Open Pairs Results

Sunday the 30th of July was the date of the Crossens Bowling Club Open Pairs Competition.
Thirty pairs battled it out for the right to be crowned Open Pairs Champions and a share of the £200 prize money.
We had pairs from Southport, Skelmesdale, Banks, Burscough, Formby, Holmeswood, Wigan and Liverpool.
The first two rounds gave us a host of good games to watch. Barry Davis & John Clark defeating John Hughes & Fergal Wright and then winning against Andy Draper & John Blades, John Cragg & Roy Webster taking out Keith Cheetham & Jimmy Alty, George Hitchmough & Sue Andersen victorious against fellow Crossens bowlers Mike Dunlop & Bill Nowell, Sharon & Richard Jenkins lost to Danny Miller & Steven Fishwick.
In the last eight Dave Fenney & Tim Hodge defeated Susan & Alan Mountford 21-8, John Cragg & Roy Webster took out Kevin Wilcox & Peter Bailey 21-20, George Hitchmough & Sue Andersen were defeated by Barry Davis & John Clark 11-21 and the last pair through to the Semi-Finals was Danny Miller & Steven Fishwick after victory against Lesley & John Marriott 21-14.
The Semi-Finals produced two great games. Barry & John took on Danny & Steven and this wasn’t a game of two halves, more a game of thirds. Pretty even stevens over the first seven ends with Barry & John leading 8-7. Then Danny & Steven stepped up a gear with a 4 and over the next six ends took an 18-11 lead. Something then sparked in Barry & John and they won the next five ends to win the match and make it to the final 210-18. Dave & Tim played John & Roy and it started off as another close game. After nine ends john & Roy lead 10-9. But with two 4’s for Dave & Tim and John & Roy only responding with singles, Dave & Tim lead out at the eighteenth end 19-15 up. But what a fightback from John & Roy, two singles and two 2’s gave John & Roy the victory 21-19.
So the Final was to be between John Cragg & Roy Webster and Barry Davis & John Clark. John & Roy took a 4 at the first end and Barry & John replied with a 3 the very next end and took control of the next six ends to lead 13-9. Then John & Roy got another 4 to put them right back in the game at 13-13, but they couldn’t sustain the pressure and Barry & John controlled the rest of the game winning seven of the last nine ends to win the Final 21-16.
Congratulations to Barry Davis & John Clark, worthy winners of the Crossens BC Open Pairs 2017. They played consistently well all day.
I would like to thank all the competitiors for giving us some very entertaining bowls to watch. Thanks also to everyone that helped marking cards and measuring. Thanks to Brian Mills, our greensman, for a lovely green to play on. And lastly a big thankyou to Emma Burgess, for all her hard work in the kitchen, both on the day making teas and sandwiches and at home baking the lovely cakes.