Bowls England National Championships: women’s winners
The Walker Cup and junior pairs concluded the main women’s disciplines at Leamington Spa yesterday.
Here is the full list of the final stages and winners:
SINGLES
Warwickshire’s Kirsty Richards won the Bowls England Women’s National Singles Championship sponsored by Hoburne Holidays.
Local favourite Richards, aged 23 from Kings Heath in Birmingham, defeated two-time winner Natalie Chestney from Kings BC, Devon, in a thrilling final at Victoria Park, Royal Leamington Spa.
With the score standing at 20-20 and 28-year-old Chestney holding game, Richards delivered a perfect final bowl to take the title.
In a quirk of fate, the two players had met 10 years earlier in the final of the National Junior Singles Championship – a match that had seen Chestney triumph in her maiden name of Melmore.
Richards had lost her three previous National Championship Finals – twice in the Junior Singles Championship and once the National Fours Championship.
Chestney and Richards reached the final thanks to victories in the semi-finals against Somerset’s Stef Branfield and Berkshire’s Morgan Merryweather respectively.
Results:
Quarter-Finals:
Stef Branfield (Clevedon, S’set) bt Brenda Whitehead (Norfolk BC, N’folk) 21-18;
Natalie Chestney (Kings, Devon) bt Donna Knight (Oxford City & County, Oxon) 21-16;
Morgan Merryweather (Island Bohemian, Berks) bt Lynne Metcalfe (Swinton, Yorks) 21-16;
Kirsty Richards (Kings Heath, Warks) bt Sophie Tolchard (Kings, Devon) 21-20;
Semi-Finals:
Natalie Chestney (Kings, Devon) bt Stef Branfield (Clevedon, S’set) 21-13;
Kirsty Richards (Kings Heath, Warks) bt Morgan Merryweather (Island Bohemian, Berks) 21-10;
Final:
Kirsty Richards (Kings Heath, Warks) bt Natalie Chestney (Kings, Devon) 21-20;
JUNIOR SINGLES
Suffolk’s Katherine Rednall won the Women’s National Junior Singles Championship, supported by Lynn Pearson in memory of her mother Eileen Pearson.
Rednall, from Felixstowe & Suffolk BC, defeated Stevens, from Newton Abbot BC in the final.
Earlier, Rednall and Stevens reached the final with impressive victories in the semi-finals against Sussex’s Alice Phillimore and Northamptonshire’s Katie Smith respectively.
Results:
Quarter-Finals:
Katherine Rednall (Felixstowe & Suffolk, S’folk) bt Rebecca McMillan (St Andrews, S’set) 21-19;
Alice Phillimore (Polegrove, S’sex) bt Rebecca Cresswell (Poole Park, D’set) 21-20;
Harriet Stevens (Newton Abbot, Devon) bt Ruby Hill (Royal Mail Cart, Lincs) 21-15;
Katie Smith (Desborough Town, N’hants) bt Laura Holden (Clevedon, S’set) 21-19;
Semi-Finals:
Katherine Rednall (Felixstowe & Suffolk, S’folk) bt Alice Phillimore (Polegrove, S’sex) 21-3;
Harriet Stevens (Newton Abbot, Devon) bt Katie Smith (Desborough Town, N’hants) 21-10;
Final:
Katherine Rednall (Felixstowe & Suffolk, S’folk) bt Harriet Stevens (Newton Abbot, Devon) 21-18;
CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS
Cambridgeshire’s Ellen Falkner has triumphed for the first time in the Women’s Champion of Champions, sponsored by Sutton Winson Insurance and Risk Managers.
Falkner, who previously reached the final in 2002, defeated Somerset’s Kirsty Hembrow 21-13 in the final.
Falkner, however, came through a very tight encounter against junior international Nicole Rogers from Hampshire, eventually securing a 21-20 scoreline.
Hembrow trailed Gloucestershire’s Rita Gerry 8-10 earlier today in the semi-final, however collected shots on the next six ends to secure a 21-10 victory.
Results:
Semi-Finals:
Kirsty Hembrow (Somerset) bt Rita Gerry (Gloucestershire) 21-10;
Ellen Falkner (Cambridgeshire) bt Nicole Rogers (Hampshire) 21-20
Final:
Ellen Falkner (Cambridgeshire) bt Kirsty Hembrow (Somerset) 21-13
SENIOR SINGLES
Northamptonshire’s Jenny Dempsey, from Higham Ferrers BC, won the Women’s Senior Singles Competition, supported by the Friends of English Bowling.
Dempsey, on her first ever qualification to the National Championships, defeated Essex’s Brenda Bowyer 21-17 in the final.
She also came through two tough encounters against Gloucestershire’s Lindsay Collin (21-16) in the quarter-final and Derbyshire’s Elaine Haddon-Holmes (21-15) in the semi-final.
Bowyer reached the final with victories over Leicestershire’s Carol Dixon (21-13) in the quarter-final and a comprehensive 21-4 win against Surrey’s Sheila Seddon in the semi-final.
