Steve Hill, Harry Mycock, Dominic McVittie and Martin Spencer represented Lincolnshire in the men’s fours national championships held at Leamington Spa on August 19-22.
The quartet, from Royal Mail Cart Bowls Club, won through six rounds during the season to become county champions and be Lincolnshire’s representatives at the national championships, where they proved to be extremely successful.
In the last 64, Hill, Mycock, McVittie and Spencer were handed a tough match skipped by current England international Perry Martin from Hampshire.
The team from Spalding started well and held off a late fightback to win 20-14.
In the last 32 and last 16, they beat representatives from Hertfordshire and Suffolk, both 15-14 before setting up a quarter-final clash with McVittie’s former Lancashire teammates.
After dropping a three on the first end, Hill, Mycock, McVittie and Spencer went on a run of 4, 4, 1, 3 to lead 12-3 after five ends.
The lead roughly stayed the same throughout the match as they booked their place in the semi-final with a 20-11 win.
In the semi-final, a team from Middlesex awaited who travelled with several supporters so the crowd were certainly against the Lincolnshire quartet.
Middlesex went into the last end 14-13 up however, Hill, Mycock, McVittie and Spencer played an excellent last end to score three shots, win 16-14 and book their place in the final.
The final was an eagerly anticipated affair against Nick Wardle, Jonathan Green, Chris Moore and Joe Dawson from Leicestershire.
Wardle and Dawson had won the men’s national pairs earlier in the championships, so the Spalding team knew they needed to be on top form.
Although some people were able to travel to Leamington Spa to support, the match was live streamed via Bowls TV so Hill, Mycock, McVittie and Spencer knew they had plenty of people behind them.
As expected, the final was very tense, and the lead changed hands on several occasions.
The team opened up a 15-10 lead at 14 ends and went into the last end 16-13 up.
After a nail biting final end, the Spalding team picked up two shots, won 18-13 and lifted the national fours trophy for the first time.
It is the first time Lincolnshire have lifted the title since 1972 and a team from Royal Mail Cart were runners up in 1971.
It was made extra special for 19-year-old Mycock and McVittie as they won their first individual national titles, and Hill and Spencer added to their collection after winning the national pairs back in 2017.
Hill, Mycock, McVittie and Spencer will now represent England at the British Isles Championships in June 2024.
Earlier at the national championships, there was further success for Lincolnshire as Annie Dunham, who plays for Carters Park Bowls Club in Holbeach, won the ladies national champion of champions title.
Dunham breezed through the field with ease as she beat Mattea Ross from Northumberland 21-9, Ella Baker from Suffolk in the quarter final 21-13 and Anne Bernard from Isle of Wight in the semi-final 21-12.
This set up a final against Dorset’s Donna Rock. By this time, Dunham was in top form and started exceptionally well before winning the final comfortably, 21-5 and lifted the national champion of champions title for the first time.
By lifting the title, it actually set up a unique family double as her husband Scott lifted the men’s version of the competition back in 2013.
