Welcome to The Delivery! This is our daily feature that brings you a round-up of action from Victoria Park.
Day 18 Round-Up – Sunday 11th September
Walker Cup – Winners: Kent
Following being runners-up last year and in 2017, Kent made certain that it wouldn’t be the same story today as they beat Wiltshire in a brilliant final.
Emily Ferguson, Jane Cogle, Paige Dennis and Sian Honnor came out on top for Kent against Wiltshire’s Chris Mitchell, Laura Laytham, Jo Hicks and Sue Cooke with a 23-10 win.
A five on the penultimate end for Wiltshire’s Marcia Easton, Charlie Goodwin, Deanne Davis and Alison Fail helped them beat Leah Bamford, Jennifer Southby, Erika White and Amy Banes of Kent 19-17.
Earlier, Kent stunned Norfolk in the semi-finals with a 46-22 victory. Emily Ferguson, Jane Cogle, Paige Dennis and Sian Honnor claimed a 29-9 win for Kent against Norfolk’s Ellie Johnson, Brenda Whitehead, Anna Chalk and Suzanne King.
That left the overall deficit too much for the other Norfolk rink to overturn as Rebecca Willgress, Carole Baker, Christine Webb and Jacqueline Devitt lost 17-13 to Kent’s Leah Bamford, Jennifer Southby, Erika White and Amy Banes.
In the other semi-final, Wiltshire sneaked through to the final by the finest of margins as they pipped Yorkshire by 40 shots to 38.
Chris Mitchell, Laura Laytham, Jo Hicks and Sue Cooke (Wiltshire) enjoyed a 20-9 win over Yorkshire’s Alison Paxton, Sue Woollams, Janet Farnsworth and Marie Dowson.
Marcia Easton, Charlie Goodwin, Deanne Davis and Alison Fail picked up a crucial single for Wiltshire on the last end in their 29-20 defeat to Judith Smith, Jane Simpson, Helen Walker and Sue Allen (Yorkshire).
Balcomb Trophy – Winners: Essex
Essex relished lifting the Balcomb Trophy for a second time after they had a 45-27 success against runners-up Yorkshire in this afternoon’s final.
The Essex team triumphed on both rinks as Mark Nullmeyers, Mark Welton, Andrew Squire and Edward Morris won 22-11 against James Dilks, Steve Dilks, Carl Stoakes and Chris Lea.
Steve Mitchinson, Jack Butcher, Ray Bone and Jamie Holmes beat Andy Boatwright, Mark Goodfellow, Gary Bunce and Mark Walton 23-16.
In the semi-finals, Essex defeated Gloucestershire 45-39. The Essex rink of Mark Nullmeyers, Mark Welton, Andrew Squire and Edward Morris beat Gloucestershire’s Finley Williamson, Ben Coldrick, Ian Gauld and Peter Stinchcombe 29-17.
Joe Hardwick, James Fitzgerald, Nigel Cansdale and Lee Williamson (Gloucs) took 11 shots in the last five ends on their rink to win 22-16 against Essex’s Steve Mitchinson, Jack Butcher, Ray Bone and Jamie Holmes.
Yorkshire won 42-32 against Hampshire in the other semi-final. James Dilks, Steve Dilks, Carl Stoakes and Chris Lea of Yorkshire beat Hampshire’s Ashleigh Nethercliffe, P. May, Nathan Durman and Gary Starks 23-13.
It ended level at 19-19 on the other rink between Yorkshire’s Andy Boatwright, Mark Goodfellow, Gary Bunce and Mark Walton and Hampshire’s Joe Sharp, Jody Bright, Nick Hardy and Leo May.
Women’s Senior Fours – Winners: Suffolk
Christine Beamish, Sue Bard-Bodek, Sal Butcher and Sue Bernard (Suffolk) claimed the Women’s Senior Fours title after beating defending champions Lincolnshire 11-7 in the final.
Anne Burchell, Chris Love (sub for Kirsty Cox from QF), Caroline Cullum and Glenys Bolt (Lincs) were 5-4 up after seven ends. However, the Suffolk four scored on the next six ends to take an 11-5 lead with two ends remaining.
The Lincs quartet were contained to two singles on the last two ends which resulted in joyous celebrations for Beamish, Bard-Bodek, Butcher and Bernard at the end of the final.
The Suffolk four came through two close matches today to get to the final as they beat Bedfordshire’s Dawn Grisley, Jenny Ralph, Jayne Christie and Jackie Bryant 16-14 in the semi-final. That was after they won 12-10 against Sandra Maguire, Val Dexter, Rose Lewis and Anna Duckworth (Nottinghamshire) in the quarter-final.
Find full scores here
Mixed Fours – Winners: Surrey
Surrey’s Faye Ludlow, Hayley Halford, Paul Jenkins and Dennis Hennessy secured the Mixed Fours title in a closely fought final against Berkshire’s Jane Murphy, Bev Wall, Scott Winskill and Mark Hancock with a 13-12 triumph.
The four from Berkshire took the first four ends of the final to go 7-0 in front. Then Surrey hit back by scoring on the next five ends to take a 9-7 lead.
A three on the penultimate end for the Surrey quartet gave them a 13-10 lead. On the last end, Surrey held one prior to the last bowl from Berkshire skip Mark Hancock. In a superb attempt, Hancock played a backhand runner for the Surrey bowl, which he hit, but the shot bowl didn’t roll out of the head far enough to make a three.
Ludlow, Halford, Jenkins and Hennessy claimed two convincing wins on their way to the final. In the semi-final, they beat Cumbria’s Linda Abram, Tina Smitham, Alan Green and Malcolm Smitham 19-4. That came after the Surrey four won 16-5 against Adrian Charter, Reba May Powell-Birley, Jess Weir and Andy Weir of Hertfordshire.
Find full scores here
That brings the 2022 National Finals to an end! It’s been a fascinating 18 days in which 33 champions have been crowned. However, two more champions are to be crowned in the Men’s and Women’s Top Club. Those quarter-finals and semi-finals and finals will take place across next weekend, Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th September. Please note that these events are non-ticketed.
Find the Men’s Top Club draw here
Find the Women’s Top Club draw here