Results:
Quarter-Finals:
Jenny Dempsey (N’hants) bt Lindsay Collin (Glos) 21-16;
Elaine Haddon-Holmes (Derbys) bt Moira Self (S’folk) 21-11;
Sheila Seddon (Surrey) bt Elizabeth Russell (Hants) 21-13;
Brenda Bowyer (Essex) bt Carol Dixon (Leics) 21-13.
Semi-Finals:
Jenny Dempsey (N’hants) bt Elaine Haddon-Holmes (Derbys) 21-15;
Brenda Bowyer (Essex) bt Sheila Seddon (Surrey) 21-4
Final:
Jenny Dempsey (N’hants) bt Brenda Bowyer (Essex) 21-17
TWO WOOD SINGLES
Leicestershire’s Jamie-Lea Winch won the Bowls England Women’s National Two-Wood Singles Championship, supported by the Friends of English Bowling.
Winch defeated Devon’s Sophie Tolchard in the final at Victoria Park, Royal Leamington Spa, to take the crown. Winch and Tolchard defeated Somerset’s Marilyn Gozna and Buckinghamshire’s Mary Price respectively in the semi-finals.
Results:
Semi-Finals:
J Winch (Kingscroft, Leics) bt M Gozna (Portishead RBL, S’set) 15-6;
S Tolchard (Kings, Devon) bt M Price (Burnham, Bucks) 18-3;
Final:
J Winch (Kingscroft, Leics) bt S Tolchard (Kings, Devon) 16-10;
PAIRS
Cambridgeshire’s Sue Alexander and Ellen Falkner won the Bowls England Women’s National Pairs Championship, sponsored by Sporting Highlights.
The Cambridgeshire duo defeated Wiltshire’s Sue Cooke and Alex Jacobs to take the title.
Results:
Semi-Finals:
Littleport, Cambs (E Falkner) bt Parkway, Hunts (P Reynolds) 23-19;
Box, Wilts (A Jacobs) bt Wigton, Cumb (C Baxter) 20-15
Final:
Littleport, Cambs (E Falkner) bt Box, Wilts (A Jacobs) 24-8
TRIPLES
Wiltshire’s Chris Mitchell, Julie Jones and Alison Fail won the Bowls England Women’s National Triples Championship, supported by the Friends of English Bowling.
The Purton BC trio claimed the crown after a thrilling 19-18 victory against Terrie Wombell, Liz Munro and Janet Eames from Dukeries BC in Nottinghamshire in the final, with Fail winning the title with the final bowl of the match.
Earlier in the semi-finals Wiltshire scored singles on the last two ends to defeat Cumbria’s Jeanette Bell, Penny Peile and Carol Baxter 17-15, whilst Nottinghamshire scored three shots on the last end to secure a 21-20 victory against Kent’s Sue Tutton, Barbara Emson and Jackie Amess.
Results:
Semi-Finals:
Purton, Wilts (A Fail) bt Wigton, Cumb (C Baxter) 17-15;
Dukeries, Notts (J Eames) bt Hesketh Park, Kent (J Amess) 21-20;
Final:
Purton, Wilts (A Fail) bt Dukeries, Notts (J Eames) 19-18;
FOURS
Cathy Taylor, Nadine Mullins, Jean Staples and Ann Halliday from Cambridge Park have won the Women’s National Fours Championship, sponsored by Dorset Bowls Resort.
The Middlesex quartet defeated Surrey’s Dee Moores, Elizabeth Anderson, Shan Maylin and Debbie Souter from Southey BC, Surrey 19-14.
The Cambridge Park rink have previously reached the quarter finals of the Women’s Fours Championship in 2010 and the Semi-Final in 2012.
Earlier in the day, they defeated Cambridgeshire’s Linda Churchman, Sue Alexander, Cheryl Salisbury and Ellen Falkner from Littleport BC 22-16 in the semi-final.
Moores, Anderson, Maylin and Souter defeated Lincolnshire’s Sheila Plaskett, Di Wilson Rogers, Louise Catchpole and Penny Strong from Dunholme BC 23-14 to reach the final.
Results:
Semi-Finals:
Cambridge Park, M’sex (A Halliday) bt Littleport, Cambs (E Falkner) 22-16;
Southey, Surrey (D Souter) bt Dunholme, Lincs (P Strong) 23-14
Final:
Cambridge Park, M’sex (A Halliday) bt Southey, Surrey (D Souter) 19-14
WALKER CUP
Somerset won the Walker Cup for the fifth time, after defeating Kent 39-37 in the final.
In a tight affair, Kent led for the majority of the match, however Kirsty Hembrow’s Somerset rink collected a count of six on the 20th end to assist with a 21-19 rink win.
On the other rink, Stef Branfield’s Somerset quartet were held to an 18-18 draw against Wendy King’s Kent rink.
In the Semi-Finals, Somerset defeated holders Leicestershire 53-28, with Kent defeating Cumbria 52-24.
