Welcome to The Delivery! This is our daily feature that brings you a round-up of the action from the Aviva National Finals 2023 at Victoria Park, plus a preview for the following day.
Day Five Round Up – Monday 14th August
Another day of the Aviva National Finals and it certainly didn’t disappoint with some brilliant bowls. Today saw the Women’s Triples continue with Round Two and Three, Men’s Pairs Round Two and Quarter-Finals and the Men’s & Women’s Junior Pairs began.
Men’s Pairs
It was the continuation of the Men’s Pairs on day five with Round Two in the morning and the Quarter-Finals in the afternoon. It was Dan Box and Andy Walters (Welford on Avon BC, Warwickshire) sailing into the Quarter-Finals after the first session with a 22-6 victory over Phil Wilkinson and Paul Smyth (Larsen BC, Essex). England star Jamie Walker and his partner Phil Hackett booked a tasty Quarter-Final match-up against England teammate Ed Morris and his Essex partner Steve Gunnell (Essex County BC, Essex) on our live stream.
Other results in Round Two saw Nick Wardle and Joe Dawson (Kingscroft BC, Leicestershire) win 17-14 against Ben Paulley and Perry Martin (Boscombe Cliff BC, Hampshire B). Father and son due Graham and Scott Ashby (Nuneaton BC, Warwickshire) put themselves into the Quarters with a 20-15 win over Josh Pounds, Sean Coyle (Appleyard BC, Kent). Norfolk pair Aaron Johnson and Ian Catchpole (Norfolk BC, Norfolk) also saw themselves into the last eight with a 17-8 win again Richard Pike and Ryan Clements (Culm Vale BC, Devon).
It was our live streaming rink which hosted the highly anticipated Quarter-Final match between Phil Hackett and Jamie Walker (Kings BC, Devon) and Steve Gunnell and Edward Morris (Essex County BC, Essex). A game which produced some of the highest quality of Bowls, was taken to the last end. It was the boys from Essex which came out on top with a 19-16 win and putting themselves in the hat for the Semi-Finals.
The other Quarter-Final match-ups saw Dan Box and Andy Walters (Welford on Avon BC, Warwickshire) continue pushing their way through the competition with an impressive 20 – 12 victory over Simon Jones and Robert Newman (Reading BC, Berkshire). Norfolk saw their Quarter-Finalists, Aaron Johnson and Ian Catchpole (Norfolk BC, Norfolk), progress with a 20-10 victory on A green over Scott Ashby and Graham Ashby (Nuneaton BC, Warwickshire). Nick Wardle and Joe Dawson (Kingscroft BC, Leicestershire A) set-up a Semi-Final clash with Norfolk after defeating Elliot Guthrie, Jack Emmerson (Newark Northern BC, Nottinghamshire) 21-8.
For all results in the Men’s Pairs today, please click here.
Women’s Triples
The last 32 and 16 of the Women’s Triples was played out at Leamington on day 5, for competitors battling it out to return on Tuesday Quarter-Final and Semi-Finals. Christine Mitchell, Julie Jones and Alison Fail (Purton BC, Wiltshire) made sure they would be playing in the afternoon with a narrow victory 23 – 22 against Karen Ryan, Megan Hunt and Sue Butcher (West Ealing BC, Middlesex).
It was the end of the road in Round Two for Warwickshire trio Gillian Greenbank, Ros Taylor and Liz Wooding
(Avenue Coventry BC, Warwickshire) after falling to a 18-12 loss to Rebecca Willgress, Christine Rednall and Katherine Rednall (Norfolk BC, Norfolk A). Jorja Jackson, Chlow Brett, Rebecca Moorbey (Brampton BC, Huntingdonshire) sailed through to the last 16 with a convincing 20-12 win over Leicestershire’s Tiena Ablett, Carol Inserra and Kath Rothera (Wymeswold BC).
It was a tight game between Hampshire and Somerset, with the game being decided on an extra end. Donna Taylor, Sue Dyson and Allyson Flint (Cove BC, Hampshire) came out on top with a nail biting 20-19 win against the trio from Somerset Corrinne Williams, Karen Malone, Chantelle Williams (Street BC).
