Steve Lonnia grabs glory after Borough Tyne Cup final thriller

The day was sunny and warm and there were 64 bowlers in the draw but a late withdrawal reduced this to 63. First round games were played with 4 on the card, rising to 5 for the second round and 6 from the third round.

In the first round Jo Leeman opened with a 21-8 win against Colin Rodda (Borough) while Derk Dale (Bridlington Bay) beat Ray Leeman (Whitby) 21-17.

Gary Thornton also won 21-8 against Caroline Watson to face Paul Morgan (North Cliff) who won 21-12 against home bowler Pauline Allison.

Shaughan Temple (Borough) beat Sue Purcell 21-13 and Phil Todd won 21-16 against Ashley Brunton-Douglas. Lynn Gates (Borough had a gig 21-6 win against Ian Hadden (Whitby) for a game against Judith Andrews (North Cliff) who had the late bye. Kevin Gates (Dukes Park) won 21-13 against David Knights (Sheffield) to face another Sheffield bowler, Steve Lonnia, who just made it through 21-20 against Geoff Watson (Whitby).

Richard Jackson (Thongsbridge) beat Allison Roe 21-14 and Brian Dalby (Borough) won 21-18 against Andrew Walker (Bridlington Bay).

Jim Barr beat Borough clubmate Rita Bland 21-12 for a game against Tony Chambers (Castleford) who disposed of Tommy Roberts 21-8.

Simon Walker won an all-Borough game against Les Ramm 21-13 and Mo Chambers (Castleford) beat Jo Gates (Borough) 21-18.

David Hill beat his North Cliff clubmate Pam Moment 21-15 and Barrie Watson had a fine 21-18 win against Stuart Thompson (Pontefract).

Kenny Wale beat Lill Barr (Borough) 21-13 to face Robert Child who won an all-North Cliff affair against Richard Gowan 21-17.

By the vagaries of random draws Joyce Harland faced her son Ian (Whitby) and won 21-9 to face Emmo Emmerson who beat her other son Peter (Whitby) also 21-9.

Tony Bland had a good 21-14 win against Tim Purcell and set up a game against Dave Moment who destroyed Linda Armstrong (Pontefract) 21-5. Alan Landers was almost as ruthless with a 21-6 win against Sue Emmerson (Whitby) and Andy Webb (Alverthorpe) beat Mally Kay 21-11.

Steve Price won 21-16 against Larry Dixon only to face his partner from Friday, Dave Pryce, who won 21-8 against Mel Dale (Bridlington Bay).

The next two games were close with Ronnie Noble winning 21-19 against Adam Chilvers (North Cliff) and David Muir nearly pulling off a surprise against Andy Adamson (Borough) before going down 21-18.

The final games of the round saw Ian Richardson winning 21-16 against Ian Winning (Bridlington Bay) and Steve Dover winning an all-Whitby game against Josh Emmerson 21-15.

The second round opened with Jo Leeman beating Derek Dale 21-11 and Morgan winning 21-15 against Thornton.

Temple won 21-17 against Todd to face hclubmate Lynn Gates who beat Andrews 21-12. Lonnia won 21-18 against Kevin Gates and this score was repeated when Dalby eliminated Jackson.

Tony Chambers scraped through 21-20 against Jim Barr and Simon Walker cruising through against Mo Chambers 21-9.

Barrie Watson had a comfortable 21-10 win against Hill to face Wale who went through 21-14 against Child.

Joyce Harland won a close game against Emm Emmerson 21-19 to face Tony Bland who had an even closer win, 21-20, against Dave Moment.

Webb beat Landers 21-17 to face Pryce who beat his near namesake Price 21-16. Finally Adamson beat Noble 21-15 and Dover won 21-20 against Richardson.

Jo Leeman had a good win to open the third round beating Morgan 21-18 and Temple won against clubmate Lynn Gates 21-15.

Lonnia progressed with a 21-14 win over Dalby to face Simon Walker who put Tony Chambers out 21-14.

Barrie Watson won 21-19 against Wale and Joyce Harland beat Tiny Bland 21-18.

Pryce won 21-19 against Webb to face another clubmate Adamson who eliminated Dover 21-13.

In the first quarter final Leeman ended Temple’s run with a 21-17 win to face Lonnia who had another close game winning 21-19 against Walker.

Watson won 21-17 against Harland to face Pryce who beat Adamson 21-14.

Lonnia won the first semi-final 21-16 against Leeman while Pryce beat Watson 21-14.

The final was a tight affair with both players having chances.

After 5 ends the scores were level at 10-10 and this pattern continued until after 11 ends the scores were 13-13.

At this point Pryce won 3 ends to lead 16-13 only for Lonnia to reply with a 2 to make it 16-15. Pryce then scored a single before Lonnia scored three singles to take the lead 17-17.

Two singles put Pryce back in front 19-18 but Lonnia then scored the three singles needed to win 21-19.

The final end had a moment of drama though as Pryce had bowled a very good first wood only for Lonnia to push it out with his second wood to take the end.

On Friday there is the final Over-60s Singles Merit at North Cliff and on Sunday Eastfield stage the second Mixed Doubles of the season.

Entries in advance to the relevant Merit Secretaries.