Somerset have previously won the Walker Cup in 1970, 1977, 1996 and 2008, with Kent still looking for their first success in the competition despite reaching the final on five occasions (1996, 2000, 2003 and 2006)
Results:
Semi-Finals:
Kent bt Cumbria 52-24 (Kent rinks first)
Emily Ferguson, Natalie Fox, Sandy Hazell and Wendy King bt Karen Westwood, Angela Hayton, Penny Peile and Jeanette Bell 25-12;
Imogen Jenner, Olivia Moulton, Jane Cogle and Sian Honnor bt Nora Newton, Elsie Bell, Carol Baxter and Nicola Bowe 27-12
Somerset bt Leicestershire 53-28 (Somerset rinks first)
Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Gozna, Joan Walmsley and Kirsty Hembrow bt Jacquie Watson, Carol Dixon, Jennie Groves and Di Hurst 26-11;
Pauline Dando, Celia Whitmarsh, Elaine Amery, Stef Branfield bt Carole Inserra, Jan Everitt, Jamie-Lea Winch and Lynn Green 27-17
Final
Somerset bt Kent 39-37 (Somerset rinks first)
Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Gozna, Elaine Amery and Kirsty Hembrow bt Imogen Jenner, Olivia Moulton, Jane Cogle and Sian Honnor 21-19;
Rebecca McMillan, Celia Whitmarsh, Laura Holden, Stef Branfield drew with Emily Ferguson, Natalie Fox, Sandy Hazell and Wendy King 18-18
JUNIOR PAIRS
Berkshire’s Emma Cooper and Morgan Merryweather won the Women’s Junior Pairs Championship, sponsored by Marion Bushnell.
They defeated Warwickshire’s Michaela Sabin and Kirsty Richards 24-11 in the final.
Cooper and Merryweather defeated Hertfordshire’s Devon Cooper and Rachel Tremlett 14-13 in the semi-final, with Warwickshire’s Michaela Sabin and Kirsty Richards beating Devon’s Cassidy Lenton and Harriet Stevens.
Cooper has now won the Women’s Junior Pairs title on all four occasions that she has reached the final, including three titles whilst representing Sussex with Lorraine Kuhler.
Results:
Quarter-Final:
Berkshire (M Merryweather) bt Huntingdonshire (L Haynes) 28-7;
Hertfordshire (R Tremlett) bt Herefordshire (K Williams) 20-10;
Devon (H Stevens) bt Wiltshire (K Smith) 19-15;
Warwickshire (K Richards) bt Somerset (L Holden) 18-10
Semi-Final:
Berkshire (M Merryweather) bt Hertfordshire (R Tremlett) 14-13;
Warwickshire (K Richards) bt Devon (H Stevens) 19-14
Final:
Berkshire (M Merryweather) bt Warwickshire (K Richards) 24-11
SENIOR PAIRS
Hampshire’s Lesley Johnson and Margaret Holden won the Bowls England Women’s Senior Pairs Competition, supported by the Friends of English Bowling.
The Hampshire pair defeated Gloucestershire’s Rita Gerry and Julia Stannard 22-19 in the final.
Johnson and Holden started strong, leading 18-5 at 12 ends, but held off a strong second-half fightback from the Gloucestershire duo.
In this morning’s semi-finals Johnson and Holden defeated Jean Chudley and Jenny Dawson (Devon) 21-20 following an extra end.
Gerry and Stannard reached the final after an 18-9 victory against Berkshire’s Judy Bacon and Bev Wall.
Results:
Semi-Finals:
Lesley Johnson and Margaret Holden (Hants) bt Jean Chudley and Jenny Dawson (Devon) 21-20 (AEE)
Rita Gerry and Julia Stannard (Glos) bt Judy Bacon and Bev Wall (Berks) 18-9
Final:
Lesley Johnson and Margaret Holden (Hants) bt Rita Gerry and Julia Stannard (Glos) 22-19
JOHNS TROPHY
Kent won the Johns Trophy.
They defeated Norfolk in the final of the women’s inter-county championship, supported by the Friends of English Bowling, 128-114.
Results:
Semi-finals:
Kent bt Gloucestershire 152-100
Rink scores (Kent skips first): Ann Harrison bt Jeanette Scott 23-11; Eileen Simpson bt Rachel Hughes 35-6; Julie Parker lost to Joy Sheward 21-22; Jane Cogle bt Kay Gent 35-23; Wendy King drew with Lindsay Collin 18-18; Sian Honnor drew with Jacky Howes 20-20
Norfolk bt Lincolnshire 113-107
Rink scores (Norfolk skips first): Amy Barker lost to Olive Wells 19-25; Brenda Whitehead bt Jill Edson 24-15; Susan Curtis lost to Rena Markham 14-16; Christine Webb lost to Lin Mountain 16-17; Jackie Devitt bt Maureen Wilson 24-11; Jenny Kirby lost to Penny Strong 16-23
Final:
Kent bt Norfolk 128-114
Rink scores (Kent skips first): Jane Cogle lost to Christine Webb 13-17; Ann Harrison lost to Amy Barker 19-20; Sian Honnor bt Jenny Kirby 29-19; Wendy King bt Jackie Devitt 21-15; Eileen Simpson bt Brenda Whitehead 28-21; Julie Parker lost to Susan Curtis 18-22
