Malaysia hosted the inaugural World Bowls World Cup event with twelve nations taking part in what was a pre cursor to the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games. In the men’s blue riband Singles the gold medal went to England’s Sam Tolchard. After navigating the group format with a four win and one loss record Tolchard beat the host nations Muhammad Soufi Bin Rusti 6-3, 4-4 in the quarter finals before accounting for Australia’s Corey Wedlock 8-3, 8-8 in the semi finals. In the final the England star defeated India’s Dinesh Kumar 7-2, 6-1 to secure the gold medal.
England missed out on a singles double as Katherine Rednall narrowly lost to the host countries Emma Firyana Binti Saroji 5-5, 6-5. In the group stage Rednall looked unstoppable winning all five group games, a quarter final straight sets win over India’s Ruparani Tirkey was followed by a semi final 6-3, 5-3 win over Malaysia’s Nurul Alyani Binti Jamil. In the final Rednall led 5-4 in the first set but dropped a single on the last end to halve the set. The second set was 5-5 on the final end and went to the final bowl which saw the Malaysian over the line.
The men’s pairs went to the welsh duo of Daniel Davies and Ross Owen as they beat Scotland’s Jason Banks and Paul Foster MBE on a tie break. The women’s pairs went to Hong Kong China’s Cheryl Chan and Helen Chung.
England’s Sally Ann Lewis-Wall and director Elizabeth Shipley took the Para women’s singles and Australia’s James Reynolds took the men’s event. Reynolds also landed the Para mixed pairs playing alongside Serena Bonnell.
The overall team title went to the host’s Malaysia, Australia took silver and Hong Kong China took the bronze. England finished fourth, Scotland sixth, Ireland seventh and Wales ninth.
The South Shield’s Vipers had to work hard for a 10-6 win in the latest round of the Top Club away at Durham. Jaxon McKenna lost the singles 21-12 but Maureen Charles won the women’s singles 21-18. Jackie Stewart Tallack and Josh Minto beat Arlene Stafford 23-20 in the pairs and Charlotte Williams, Dale Oram and Paul Hartley beat Christine Budd 20-12 in the mixed triples. The mixed four quartet of Pat Browne, Ann Upsall, James Sneller and Gary Farquhar were beaten 16-12 by Alan Musgrove. The Vipers live to fight again and must make the trip to Cumbria in the next round after the Cumbrian’s beat West Denton 16-0. Hartlepool beat Great Aycliffe 14-2 and will face Hornsea next.
In the men’s champion of champions Stanley’s James McKenna had a smashing 21-17 win at Shield’s against Josh Minto. Mckenna will have home advantage next against Gateshead’s Alex Bryden. In the women’s competition, the Vipers Maureen Charles lost 21-9 at The Parks to Beverley Ware, Karen Weites (West Denton) beat Lorraine Gallagher (Durham) 21-15 and Ann Baggett (Stanley) beat Yesi Smith (Gateshead) 21-7.
The Vipers young gun Charlotte Williams was beaten in the Under 25 singles 8-4, 10-4 by Hartlepool’s England internationalist Amica Fordy. The Hartlepool ace will next face Church Gresley’s Ellie Ramsey.
The Vipers notched another win in the Top Ten as they beat The Parks 9-1
In the national pairs Houghton’s Peter Brickle and Gary McPheator were beaten 20-12 at home by Stanley’s Brian Harris and Brett Arkley. There was better news for Bryan Sanderson & Frankie Froud as they had a cracking win at Stanley against Brian Houghton 18-11, the Houghton lads will host the Vipers Dave Paterson next. The Houghton Thomson brothers also progressed as they beat The Parks Peter Dawson 16-12 and will host West Denton’s Karl Jameson in the next round.
The Denny Cup returns on Saturday with a bang as the South Shield’s Vipers tackle Cumbria, last season Cumbria ran out 73-56 winners before succumbing to Hartlepool in the next round. The Vipers have made a couple of changes to the team that beat West Denton and will line up as follows :-
At Shields – D Paterson, S McIntosh, G Farquhar, D Bolt, J McKenna, J Leeman, J Halcrow, I McIntosh
At Carlisle – L Sykes, B Hopkins, D Oram, P Hartley, R Henson, D Sykes, C McGready, J Minto
Other tie – Hartlepool v Great Aycliffe
Houghton are also back in Denny Plate action as they face Gateshead. The Houghton club are currently getting new lights installed which should be finished by Friday. Houghton have made one change due to Richie Mckie being unavailable so Dan Todner returns to his skips role. Houghton line up is as follows :-
At Houghton – C Milburn, C Blake, G McPheators, C Watson, P Thomson, I Armstrong, M Baker, D Todner
At Gateshead – W Roberts, N Reid, P Brickle, F Froud, M Wright, G Loadman, I Whorlton, D Wright
Women’s Yetton Trophy ties – Durham v Cumbria, West Denton v Redcar Borough Park
In the Yetton Plates South Shield’s Vipers take on Gateshead with the winners to play The Parks or Hartlepool next.
The County Senior Inter club returns this week with a full round of fixtures, in division two the early leaders Houghton Gilpin are on a bye, Houghton Sancroft finally get their campaign underway away at Gateshead. The Sancroft line up is as follows – M Wright, G Loadman, P Brickle, F Froud, A Grimes, C Blake, I Whorton, R Mckie, C Milburn, R Potts, B Sanderson, D Wright.
In Division One the Vipers will be looking to back up the cracking 4-1 win at Great Aycliffe as they host Hartlepool B.
On Sunday the Vipers return to Egham Trophy action as they take on The Parks.
At Shields – C Williams, G Hinsley, J Sneller, G Farquhar, V Bennett, P Byrne, D Sykes, J Minto
At The Parks – P Browne, A Upsall, J McKenna, D Bolt, JS Tallack, M Charles, C McGready, D Oram
The Sunderland & District AGM takes place on Saturday 10am at Houghton Dairy Lane.
photo credits to World Bowls