Chelsea Tomlin continued her impressive season by becoming the ladies’ national two bowl singles champion for the first time last week.
Nottingham hosted the national finals on Monday and Tuesday, with Spalding Indoor Bowls Club represented by the all-conquering Tomlin and team-mate Stephen Harris.
Tomlin comfortably beat Dolphin’s Julie Leake (21-13) and fellow senior international Wendy King, from Swale (21-12), in the last 16 and quarter-finals respectively.
That set-up a semi-finals consisting of four young ladies, with the eldest player being 30-year-old Danielle Martinson (Hornsea).
The other semi-finalists were Devon Cooper (17) from Riverain, Rebecca Moorbey (19) from St Neots and Tomlin (25), which really proves that bowls does appeal to the younger generation.
In the semi final, Tomlin faced Moorbey and opened up a comfortable 18-13 lead with seemingly one foot in the final.
Moorbey bounced back well to lead 20-18, before Tomlin held herself together to win 21-20 and secure her place in the final.
The other last four clash saw Cooper comfortably beat Martinson 21-3.
Given the high standard of the two young ladies, there was nothing to suggest that the final would be a runaway affair.
However, Tomlin started exceptionally well before Cooper came back to only trail by two shots at 14-12.
Tomlin had other ideas as she showed her class to not allow Cooper score again and eventually win 21-12 and secure the title.
In the men’s event, Harris beat fellow under-25 international Harry Goodwin from Plymouth in the last 16, 21-14, before losing to current senior international and national champion of champions winner, Martin Puckett (Dorchester) 21-12 in the quarter-final.
Puckett eventually lost 21-17 in the final to world number six Nicky Brett.
There was no rest for Tomlin in the evening, as she paired up with Lauren Finbow (sub for Ruby Hill due to work commitments) in the ladies’ pairs.
In the last 32, the Spalding duo played Susan Kearsley and Janice Gower from Blackpool Newton Hall.
In a close encounter, Finbow and Tomlin won 17-15 to set up a last 16 clash with Denise Latter and Marion Richards (Arun).
After a 16-13 win in the last 16, this set up a mouth-watering quarter-final against Norfolk’s Rebecca Willgress and Katherine Rednall, both of whom have won the ladies’ world singles in recent history.
This proved to be a game too far for the Spalding girls, as Willgress and Rednall won 9-17. The Norfolk duo eventually lost in the final 14-12 to Westlecot against sisters Katy and Lucy Smith.
The last event at Nottingham was the blue riband event of the national four bowl singles.
Spalding’s representatives were Tomlin, in the ladies’ event, and Matt Whyers in the men’s.
Tomlin came up against Dolphin’s Leake, who got her revenge with a 19-21 win after Tomlin beat her in the last 16 on her way to winning the two bowl singles title.
In the men’s event, Whyers had fantastic wins against former men’s world singles champion Andy Thomson MBE from Kent (21-14) in the last 16 and current under-25 international, Glenn Williams from Riverain (21-19) in the quarter-final, before losing to fellow senior international David Bolt (South Shields) 21-9 in the semi-final.
Bolt lost 21-8 to Welford-on-Avon’s Andrew Walters in the final.
- Saturday saw a number of players from Spalding IBC compete at the county semi-finals, which took place at Horncastle.
The first person to book his place in the final was Kevin Ekins in the men’s singles after he beat Lincoln’s Kevin Rands 21-19.
Ekins will play either Spalding’s Graham Smith, or Boston’s Jonathan West, which is being played at a later date.
In the men’s triples, Whyers, Martin Spencer and Smith secured a comfortable 24-8 win against Lee Boucher, Keith Jackman and Paul Bark from the host club. The
Spalding trio will play a rink from Scunthorpe, skipped by Phil Parker, in the final.
In the men’s fours, Spalding played Lincoln in both semi-finals. In the first fixture Spalding’s David Staples, Nick Wilkie, Maurice Elding and John Needham beat Sam
Ashton, Ryan Jackson, Dennis Skayman and Richard Ashton 19-16.
However, Spalding’s reigning British Isles fours champions, Whyers, Smith, Spencer and Mathew Orrey, found their opposition, skipped by Lincoln’s Billy Jackson, in top form and eventually conceded at 6-19.
In the sets singles, Spalding are again well represented in both semi-finals.
Smith beat Sleaford’s Paul Roberts in straight sets (4-3, 7-5), while Spencer is due to play Lincoln’s Sam Ashton in the other last four clash.
However, the remainder of Spalding’s representatives ended up disappointed
In the over-60s singles, John Needham lost 7-20 against Lincoln’s George Draper, while Spencer and Tomlin lost 21-13 against Gloria Davies and David Bristow from Sleaford in the mixed pairs.
In the men’s pairs, due to Whyers excellent run in the national singles at Nottingham, his pairs match with Jordan Philpott against a pairing from Louth will also be played at a later date.
In the ladies’ events – which took place at Sleaford the week before – Spalding were successful in the semi-final of the ladies pairs.
Val Bowker (sub for Ruby Hill) and Chelsea Tomlin who 25-20 against a pairing skipped by Stamford’s Christine Ford.
Other fixtures still to be played are in the ladies’ singles, where Hill and Tomlin contest opposite semi-finals, while Hill, Tomlin, Danielle Wild and Finbow remain in the ladies’ under-25 singles.
The joint men’s and ladies’ county finals will take place at Boston IBC on Sunday, April 28.
- Spalding IBC’s mixed league team finished the season with a victory at Skegess, winning 14-4 on points and 106-88 on aggregate.
The top winning rink was skipped by Maurice Elding, with Gill Haydon, June Taylor and Mick Dolton, who won 24-14.
An excellent campaign will likely see Spalding come second behind Louth, with some other fixtures in the division still be to played.
Rink scores: Maurice Elding – 24-14; Pete Ridley – 25-15; John Needham – 21-17; Graham Wright – 19-20; Mick Jennings – 17-22.
