Players from South Holland were in dominant form at the county bowls finals over the weekend.
On Saturday at Cleethorpes BC, Graham Smith (subbing for Simon Lilley) and Jordan Philpott from Royal Mail Cart BC, played in the pairs.
In the semi-final, they played against the 2019 county champions, father and son duo, Rod and Jonathan West from Boston.
The Mail Cart pair got off to a great start, soon racing into a 9-1 lead. They were always in control and never looked back to run out comfortable winners 22-12.
This set up a final clash with Alan Dent Jnr and Dave Cullum from Cleethorpes.
This was always going to be a tough game playing against their opposition on their own green, which proved to be the case as Smith and Philpott went 7-0 down early on.
However, playing some excellent bowls of their own, the match soon turned on its head as Smith and Philpott won 22-15 to become county champions.
Also in action on Saturday was Andy Dunham, from Carter’s Park BC, in the two bowl singles. He received a bye into the final after his semi-final opponent tested positive for COVID-19.
Awaiting in the final was James Staples (Shires BC).
Dunham took a narrow early lead, but Staples stayed with him early on before the Holbeach ace strung together a few really good ends to secure a 17-7 win.
On Sunday, 23-year-old Philpott continued his excellent form to claim the under-25 singles county title at Shires BC.
In the semi-final, he faced Nathan Dunnington from Boston. In what proved to be a tough game against a steady player on the day, a close game saw Philpott win 21-16 to set up a final clash with home favourite Staples.
Philpott stamped his authority from the outset, not letting his opposition settle into the game and soon ran out a comfortable 21-2 winner.
Next up to secure a county title were Nigel Brown, Steve Hill, John Allen and Paul Caress from Royal Mail Cart BC in the over-55 fours.
In the semi-final, they secured a comfortable 20-10 win against their opposition from Sleaford. In the final, they played a set skipped by Andrew Bennett from Shires.
The Royal Mail Cart foursome started the game well and raced into an 8-2 lead before being pegged back to 8-8 with only four ends to play.
Some excellent bowls from Caress and his team saw them pick up nine shots in only two ends to go 17-8 up and seemingly have one hand on the trophy.
The team from the host club had other ideas, picking up six shots on the penultimate end to go into the last end only three behind.
However, Brown, Hill, Allen and Caress consolidated well to only drop two shots and win the match 17-16.
Finally, the day was complete as Martin Spencer, also from Royal Mail Cart BC, won the county four bowl singles for the first time.
In the semi-final, he played losing fours finalist Bennett from Shires.
This potentially could have been a tough game playing against Bennett on his own green however, despite a nervy first few ends where Spencer went 6-2 behind, he fought back well to win comfortably 21-8 and set up a final against Colin Barks from St Giles in Lincoln.
Spencer found his opposition in top form early on as Barks raced in to a 7-2 lead. However, Spencer soon got a foothold into the game and after going in front at 10-9, never looked back to win 21-13 and lift the county singles title.
This is the first time someone from Royal Mail Cart has won the county four bowl singles since Graham Smith back in 1996.
All county champions now advance to represent Lincolnshire in the national finals at Leamington Spa, held between August 19 and September 5.
