Best friends do battle in Champion of Champions final
Four titles were decided at the Bowls England National Championships at Leamington today, including a hot battle in the Women’s Champion of Champions.
Cambridgeshire’s Ellen Falkner won the prestigious event, sponsored by Sutton Winson Insurance, beating best friend Amy Gowshall from Lincolnshire in the final.
Gowshall, the current holder, was seeking an incredible tenth success in the event, after defeating her international teammate Stef Branfield 21-18 in the semi-final.
Falkner, who secured her maiden success two years ago, defeated Berkshire’s Elizabeth Aubrey in the last four.
Results:
Semi-Finals:
A Gowshall (Lincolnshire) bt S Branfield (Somerset) 21-18;
E Falkner (Cambridgeshire) bt E Aubrey (Berkshire) 21-15
Final:
E Falkner (Cambridgeshire) bt A Gowshall (Lincolnshire) 21-15
E Falkner (Cambridgeshire) bt E Aubrey (Berkshire) 21-15
Next up came the second title of the championship for Harriet Stevens who skipped her Devon club mates Lauren Hackett, Hayley James and Emma Cooper to win the Women’s Fours Championship, sponsored by Dorset Bowls Resort.
They defeated Dorset’s Steph Pinson, Sandie Smith, Bridget Hodder and Penny Cresswell, from Poole Park in the final.
The Kings quartette defeated Norfolk’s Carole Baker, Sam Coverdale, Suzanne King and Jackie Devitt 24-13 in the semi-final, whilst the Poole Park rink overcame Yorkshire’s Hayley Robinson, Margaret Watson, Michelle Sykes and Sue Allen from Swinton.
It is the first time since 2004 that a club has retained the Women’s National Fours, as Sophie Tolchard, Kelly Atkinson, Lorraine Hackett and Natalie Chestney secured the title 12 months ago.
Earlier this week Harriet won the women’s under 25 singles.
Results:
Semi-final:
Poole Park, D’set (P Cresswell) bt Swinton, Yorks (S Allen) 28-13;
Kings, Devon (H Stevens) bt Norfolk, N’folk (J Devitt) 24-13
Final:
Kings, Devon (H Stevens) bt Poole Park, D’set (P Cresswell) 26-9
Berkshire’s Peter Warne, Michael Blizzard, Bob Harris and Trevor Broad from Thatcham won the Men’s National Senior Fours title, supported by the Friends of English Bowling.
They defeated Worcestershire’s Paul Kitchen, Richard Payne, Wayne White and Grant Burgess, from Chester Road in the final.
Earlier in the day the Berkshire quartet collected three shots on the final two ends defeated Hampshire’s James Heard, Steve Dowdell, Andy Anderson and Ray Long from Fleming Park, whilst the Chester Road rink overcame an early 3-9 deficit against Kent’s John Coatham, Keith Woodgate, Paul Coulsen and Paul Rose (VCD).
Results:
Semi-finals:
Thatcham, Berks (T Broad) bt Fleming Park, Hants (R Long) 14-13;
Chester Road, Worcs (G Burgess) bt VCD, Kent (P Rose) 20-19
Final:
Thatcham, Berks (T Broad) bt Chester Road, Worcs (G Burgess) 19-12
The final title of the day went to Middlesex’s Alfie Hill and Glen Adams who won the Men’s Junior Pairs Championship, supported by Viv Tomlinson.
They defeated Devon’s Dominic Tuckett and Harry Goodwin in the final.
It is Goodwin’s second consecutive appearance in the final after winning the title with Zach Kidd 12 months ago.
Earlier in the day, Tuckett and Goodwin reached the final with victories over Bedfordshire’s Adrian Allen and Connor Hart and Kent’s Joseph Vandepeer and Isaac Jenner.
Hill and Adams defeated Cornwall’s Frazer Hawkey and Alasdair Williams in the last eight, before securing a semi-final victory over Northamptonshire’s Kieran Rollings and Connor Cinato.
Results:
Quarter-Finals:
Devon (H Goodwin) bt Bedfordshire (C Hart) 24-11;
Kent (I Jenner) bt Lincolnshire (J Philpott) 18-11;
Northamptonshire (C Cinato) bt Essex (J Butcher) 17-13;
Middlesex (G Adams) bt Cornwall (A Williams) 25-11
Semi-finals:
Devon (H Goodwin) bt Kent (I Jenner) 20-9;
Middlesex (G Adams) bt Northamptonshire (C Cinato) 16-7
Final:
Middlesex (G Adams) bt Devon (H Goodwin) 19-16
