Ladies Two Woods runner-up Becky Lever and winner Maureen EdwardsLadies Two Woods runner-up Becky Lever and winner Maureen Edwards
Ladies Two Woods runner-up Becky Lever and winner Maureen Edwards

Pictures - who won what in Thornfield Indoor bowls finals, completed after 19 months!

By Alan Jackson

When the first lockdown started back in March 2020 Rugby Thornfield Indoors Bowls Club’s competitions were nearing their completion. Nearly 19 months later those finals can take place and they were well worth the wait.

Because of the restrictions in place when the competitions resumed at the start of the 2020/21 season the Men's Fours was reduced to triples and it was decided to keep it as triples for the final. Bob Page, Bruce Truman and Nigel Hewitson started well, building up a 9-0 lead after five ends against Graham Howes, Dave Sands and Chris Chapman. Chapman and co got on the board with a singles, the next end was tied as both sides had a bowl touching the jack, Chapman then took a treble. Hewitson replied with three singles but a four, double and brace of singles saw the game move all square with three ends to play. Chapman and co took a single and double to leave Hewitson’s trio needing three to force an extra end. With the last wood to go Hewitson was holding three and had a tricky shot to potentially get a fourth, unfortunately a faint nick made his bowl catch a opposition bowl and just turn it over to cut the score to two. A brilliant match, Chapman and co winning 15-14.

Maureen Edwards and Becky Lever contested the Ladies Two Woods, Lever took first blood before the players exchanged shots, Lever two up after five ends. Edwards dominated the next five ends before again the players exchanged shots, with fourteen ends gone Edwards held a five shot advantage. Lever took the next three ends with singles, Edwards replied with a single but Lever again took a singles and double, the game reaching twenty ends 13-13. It was Maureen Edwards that took the final end to win 14-13.

The Men's Singles looked to be one-sided as Oliver Fowler raced away to a 13-0 lead against Keith Mason, Mason finally got going and a four and brace of trebles helped get the score to 15-11 in Fowler’s favour. A pair of doubles and a single took Fowler to twenty shots and those watching were wondering how much more Mason would last but after scoring a double and three singles took the score to 20-16 the crowd was beginning to think, he couldn’t snatch it could he? Mason scored another brace of doubles, the score now twenty all. A most unlikely of comebacks was completed when Keith Mason took the final end to win 21-20, truly a classic clash.

Keith Mason was again in action with his son Ewan in the Related Pairs against Wayne and John Kilsby. After seven ends the scores were level but three ends later the Masons were 11-5 up, the Kilsbys cut that down to two, with six ends to play Keith and Ewan held a five shot lead. The Kilsbys hit back with a double but the Masons replied with a single and treble, the lead now seven. The teams exchanged singles before the Kilsbys conceded, Keith and Ewan Mason winning 19-12. Bob Page and John Gockelen made a good start in the Over 60s Open Pairs against Bruce Truman and Nigel Hewitson, 9-2 up after four ends. Hewitson hit back, scoring ten shots over the next five ends to lead by three. A tenth end single proved to be the last shot that Page and Gockelen would score as Truman and Hewitson raced away to a 27-10 victory.

It was young verses old in the Mixed Pairs final as Molly Fowler and Chris Chapman took on John Barnett and Maureen Edwards. Edwards went 5-0 up after three ends but a four end scoring spree took Chapman 9-5 in front, with nine ends played Fowler and Chapman held a two shot advantage. Chapman took their second five of the game, with Edwards replying with a single and double to extend the lead to four. Fowler and Chapman then took control scoring five, four, three, two and one to complete their 29-10 win.

Geoff Tysall got a good start to lead Doug Pitcher 5-0 after four ends in the Mens Two Woods final. Pitcher fought back to reduce the deficit to three with eight ends played and the one after fifteen ends. Tysall then took control, a pair of doubles and three singles taking him to a 17-9 victory. The Over 60s Singles was a very one-sided affair, Geoff Tysall raced to 16-0 up before Patrick Clerkin scored four shots. Tysall then got the five shots he needed to complete the win.

Maureen Edwards and Becky Lever contested the Ladies Two Woods, Lever took first blood before the players exchanged shots, Lever two up after five ends. Edwards dominated the next five ends before again the players exchanged shots, with fourteen ends gone Edwards held a five shot advantage. Lever took the next three ends with singles, Edwards replied with a single but Lever again took a singles and double, the game reaching twenty ends 13-13. It was Maureen Edwards that took the final end to win 14-13.