Gates battles back to beat Landers in Eastfield Open Singles Sunday Merit

The first round opened with two big wins, Craig Bamford (Doncaster) beating Michelle Chamberlain (Hunmanby) 21-6 and Ian Richardson winning 21-5 against Ian Harland (Whitby).

Chris Dobson had a harder time against Mo Chambers (Castleford) but went through 21-17 to face David Hill who won an all-North Cliff game against Kevin Garside 21-15.

Tim Purcell beat Whitby clubmate Tommy Roberts 21-14 while Mary Kenworthy (Eastfield) won 21-11 against Mally Kay (North Cliff).

Andrew Walker (Bridlington Bay) had a narrow 21-20 win against home bowler Andy Tomlinson while Alan Landers eliminated Tony Chambers (Castleford) 21-16.

Kenny Wale (Whitby) won comfortably against Lill Barr (Borough) 21-10 and his clubmate Joyce Harland put Eastfield’s John Burton out 21-15.

Josh Emmerson (Whitby) just made it through with a 21-20 win over Adam Chilvers (North Cliff) for a game against Ronnie Noble who beat Larry Dixon 21-18.

Steve Shannon (Doncaster) won 21-12 against David Muir and Linda Armstrong (Pontefract) beat Bernard Chalk (Eastfield) 21-11.

Gary Thornton had a close, 21-19, in against Phil Todd (Hunmanby) to face a home bowler, Eileen Greenwood who beat Ian MacGregor (Bridlington Bay) 21-12.

Alan Boland eliminated Tony Allen 21-17 to face Jennie Allen who won 21-15 against Peter McCrory (Whitby).

Richard Johnson (Castleford) had a 21-16 win over Denise Dobson (Dukes Park) while Paul Morgan (North Cliff) crushed Stuart Thompson (Pontefract) 21-9.

Jade Johnson (Castleford) beat Les Craggs (unaffiliated) 21-11 and Craig Hoos (Whitby) winning a marathon game against Jim Barr (Borough) 21-20.

The second round opened with Steve Dover (Whitby) beating home bowler John Jarvis 21-17 to face Allison Roe (North Cliff) who won 21-11 against Sue Purcell.

Jackie Fraser (Doncaster) had a big win, 21-9, against Keith David (Dukes Park) but Judith Andrews (North Cliff) pushed Kevin Gates (Dukes Park) hard before going down 21-19.

Ashley Brunton-Douglas has a good 21-14 win against David Knights (Doncaster) to set up a game against Bamford who had a comfortable 21-11 win over Ian Richardson.

Chris Dobson also cruised through winning 21-9 against Hill while Tim Purcell disposed of Kenworthy 21-12.

Landers destroyed Walker 21-5 but Joyce Harland gave Wale a hard time before losing 21-17.

Neither Emmerson nor Shannon was really troubled, the former beating Noble 21-10 and the latter again winning 21-12, this time against Armstrong.

Thornton also won 21-12 against Greenwood while Jennie Allen beat Bland comfortably, 21-11.

Morgan won 21-18 against Richard Johnson and Hoos won another marathon 21-20 against Jade Johnson.

Roe won the first game of the third round 21-19 against Dover to face Gates who beat Fraser 21-15.

Bamford went through 21-14 against Brunton-Douglas for a game against Chris Dobson who had an easy 21-9 win over Tim Purcell.

Landers also won comfortably, 21-11, against Wale but Emmerson had a harder time against Shannon winning 21-19.

The quarter final line-up was completed when Thornton cruised past Jennie Allen 21-8 and Morgan beat Hoos 21-16.

Roe’s good run came to an end when Gates won a hard-fought game 21-18 for a semi-final against Dobson who had a 21-10 win against Bamford.

Landers beat Emmerson 21-17 while Thornton won by that score against Morgan to set up a repeat of Friday’s final.

Gates made his way into the final with a 21-14 win over Dobson while Landers reversed Friday’s result with a 21-11 win against Thornton.

The final was played in gathering darkness but still produced good bowling.

Landers took an early 13-9 lead by winning the first two ends only for Gates to take the next four ends to lead 15-13 after 6 ends.

Landers then won the 7th end to level only for Gates to win the next end to restore his two-point lead. Landers then won the next 3 ends to lead 18-17 after 11 ends.

The next two ends were shared putting Landers with a 19-18 lead only for Gates to take the next 2 ends for a 21-19 win.