Andy Webb and Stuart Thompson retain Barry FitzPatrick Doubles title

It is usually held at Whitby, Barry’s club, but had to be re-arranged to Bay due to recent vandalism of Whitby’s green, writes David Muir.

In spite of poor weather 44 people entered meaning 12 unlucky pairs had to play preliminary round games.

The main competition was played with 5 on the card and the T&B with 10 on the card given the unpromising weather conditions.

The outstanding game here was a marathon between Tony & Mo Chambers (Castleford) and the home pairing of Marion Dudman & John Collinson who eventually eased to a 21-20 win.

The first game in the first round was an all-Whitby affair with Ian Hadden & Jo Leeman beating father and son Emmo & Josh Emmerson 21-17 to set up a game with Dukes Park pair Kevin Gates & Andy Deighton who beat Whitby’s Steve Charlesworth & Pete McCrory 21-17.

Whitby’s Paul Morgan & Geoff Watson, won 21-15 against North Cliff’s Ian Richardson & Nigel Trotter to earn the dubious privilege of facing holders Stuart Thompson (Pontefract) & Andy Webb (Alverthorpe) who had a 21-6 win against Joyce & Ian Harland (Whitby).

Hunmanby pair Phil Todd & Geoff Oldham beat home duo Peter Fewster & David Tolcher 21-10 while Amanda Hagen (Alverthorpe) & Jack Richardson (Hunmanby) eliminated Dudman & Collinson 21-10.

The quarter final line-up was completed when Keeny Wale & Sue Emmerson won another all-Whitby game against Kenny Rodgers & Geoff Leatherland 21-8 and Cliff’s Dave Moment & Alan Lee beat clubmates Justin Trotter & Adam Chilvers 21-13.

The first quarter-final saw Gates & Deighton recording a 21-17 win against Leeman & Hadden while Thompson & Webb demolished Morgan & Watson 21-6. Hagen & Richardson won 21-19 against Todd & Oldham to face Wale & Emmerson who had a 21-15 win over Moment & Lee.

Thompson & Webb were pushed a bit harder by Gates & Deighton but went through to the final with a 21-14 win to face Wale & Emmerson who had the tightest possible finish beating Hagen & Richardson 21-20.

The final started with Thompson & Webb taking an early lead which they never quite relinquished.

After 10 ends they led 15-11. Wale & Emmerson did stage something of a comeback at this point and after 16 ends were only one shot adrift at 17-16.

The West Yorkshire pair won the next 4 ends, each by a single point, to win 21-17 and retain the trophy, presented by the Association Chairman Emmo Emmerson.

The T&B was won by Pete Mcrory & Barrie Watson 21-13 against Whitby’s Josh Emmerson & Joyce Harland.

On Friday North Cliff hosted an Over-60s singles merit in very cold conditions.

This did not deter 20 bowlers from entering the competition where was played off scratch in the main competition and with 5 on the card in the consolation Tea & Biscuits (T&B) competition.

The four preliminary round games were all comfortable wins with three North Cliff bowlers, Judith Andrews, Ian Richardson and Ed McCormack going through along with Dukes Park’s Chris Dobson.

The first round started with home bowler Dave Moment having a close game with Mike Scott (Dukes Park) before going through to the quarter-finals 21-18 where he was joined by clubmate Robert Child and Hunmanby duo Harry Old and Phil Todd, who all had easy wins.

There was a rerun between two Watsons, Borough’s Barrie and Whitby’s Geoff which the Whitby player won 21-17. The game between Borough players Ronnie Noble and Brian Dalby was quite amazing. After 11 ends it looked as if Dalby was cruising with a 17-0 lead.

Noble then won 5 of the next 7 ends to make it 19-6 before rattling off a 15 break in the next 10 ends to gain an unexpected 21-19 win. In the other games Richardson beat Andrews 21-10 and McCormack beat Dobson 21-20.

The first two quarter-finals were close games with Todd beating Moment 21-20 and Child disposing of Old by 21-18. The other two saw Geoff Watson beat Noble 21-9 and Richardson win 21-14 against McCormack.

Todd then eliminated Child by 21-14 while Watson joined him in the final beating Richardson 21-16.

The final was ding-dong affair with Watson opening up an initial 7-0 lead after 4 ends.

The next 10 ends were shared with Watson leading 13-8 after 14 ends. Watson then proceeded to take 5 of the next 6 ends to open up a 19-9 lead after 20 ends.

As is so often the case the winning scores proved elusive as Todd won 7 of the next 8 ends to make the scores level at 20-20 only for Watson to finally register the win.

Alan Lee (North Cliff) beat Barrie Watson 21-17 in the T&B singles merit final.

The final started very evenly with the scores standing at 11-11 after 8 ends.

Lee then won six ends on the trot to take a lead of 18-11 only for Watson to score three 2s to pull the deficit to 18-17 only for Lee to take the next 2 ends to win 21-17.

This weekend there will be two merits, an Over-60s singles at Robin Hoods Bay, again re-arranged from Whitby because of the vandalism, on Friday and an open singles at Hunmanby on Sunday.

The main competitions start at 9am with the T&B starting at a convenient point.

Entry is, as usual, on the day so bowlers ideally need to be there by 8:55am to enable the draw to be made for a prompt start.

Anyone wanting to play in just the T&B should try to be there by about 11am to ensure they are entered in the draw.