Landers wins first Winter Over-60s Merit of 2026

The first round of the main competition saw the usual mixture of close games and comfortable wins. In the first two games Bernard Chalk (Brid Bay) won 21-16 against Judith Andrews (North Cliff) to face Jo Leeman (Whitby) who had a 21-17 win against home bowler Alan Kynaston.

Joyce Ellis (North Cliff) won 21-10 against Kath Muckley (Hunmanby) to face Dave Wright (Westgate) who cruised through 21-13 against Ashley Brunton-Douglas (Eastfield).

Tim Purcell (Whitby) also won comfortably, 21-11, against Malcolm Dobson (Hunmanby) his “reward” being a game against Alan Landers (North Cliff) who crushed Brian Dalby (Borough) 21-4.

Gary Thornton (Borough) was pressed by Mike Scott (Dukes Park) but eventually prevailed 21-19 to face Robert Child (North Cliff) who also had a close win, 21-18 against Mary Kenworthy (Bridlington Bay).

Chris Dobson (Dukes Park) had an easier time winning 21-14 against Jennie Allen (Hunmanby) while David Hill (North Cliff) eliminated Larry Dixon (Westgate (21-16).

The final two games of the round saw David Muir (Eastfield) come from being behind to win 21-15 against Steve Dover (Whitby) and Dover’s clubmate Geoff Watson demolishing Keith Davis (Westgate) 21-7.

In the two games where players had byes to the second round Barrie Watson (Borough) also had an emphatic win, this time 21-8, against home bowler Tom Muckley while Ian Richardson fought out a long game before winning 21-14 against Tony Allen (Hunmanby).

Leeman won 21-18 against Chalk to set up a game against Ellis who beat Wright 21-16.

In the bottom half of the draw Landers beat Purcell 21-18 to face his clubmate Child who recorded the same score against Thornton.

Dobson brushed Hill aside by 21-6 while Geoff Watson came through 21-14 in a game that was rather more competitive than the score suggests.

In the first quarter-final Richardson won 21-14 against Barrie Watson while Ellis won 21-16 against Leeman.

In the bottom half of the draw Landers won the all-North Cliff game against Child 21-17 to face Dobson who beat Geoff Watson 21-15.

In the all-North Cliff first semi-final Richardson was too strong for Ellis winning 21-14 while Landers continued his fine run of form since his retirement beating Dobson 21-7.

The final was a closely contested one with Landers just taking an early lead, 10-9, after 9 ends.

He then extended this to 13-11 after 13 ends before Richardson took the lead for the first time at 14-13 after 16 ends.

Landers equalised but Richardson then scored a 2 to lead 16-14. Landers then won 3 ends to lead 17-16 before Richardson drew level again.

Three singles saw Landers leading 20-17 after 25 ends only for Richardson to pull another back before Landers closed things out at 21-18.

In the T&B Steve Dover & Geoff Oldham (Hunmanby) beat Phil Todd (Hunmanby) & Mike Scott 21-20 in a thrilling final.