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 Six Round Up – Tuesday 15th August
Supporters in the stands and viewers at home were treated to an outstanding Men’s Pairs Final on Day Six of the Aviva National Finals. We also saw Women’s Triples finalists decided and discovered the semi-final line-up in the Men’s and Women’s Junior Pairs plus Men’s and Women’s Champion of Champions. In the latter stages of the day, the first Women’s Pairs Round One matches took place.
Men’s Pairs
In an all-time classic at the Aviva National Finals, Nick Wardle and Joe Dawson (Kingscroft BC, Leicestershire) claimed the Men’s Pairs trophy in astonishing style.
Playing against Steve Gunnell and Ed Morris (Essex County, Essex), the final was a close encounter all the way through.
The Leicestershire pair picked up five shots on the fourth end to take the lead in the game for the first time, at 5-4, after brilliant leading from Nick Wardle.
Essex’s Gunnell and Morris pushed ahead again, jumping to a 13-9 lead after 14 ends.
Heading into the 18th end, the Essex duo were ahead 15-14. They held the match shot before Joe Dawson fired and killed the end, forcing the end to be replayed.
It was Leicestershire that held one shot on the replayed 18th end. Essex’s Ed came mightily close to drawing the shot but finished second bowl resulting in the match becoming level at 15-15.
Needing an extra end to decide the winner, the calibre of bowls on show was more than worthy of the final. A superb runner from Ed Morris meant Essex held game. Once again, Dawson drove at the head and connected with the jack to kill the end.
The bowls were taken back and the crowd were gripped to the pulsating conclusion. With the final bowl in Dawson’s hands, Gunnell and Morris held one and were in the winning position.
Dawson went quick again, delivering an inch-perfect runner to remove the Essex bowl out of the head and seal the win in dramatic fashion. Wardle and Dawson burst into jubilation with their supporters overjoyed. The final score 16-15 to pair from Kingscroft BC.
Earlier in the semi-finals, Wardle and Dawson overcame Aaron Johnson and Ian Catchpole (Norfolk BC, Norfolk), beating them 16-13.
Essex’s Gunnell and Morris edged through 15-14 against Warwickshire’s Dan Box and Andy Walters (Welford On Avon BC).
Women’s Triples
In the morning’s Quarter-Finals, Devon’s Sophie Tolchard, Nicole Rogers and Harriet Stevens surged to a 21-13 win against Leen Hampshire, Sandra Aldridge, Anne Bernard of Ryde Marina BC, Isle of Wight.
Hayley Kenny, Michelle Carlin and Rebecca Smith (Clockhouse BC, Essex) won 24-8 in emphatic style against Rachel Forster, Carole Bannister and Victoria Forster (Workington BC, Cumbria).
Rachel Gingell, Kelly Jenkins and Pam Garden (Egham BC, Surrey A) beat Donna Taylor, Sue Dyson and Allyson Flint from Cove BC, Hampshire, 21-11.
Oxfordshire’s Donna Grant, Katherine Hawes-Watts and Lorraine Kuhler (Oxford City & Cty BC) booked their Semi-Final spot by winning 23-18 against Rebecca Willgress, Christine Rednall and Katherine Rednall (Norfolk BC, Norfolk).
In the Semi-Finals, the Oxfordshire triple took on Sophie Tolchard, Nicole Rogers and Harriet Stevens of Devon. After exchanging excellent shots all through the match, it was delight for the Devon triple as they won 20-18.
Surrey’s Gingell, Jenkins and Pam Garden claimed their place in tomorrow’s Women’s Triples final by triumphing 18-15 against Hayley Kenny, Michelle Carlin and Rebecca Smith of Essex.
For all results, please click here.
Men’s Junior Pairs
Oli Collins and Liam White (Somerset) enjoyed a great day of bowls. In Round Three, they beat Hertfordshire brothers Toby and Jack Bunting 22-11. They then stormed to a 19-10 win over Leicestershire’s Fynn Kyser and Bradley Freer in the Quarter-Finals.
