Deighton and Gates grab glory in Eastfield Double Merit hosted by Borough

Round One saw a “home derby” with Tony & Rita Bland winning 12-10 against Brian & Ruth Dalby while Alan Landers & Allison Roe (North Cliff) had a surprisingly comfortable win against strong Dukes Park pair Chris & Denise Dobson.

Richard Jackson (Thongsbridge) & Amanda Hagen (Alverthorpe) won 21-20 against Ian Richardson (N Cliff) & Jennie Allen (Hunmanby) to face Scott Wardman (N Cliff) & Jo Gates (Borough) who beat strong pairing Danny Cooper (N Cliff) & Lisa Watson (Hunmanby) 21-16.

The youngest pairing, both still in their teens, Callum Malone (North Cliff) & Alix Stallard (Hunmanby), had a fine 21-18 win over Bernard Chalk & Mary Kenworthy (both Westgate) while Bridlington Bay’s Andrew Walker & Lynne Humpleby pushed Robert Child (N Cliff) & Sue Wilkinson (Borough) before the latter eventually prevailed by 21-19.

In the second round the Blands won 21-12 against Peter & Daphne Fewster (Robin Hood’s Bay) who had had to wait nearly three hours for their first game having been given the single bye. Their reward was a game against the strong Whitby duo Ian Hadden & Jo Leeman who crushed Landers & Roe 21-8. Wardman & Jo Gates had a fine 21-16 win against Jackson & Hagen while another strong pairing, Kevin Gates (Dukes Park) & Pam Watson (Hunmanby) beat Malone & Stallard 21-11.

Child & Wilkinson won 21-14 against Whitby pair Tommy Roberts & Joyce Harland while Andy Deighton & Katie Gates (both Dukes Park) won 21-15 against another Whitby couple, Tim & Sue Purcell. Tony & Mo Chambers (both Castleford) won a West Yorkshire derby against Pontefract’s Stuart Thompson & Julie Tams 21-16 to face Dukes Park’s Geoff Price & Nadine Smyth who won 21-15 against Eastfield’s Ashley Brunton-Douglas & Eileen Greenwood.

Hadden & Leeman proved far too string for the Blands winning 21-11 while Kevin Gates & Watson won 21-13 against Wardman & Jo Gates. Deighton & Katie Gates had a 21-9 win against Child & Wilkinson to face the Chambers who won 21-13 against Price & Smyth.

The semi-finals were a contrast, Hadden & Leeman cruising through 21-9 against Kevin Gates & Watson while the Chambers took Deighton & Katie Gates to 21-17

The final started out quite cagily with Deighton & Gates 7-5 up after 4 ends. They won four successive ends to lead 13-5 before Hadden & Leeman pulled 2 back in 2 ends to trail 13-7 after 10 ends.

A single to Deighton & Gates was followed by a 2 and a 1 to Hadden & Leeman to make it 14-10 after 13 ends.

The Park duo then scored a 2 and a 3 to make it 21-19. Hadden & Leeman did score a single but a 2 for Deighton & Gates was enough to take the trophy, presented by Eastfield’s Merit Secretary David Muir.

On Saturday there will be the fifth Junior Gambart Baines for the Roger Crowther Cup, open to bowlers under the age of 18 on the day of the competition, at Whitby, 10am start.

Entries are still open and the prize money is generous.

On Sunday there is an Open Singles Merit at Dukes Park, entries to their merit secretary.