CORNWALL COUNTY SHORT MAT BOWLING ASSOCIATION
NEWS RELEASE - Sunday 26th February 2023
National Championships
Over the past weekend attention has shifted from local matters to the first weekend of National Championship finals.
On Saturday two teams from Cornwall took part in the National Mixed Fours at Solihull Indoor Bowling Club which involved 47 teams.
Landrake's Richard & Heidi Kerr and Dianne & Dennis Shorthouse were drawn in Group Two where they lost 3-14 to Devon's Rita & John Redstone, Graham James & Lorraine Axtell and won 9-7 against Humberside's Val & Simon Smith and Irene & Bill Ballam. These results together with a walk over awarded to them for the third match in the group saw them through to the knockout stages in second place in the group on 4 points +1 shot.0000
Elise Daniell (Holmans), Sandra Worton (St Newlyn East), Peter Hore (Holmans) & Nigel Nicholls (Newlyn Trinity) were drawn in Group Ten where they won all three games recording the best score of all teams in the the group stages with 6 points and +33 shots. Hampshire's Mick & Sue Potter and Emma & Baker were defeated 12-3. North Yorkshire's Roger Green, Debbie Taylor, Helen Hurling & Paul Johnson were comfortably beaten 16-2. Herefordshire's Kate Williams, Sophie Warner, Joe Loveys & John Mills were beaten 18-8.
In the knockout stages both Cornwall Fours had matches in the last 32 round against teams from West Sussex. Shorthouse won 8-2 against Simon Herbert, Jane Adsett, Richard & Sonia Burden. Nicholls won 16-3 against Trish Johnson, Jo Streeter, Steve Adsett, Steve Maslen. The last 16 round saw the two Cornwall teams against each other with Nicholls' team prevailing 9-5. Into the Quarter Finals Nicholls faced Gloucestershire's Ryan Knight, Steve Holdsworth, Rebecca Finch, Jo Featherstone and this is where their run in the competition came to an end with a 5-14 loss.
The competition was won by a team from Devon which included former Cornwall county squad member and team manager Gillian Smith who played with Diane Shepherd, George Main and Elliot James. The Devo team picked up three shots on the last end to win the title 7-6 against Essex's Anthony Fautley, Steve Killington, Linda Lambert & Maureen Binstead.
On Sunday attention turned to the Over 55's Pairs with Cornwall having 3 of the 64 pairs taking part.
Duloe's Jon Read and Martin Boraston were drawn in Group Seven and went through the group stages unbeaten with wins against Devon's Richard Williams & Mike Avery 15-6, West Midland's Steve & Tracey Bailey 14-5 and Essex's Linda Lambert & Mo Binstead 8-5 to finish with 6 points +21 shots.
St Newlyn East's John Worton & Steve Smith were drawn in Group Fourteen and also went through the group stages unbeaten with wins against Devon's Stewart Weighill & Jim Kiltie 7-6 and Dorset's Elise & Robin Gale 8-7. A draw against Humberside's Dave Coultas & Graham Stubbs 9-9 saw them through on 5 points +2 shots.
Into the last 32 round of the knockout stages Worton & Smith lost to Hertfordshire's Jeff Branch and Dennis Mack 8-9. Read & Boraston won 10-9 against Hampshire's Brian Brown & Russ Reeves. Read & Boraston's run in the competition ended in the last 16 round with a 4-12 loss to Essex's Nigel Reed & Adrian Atkinson.
The competition was won by Northamptonshire's Chris Hopkins and Steve McAlister who defeated Oxfordshire's Les Woodward & Chris Hasker 10-5 in the final.
Photos attached of all the players representing Cornwall in the two competitions.
Cornwall Mixed Fours (l-r) Nigel Nicholls, Peter Hore, Elise Daniell, Sandra Worton, Heidi Kerr, Dennis Shorthouse, Dianne Shorthouse & Richard Kerr
Cornwall Over 55 Pairs (l-r) Steve Smith, Nigel Nicholls, Jon Read, Kevin Williams, Martin Boraston & John Worton
Area Leagues
Two Teams for the Bebbington Cup are now known with Duloe and Blisland having secured the East and North Area league titles respectively in the past week.
The team joining them from the Central Area will be decided on Thursday night when current leaders St Newlyn East travel to Lostwithiel and second placed Withiel Oaks host Luxulyan Maroons. St Newlyn East hold a three shot advantage over Withiel Oaks and each match has a maximum possible 6 points available.
In the West Area Newlyn Trinity hold a seven point lead over Holmans excluding the result of their fixture away to Porthleven Fisherfolk last Thursday. Newlyn's remaining fixture is home to Hayle Foundry on Tuesday 7th March. Holmans are home to Marazion on Thursday 2nd March and conclude their season at Porthleven against the Fisherfolk on Thursday 9th March.
County Finals
The next County Competition action will be the County Finals over the weekend of 11th and 12th March for which a full preview will be provided next week.
ENDS
Nicholas Truscott
Press and Promotions Officer
CCSMBA