Mack May and Adam Barker of Cambridgeshire came through a 21-20 thriller against Conor Bryan and Adam Pitfield (Northamptonshire). They followed that up with a 19-11 win over Robbie Carter Jnr and Oliver Shearing
(Middlesex).
Kent’s Joseph Vandepeer and Isaac Jenner and Cumbria’s Ryan Brannan and Callum Hodgson also booked their places in tomorrow’s Semi-Finals.
For all results, please click here.
Women’s Junior Pairs
Fresh from winning the Women’s Fours, Surrey’s Jemma Tuohy and Yasmina Hasan raced to two big wins the Women’s Junior Pairs.
They beat Alex Bowley and Eloise Collins (Derbyshire) 27-5 in Round One and Hannah Watson and Amica Fordy (Yorkshire) 23-5 in the Quarter-Finals.
Lily-Mae Adams and Emily Kernick (Warwickshire) won their Round One match 21 – 11 against Chloe Smith and Michaela Smith (Lancashire). They then beat the reigning champions in Izzie White and Maddie Burgess (Worcestershire) 20-13 to make it through the the Semi-Finals.
Also in tomorrow’s semi-finals are Lincolnshire’s Molly Feetham and Ruby Hill and Georgina Fuszard and Zoe Pratley of Oxfordshire.
For all results, please click here.
Men’s Champion of Champions
Fraser Ham (Clevedon, Somerset) won 21-16 against Peter Stinchcombe (Fairford, Gloucestershire) in the Last 16 and then beat Wiltshire’s Tom Warner (Salisbury) 21-12 in the Quarter-Final.
Essex’s Stuart Lowe made it through two tense matches, winning 21 – 20 versus Russell Robinson (Stute, Derbyshire) and then beating 2022 Champion of Champions winner Harry Goodwin (Appleyard, Kent).
Also sealing Semi-Final places were Warwickshire’s Graham Ashby (Nuneaton) and Phil Harvey
(St Georges Dragons, Northumberland).
For all results, please click here.
Women’s Champion of Champions
Annalisa Dunham (Carters Park, Lincolnshire) relished the day with two impressive wins. She beat Mattea Ross (Gosforth, Northumberland) 21-9 in the Last 16 and followed that with a 21-13 success over Ella Baker (Felixstowe & Suffolk, Suffolk).
Dorset’s Donna Rock proceeded to the Semi-Finals after wins against Caroline Campion (Banbury Central, Oxfordshire) and current Women’s Two-Bowls Singles champion Rhianna Russell (Welwyn & District, Hertfordshire).
Also heading through to the Semi-Finals are Wendy King (Appleyard, Kent) and Anne Bernard (Ryde Marina, Isle of Wight).
For all results, please click here.
Women’s Pairs
Rounding off Day Six, we saw early action in the Women’s Pairs. Val Newton and Gay Allen (Bembridge BC, Isle of Wight B) snook through 22-21 against Helen Sharp and Donna Mills (Stone Lodge BC, Suffolk).
Hazel Marke and Margaret Holden (Alton Social BC, Hampshire B) beat Amanda Keen and Claire Fishleigh
(Dunheved BC, Cornwall B) 25-6.
Herefordshire’s Hannah Smith and Sandra Jones (Wellington BC) claimed a 16-10 win over Elaine Cox and Sue Graham-Hole (St Crispin BC, Northamptonshire).
For all results, please click here.
Day Seven Preview – Wednesday 16th August
What a day we have a store tomorrow! Winners’ Wednesday has everything – five Finals spread across the schedule, and the promise of some incredible bowls action.
We’ll see the Women’s Triples winners decided as Sophie Tolchard, Nicole Rogers, Harriett Stevens (Kings, Devon) take on Rachel Gingell, Kelly Jenkins, Pam Garden (Egham BC, Surrey).
The Men’s and Women’s Champion of Champions titles, will be awarded – as well as the Junior Pairs for both Men and Women.
Elsewhere the Women’s Pairs continues and Mixed Pairs get underway.
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.