to set up a final against Scotland’s Colin Banks who missed out in the previous weeks final at West Lothian. In both sets Bewick got away to fliers, set one the Hartlepool lad led 5-0 but had to draw in for second to save the set with his final bowl to halve the first set 5-5. Set two saw Bewick again get away to a good start leading 4-0 but again Banks battled back to lead 5-4 with one end to play. On a scrappy final end Bewick held his nerve to snatch a double and the second set 6-5 to secure his first trip to Potters. In the main event in January the Hartlepool lad will face West Lothian’s Richard Mark in the semi finals.
There was disappointment for the South Shield’s Vipers as they were beaten 86-79 by Cumbria in the Egham Trophy. The Vipers only had one winning rink, Gary Farquhar beat Mark Irwin 23-12. The other three squads all lost, David Bolt 26-18, Josh Minto 20-17 and Dale Oram 28-21. Cumbria will face Hartlepool next, the latter eased past York 84-58.
In the national singles there were three all South Shield’s affairs, Josh Minto beat David Sykes 21-7, David Bolt beat Chris McGready 21-11 and Paul Hartley beat Paul Hart 21-8. Minto will now face Stanley’s Bret Arkley who ended Houghton’s Gary McPheators run 21-9. Bolt will face Hartley in what show be a cracker of a tie.
The Viper duo of David Sykes and Gary Farquhar beat club mates Ian & Shaun McIntosh in the pairs 19-8, that win sets up a clash with Hartley & Bolt. The other half of the draw is another all Vipers affair as Josh Halcrow & James Sneller tackle Dave Paterson & Alan Lawton, the latter beat Houghton’s Peter Thomson & David Armstrong.
In the triples The Park’s Jonny Morgan had a cracking 23-13 win over Stanley’s Brett Arkley and will make the trip to Houghton next to face Colin Milburn, Chris Blake and Peter Thomson.
The Houghton quartet of Bryan Sanderson, Michael Wright, Colin Watson and Frankie Froud lost a thriller in the fours 19-18 against West Denton’s Clive Knott. It was groundhog day in the mixed Fours for Watson & Froud, alongside Pam Bainbridge and Linda Watson they lost 18-16 at Shields against Stewart Hubbard.
The Vipers young gun Layton Sykes has booked a place at the latter stages of the Under 25 singles at Dolphin in the New Year, young Sykes beat West Denton’s Luke Jameson in straight sets.
Houghton are in Senior Inter club Division two action this week, Sancroft tackle Durham B while table leaders Gilpin head to Durham A.
Gilpin line up – P Bambrough, I McConnell, H Smith, R Johnson, D Surtees, P Saunders, P Bennett, R Wilson, P Hicks, L Todd, G Stephenson, D Robson.
Sancroft line up – A Grimes, G Loadman, P Brickle, F Froud, M Baker, J Webster, I Whorlton, R Mckie, C Blake, R Potts, W Roberts, D Wright
Houghton will end 2025 with an Inter Club clash with The Parks on Sunday 10am.
Early January will see Durham make the trip over to Carlisle to face Cumbria in the Liberty Trophy. With the Viper duo of Paul Hartley and David Bolt unavailable due to Potters commitments the county manager Dave Kilner has made several changes from the team that lost the semi final against Northamptonshire. There are debuts for Hartlepool’s Steve Hanlon, Lee Maughan and Marcus Mosley plus a return to the line up for club mates Gary R Smith and Marc Squirrell.