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 One Round Up – Thursday 10th August

Women’s Fours

Victoria Park, Royal Leamington Spa, was graced with glorious summer weather (finally!) as the Aviva National Finals burst into life. The Women’s Fours and Men’s Singles were the focus of the day and competitors put on a superb spectacle for supporters.

In session one, Kent B’s Emily Ferguson, Steph Crates, Paige Dennis and Sian Honnor (Appleyard BC) secured victory in our first live match of the day. They overcame Shirley Edwards, Sharon Russell, Natalie Chalcraft and Barbara Levey (Sawbridgeworth BC, Hertfordshire) by 19-9.

You can watch a replay of this match here.

The Kent quartet beat Olivia Starr, Jacqui Branfield, Laura Holden and Stef Branfield (Clevedon BC, Somerset B) by 19-9 in Round Two.

In a nervy finale to their Round One match, Teresa Tudbury, Carolyn Hill, Denise Pearl, Jayne Croxall of Breirley Park BC, Nottinghamshire secured an 18-17 extra end win over Ann Haunton, Sarah Hornsey, Laura Laytham and Lynda Whittingham (Westlecot BC, Wiltshire B).

The scoreline was a carbon-copy in the clash between Pauline Ross, Mirella Basso, Glenda Dexter and Kylie Jenkins (Knaphill BC, Surrey B) and Betty Stewart, Dinita Plant, Jackie Wright, Janet Carter (Herts BC, Hertfordshire A). The latter came out on top via an extra end.

Elsewhere, the reigning champions in the Women’s Fours enjoyed two emphatic wins to kickstart their bid to retain the title. Helen Butler, Louise Whyers, Penny Strong, and Annalisa Dunham won 30-10 against Julie Greenslade, Jean Clements, Louise Kenward and Linda Stanley of Eastbourne BC, Sussex A in Round One.

That was followed by the Lincolnshire four beating Isle of Wight A’s team Leen Hampshire, Carole Wolton, Sam Williams and Anne Bernard, of Ryde Marina BC, 19-9.

Also in Round Two, Sally Gilbert, Angela Service, Helen Moore, Lynn Orlando (Didcot BC, Berkshire A) got over the line with a 15-14 win over Pat Browne, Rosey Bartram, Rachel Cartwright, Kayleigh Proctor (Benfield BC, Northumberland A).

Men’s Singles

Warwickshire B’s Andy Walters (Welford on Avon BC), who was the winner in 2013 and finalist in 2022, defeated Andy Anderson 21-12.

Craig Sutherland (Buckden BC, Huntingdonshire) claimed a tight win in his first-round tie as he beat Devon B’s Simon Broom (Culm Vale BC) 21-20.

Tomorrow, Sutherland will face another Devon bowler in Sam Tolchard (Kings BC) who beat Yorkshire B’s Vinny O’Neill (Middlesbrough BC) 21-7.

Multiple Men’s Singles winner and International Selector John Ottaway (Wymondham Dell BC, Norfolk) won 21-12 against Herefordshire’s 2022 Family Pairs winner Dan Holmes (Ross-on-Wye BC) in our second live match of the day. This match can be watched back here.

In a clash between two of our Junior Internationals, Adam Barker (St Neots BC, Cambridgeshire) won 21-14 against Benjamin Bywater (Stute BC, Derbyshire).

In our final live match of the day, Chris Beard (Sharnbrook BC, Bedfordshire) secured a 21-19 win Charlie Beeton (Felixstowe & Suffolk BC, Suffolk B) in the thrilling match. This can be viewed here.

Day Two Preview – Friday 11th August

After a scintillating opening day of Aviva National Finals action, the competition hots up further as we move into Day Two.

During the course of a full-on Friday, the Women’s Fours competition sees 16 contenders narrowed down to four semi-finalists during Round Three and the Quarter-Finals.

Meanwhile the remaining 32 men in the Men’s Singles will battle for a place in Saturday’s Quarter-Finals.

We will also see the Family Pairs get underway and clubs begin play in the Men’s Club Two Fours and Tony Allcock Trophy.

Bowls England is pleased to announce that all 18 days of the Aviva National Finals (10 – 27 August) will be streamed online, and available for everyone to view free of charge. Visit our official streaming platform here.