There were two PBA UK Open qualifiers held at South Shields over the weekend. A field of sixty four players on both days took to the green all looking to grab a spot in the UK Open at Cambridge & Chesterton in March. It was a tough couple of days for the home clubs David Bolt who missed out after reaching the quarter finals in one then the semi final in the second. The Saturday qualifier saw Riverain’s Lloyd Sabatini who was a late reserve take the honours, however could easily have gone out in his first game as it took a 2-1 tie break to beat Dumbarton’s Alan McDade. That win was backed up with a 8-4, 9-3 win over Dan Winmill before another battling performance saw off Stanley’s Brett Arkley 10-0, 6-6. A quarter final 7-3, 8-4 win over Lincoln’s Greg Smith set up a semi final against Scotland’s Daniel Gormley. Sabatini took the first set 6-3, in the second he was left counting his lucky stars on the final end when Gormley failed to draw a second shot to take the second set leaving it 6-6 and Sabatini went into the final 1½-½. Scotland’s Darren Weir always has a decent run in these qualifiers and it was to be the case again. An opening 8-2, 6-5 win over Richie Stoakes was followed up with a 7-5, 7-2 win over the Vipers Ian McIntosh. A cracking 1½-½ win over the fancied Torquay Utd Sam Tolchard set up a last eight tie against David Bolt. The Vipers star took the first set 6-4, Weir bounced back to take the second set 5-4 and then held his nerve to take the tie break 2-1. In the semi final Weir tackled fellow Scot Kenny Bald and ground out an 8-5, 6-5 win to set up a final against Sabatini. In the final Weir never got going but taking nothing away from Sabatini who was the deserved winner 11-2, 6-2 with the final finishing at fifteen minutes before midnight. Sabatini will face the former World Indoor Singles winner Scotland’s Jason Banks at the main event in March.
It was like Ground Hog Day as eight hours later the second qualifier got underway with another sixty four players battling it out. After going out in the previous day’s event in the last sixteen Torquay’s Sam Tolchard bounced back and booked his place in the UK Open. An opening 8-5, 9-1 win over Scotland’s Tom Sclater was followed by a 9-2, 8-2 win over West Denton’s Nick Armstrong. In the last sixteen Dumbarton’s Michael Keenan took the first set and pushed Tolchard all the way until the Torquay star secured a 2-1 tie break win. In the quarter finals Tolchard ground out a 9-1, 5-5 win over Robert Gordon to set up what was the game of the day against the Vipers Josh Minto. The Viper’s star was outstanding taking the first set 5-4 but lost the second set 5-4. On the final tie break end Minto held shot but Tolchard had the final bowl, a running bowl rattled into the head and when the dust settled it was heartache for Minto as Tolchard held shot. In the final Scottish internationalist Connor Milne provided the opposition after he ended the Vipers David Bolt’s hopes in the semi final. Tolchard was at his best and showed why he is in England’s 2026 Commonwealth Games and the best player in England as he ran out a 9-3, 9-2 winner, this was Milne’s third PBA singles qualifier final loss. In the main event Tolchard will face Guernsey’s Jason Greenslade, a win for Tolchard will enhance his hopes of breaking into the much sought after World Bowls Tour top sixteen.
The race to qualify for the PBA Tourcard is simmering after the Shield’s events. The top twenty eight ranked men and the top four women will make up two fields of sixteen who will compete at either Carlisle or Hartlepool in March. The Shield’s win for Tolchard moves him to top spot, locally the Vipers David Bolt and Paul Hartley and Stanley’s Brett Arkley are practically nailed on. Hartlepool’s Gary R Smith got a vital win at Shield’s to move him up to twenty two but will be sweating on the outcome of the final two qualifiers at Abbeyview and Bannister Park on 22 March.
Hartlepool cruised into the semi finals of the Denny Cup with an emphatic 78-28 win over Barking at Scunthorpe. All four Hartlepool squads returned winning cards, GR Smith 17-5, Marc Squirrell 24-8, Bryan Henderson 24-7 and Mark Higgins 13-8. Standing in the way of a place in the final will be Nottingham on 7 March.
There was more good news for the region in the Denny Plate as Darlington won a thriller against Desborough (North) 78-77 this after an extra end. Across the green Darlington won on two of the four rinks, Andy Kirtland 28-13 and Mark Jones 25-14. The remaining two rinks both lost, Andrew Henderson 28-13 and Liam Macey 22-12 however they live to fight another day and will tackle Boston in the semi finals also on 7 March.
In the Area one national’s the Vipers suffered a double loss, in the singles area final at Penrith Paul Hartley battled back from 15-7 down against Cumbria’s Kevin Harrison to 18-18 however couldn’t get over the line losing 21-19. Straight after that loss Hartley teamed up with David Bolt in the Open Pairs area final and suffered a second defeat this time against Cumbria’s Stu Irwin on a tie break.
The Viper duo return to Penrith for the actual pairs area final against Cumbria’s Daniel Pool and Martyn Rice. The lads alongside Josh Minto & Gary Farquhar will make a fourth Penrith visit in the fours area final when they will lock horns with Pool for a second time. Hartley is also through to the Two Bowl singles area final against Eden’s Anthony Booth Young, this has been agreed to be played at Darlington.