North Cliff Doubles Merit success for Harry Old and Nigel Trotter
Friday was a mainly sunny, but breezy, day for North Cliff’s Over-60s Doubles Merit.
There were 40 entrants and all games were played off scratch.
In the preliminary round the home pairing of Pam Moment & Greg Long had a close 21-19 win against Borough duo Ronnie Noble & Pauline Allison, and another Borough pair, Rita & Tony Bland went out 21-13 to Geoff Oldham & Phil Todd (Hunmanby).
Whitby’s Steve Dover & Geoff Watson won 21-12 against Graham & Ros Bland (Sheffield) to face Billy & Sue Holdsworth (Hunmanby) who were pressed by home pairing Mally Kay & Ed McCormack but eventually won 21-18.
Home pair, Alan Landers & Ian Richardson, opened the first round with a comfortable 21-9 win against Barrie Watson & Gary Thornton (Borough) to face Jo Leeman (Whitby) & Robert Child (North Cliff) who won 21-5 against Brian Dalby (Borough) & Sue Purcell (Whitby).
Chris Dobson (Dukes Park) & Tim Purcell (Whitby) went one better beating Eastfield’s Ashley Brunton-Douglas & David Muir 21-4 while in an all-Borough game Les Ramm & Shaughan Temple won 21-12 against Jim & Lil Barr.
Home pairing, Judith Andrews & David Hill cruised past Brid Bay’s Dave Wright & Ian Winning 21-6 for a game against Harry Old (Hunmanby) & Nigel Trotter (North Cliff) who beat Alan Lee & Dave Moment (North Cliff) 21-16.
Oldham & Todd made it through 21-18 against Long & Pam Moment to set up a game against the Holdsworths who beat Dover & Geoff Watson 21-14.
Landers & Richardson won the first quarter-final against Leem & Child 21-16 to face Dobson & Tim Purcell who beat Ramm & Temple 21-17.
Old & Trotter brushed Andrews & Hill aside 21-7 while the Holdsworths beat clubmates Oldham & Todd 21-8. Landers & Richardson progressed to the final with a 21-15 win over Dobson & Purcell to face Old & Trotter who beat the Holdsworths 21-14.
After losing the first 2 ends Old & Trotter established a 6-2 lead in the final only for Landers & Richardson to level at 8-8 after 12 ends.
Landers & Richardson went 13-8 up only for Old & Trotter to level with a 4 and a 1.
The next 2 ends saw Landers & Richardson go to 17-13 up before Old & Trotter won the next 3 ends for a 19-17 lead after 24 ends.
Landers & Richardson levelled again but two singles saw Old & Trotter net a 21-19 win.