Geoff Price fights back to see off Gary Thornton in Westgate crown green bowls Over-60s Singles Merit final thriller

The entry was respectable with 22 bowlers turning up for the main competition and with two greens available it was possible to play the main competition on one with three on the card throughout and just four jacks used, writes David Muir.

The overnight rain meant the green was very heavy; conditions that favour some bowlers more than others.

The six preliminary round games did not produce any surprises but possibly the stand-out game saw Phil Todd (Hunmanby) beat Chris Dobson (Dukes Park) 21-18.

In the first round Tony Allen (Hunmanby) had a 21-18 win against home bowler Dave Bradley. This was also the score when Ronnie Noble (Borough) beat Alan Boland (Whitby) and when Denis O’Neill (Dukes Pk) eliminated another Whitby player, Geoff Watson.

Todd also had a close win, 21-19 this time against another home player, Larry Dixon.

In the first quarter-final Judith Andrews (North Cliff) had a 21-14 win against Allen while Gary Thornton (Borough) had a very comfortable 21-8 win against Sue Green (Whitby). Noble had an even more emphatic 21-5 win to end O’Neill’s interest and set up a semi-final against Geoff Price (Dukes Pk) who beat Todd 21-14.

The semis were tight affairs, both ended 21-19 and featured a comeback by one of the players. In the first Thornton eventually won but was made to fight for the last two or three scores as Andrews made a recovery from being about 10 behind.

In the other, Noble was leading for much of the game only for Price to eventually get his game together and ease his way over the winning line.

The final was another close affair that started out at 8-8 after eight ends.

At this point Price won six ends in succession to lead 15-8 only for Thornton to win the next five ends to make it 15-14. Price then won an end before Thornton won the next four to stand on the edge of victory at 21-16.

The final winning score proved elusive and Price repeated his semi-final display to win the next four ends and take the game and the competition by 21-20.

Next weekend, weather permitting, sees a Friday Over-60s singles competition at Robin Hood’s Bay while on Sunday there is an Open Singles merit at Dukes Park.

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

Entry for both is 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.