Tremendous treble for history-making Danny
Last updated 11:35, Thursday, 24 April 2008
DANNY May of Cumbria Indoor Bowls Club continued his burgeoning reputation when he became the first ever player to win both the club’s junior and senior singles, and all this having earlier in the season won the National Junior title, a tremendous achievement.
May met Stephen Green in the Junior Singles final in what was undoubtedly the highlight of all the finals played last week.
Green is another young player with bags of ability but to date he has possibly lacked the concentration to transfer that ability into solid results.
He went a long way to showing that he can do just that on Thursday and against any other opponent he would probably have emerged as champion.
May played well but whatever he did Green was able to beat it and at 16-7 in front Green certainly had one hand on the trophy, indeed if he had managed just one more shot I feel sure that May would not have reached double figures.
As it was May managed to score a vital single and drawing on his greater experience he shortened the jack with dramatic effect.
He went on to score one, one, four, two, one, two in the next six ends and led 18-16 before Green managed to stop the rot with a single. Back at his favoured length Green picked up a three which was almost a title winning four before on the next end May played a great bowl to move the jack two inches and score a double to level the match at twenty all.
The final end was played to May’s preferred length and it proved to be decisive as he picked up the vital shot to take the title.
On the following evening May met Stuart Airey and a good crowd were anticipating another great game.
Unfortunately, Airey’s back problems resurfaced and he was unable to produce his best from as early as the very first end.
Against a lesser opponent he might have made a game of it but in this kind of form there was no way he could contain his younger opponent and May ran out a ready 21-7 winner.
Earlier in the week Karen Edmondson began her personal triumph when partnering Rick Gallagher in the Mixed Pairs.
After a fairly even opening quarter against Sue and Dennis Devlin they soon took command and the further they went the greater their superiority became the game ending at 23-7 after sixteen ends.
In the Mixed Triples Jackie Wilson, David Taylor and Trevor Taylor made a good start against Eddie Murray and led 8-0 after three.
Murray reduced the deficit before Taylor struck back with a pair, a single and then an eight followed by a three after which Murray conceded.
The two restricted singles were both well contested with Bill Adam and Eddie McGarr close for much of the way before Adam just shaded it at 21-15.
Two fairly new members in Joyce Hodgson and Sandra Parker contested the ladies and it was Hodgson who made the better start recording seven shots before Parker got on the card. After that it was fairly even but that better start made all the difference and Hodgson took the title 21-12.
In the Ladies Pairs Sue Devlin and Cath Robson were probably favourites to take the title against Victoria Kyle and Christine Wharton but when the latter pair led 14-7 at halfway an upset looked on the cards.
In the second half, Devlin and Robson assumed command and went right away to take the game 23-15. It was a similar story in the Mixed Fours where Linda Rose.
Karen Edmondson, John Wills and Gavin Taylor were behind at halfway but finished much the stronger to win the game 26-12 against Rae Graham.
In the Men’s Pairs Trevor Taylor and Stuart Airey met Rick Gallagher and Mark Nanson.
Nanson had excelled at Nottingham the previous week when on his first visit to the nationals he reached the quarter final of the singles but he was unable to continue that run of form here.
This was all square at ten ends but in the second half Taylor and Airey got on top to win 21-9.
The Ladies Singles saw Linda Rose matched against Karen Edmondson and this proved to be a third victory for Edmondson.
She trailed 7-2 after just four ends but gradually found line and length to go ahead 15-8 and then go on to finish off a great week and a hat trick of successes by winning 21-11.
Outdoor Bowls
Most outdoor clubs have now opened, though to date there will have been very little competitive play. One Club with its first tournament under its belt however is Vulcan Park.
Bowlers there enjoyed six hours of play in the Haig Butchers Mixed Fours and there was an exciting finish with just two points between the top three fours.
Kath Harrison of Workington finished first with 26 points, one point behind in second was Ronnie Banks of Seaton while Joe Carey of Workington was just one point further behind in third place.