Moving into the last 16, Norfolk being represented by Rebecca Willgress, Christine Rednall and Katherine Rednall (Norfolk BC) put themselves in the Quarter-Final with a 20-11 over Jorja Jackson, Chloe Brett and Rebecca Moorbey (Brampton BC, Huntingdonshire). Oxfordshire continued their charge for Women’s Triples crown putting in a strong performance against Christine Mitchell, Julie Jones and Alison Fail (Purton BC, Wiltshire) with Donna Grant, Katherine Hawes-Watts and Lorraine Kuhler (Oxford City & Cty, Oxfordshire) winning 18-5.
The brilliant trio Sophie Tolchard, Nicole Rogers, Harriett Stevens (Kings, Devon) put themselves through to the next round by beating Lesley Whymark, Sue Alexandera and Cheryl Salisbury (Littleport BC, Cambridgeshire) 21-14. Cumbria set-up a Quarter-Final clash with Essex by beating Hertfordshire in a well fought game beating Phyll Scarborough, Mary Banks, Alison Hall (Hatfield BC) 16-15.
Women’s Junior Pairs
Session 3 of day five saw the start of the Women’s Junior Pairs competition. On our streaming rink, we saw a enthralling battle between Somerset duo Madi King and Imogen Cracknell and Huntingdonshire pair Chloe Brett and Rebecca Moorbey. A great game which contained high-quality Bowls saw Chloe Brett and Rebecca Moorbey progress to play Izzy Pymm and Kat Bowman (Leicestershire) in the morning of day six.
Emma Langridge and Millie Tuck (Dorset) powered through to the next round with a comprehensive 31 – 8 against Jasmine Brown, Charlotte Welsh (Durham) who put in a courageous performance but just didn’t quite have enough. Warwickshire and Norfolk shared a tremendous game with the game going down to the wire with Lily-Mae Adams and Emily Kernick (Warwickshire) winning by one with a 14-13 win over Chloe Palmer, Ellie Johnson (Norfolk).
Day six will see Jemma Tuohy and Yasmina Hasan (Surrey) fresh from their Women’s Fours win, battle it out with Alex Bowley and Eloise Collins (Derbyshire). Other games tomorrow see Izzie White and Maddie Burgess (Worcestershire) go up against Ella Crouch and Nicole Rogers (Devon) and Shannon Maughan, Zoe Watkins
(Buckinghamshire) Hannah Watson, Amica Fordy (Yorkshire) fight for a place in the Quarter-Finals.
Men’s Junior Pairs
There was just the two games in the morning session in the Men’s Junior Pairs with a closely fought match, seeing Surrey duo Jamie Tindall and Joseph Tindall push on with a 18-17 narrow victory against Gloucestershire) Alex White and Jack Williams. In the other match Ryan Brannan and Callum Hodgson (Cumbria) won their first match in the competition 18-10 defeating Brandon King and Joe Justin (Oxfordshire).
Into the last 32 and it was England star Fynn Kyser, who will be travelling to Australia for the World Championships, delivered with teammate Bradley Freer (Leicestershire) beating Jack Crowder and Josh Hall (Wiltshire) 19-12. Toby Bunting and Jack Bunting (Hertfordshire) booked their place into the next round with a 20-19 win over Essex duo Tom Lesslie and Alix Rouse. It was a first-class performance from Ryan Hard and Joe Sims (Suffolk) winning 26 – 14 against Chris Moore and Andrew Moore (Devon). Northamptonshire see their pair continue fighting in the Men’s Junior Pair with Conor Bryan and Adam Pitfield producing a fine performance winning 23-8 against Rhys Palmer, Toby Russell (Herefordshire).
Tuesday will see some hotly contested matches in the Men’s Junior Pairs with the next round beginning in the morning, following on with the Quarter-Finals in the afternoon sessions.
Day Six Preview – Tuesday 15th August
We’re down to the final four of the Men’s Pairs. With the final starting at 1.30pm, who will lift the title?
We’ll also be in the presence of National, County and Club Champions at Victoria Park as the Men’s and Women’s Champion of Champions competitions begin.
Participants in the Women’s Triples, Men’s and Women’s Junior Pairs continue their push for titles while the Women’s Pairs starts!
Social media coverage is available on Bowls England’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram sites.
Tickets to the National Finals start at just £4 for adults and £1 for Under 18s offer a full day of top-class sporting action. Event passes are available and all tickets are cheaper in advance.
Please note: Under 3s enter free of charge.