Pembrooke Gardens' Dave Brookes crowned Portsmouth & District Bowls League’s Champion of Champions

Dave Brookes, right, receives his Champion of Champion silverware from P&D Competition Secretary Simon Batcheler

The Pembrooke Gardens bowler defeated College Park’s Roy Carter in what was believed to be the first final between the champions of two Division 3 club in the tournament’s 53-year history.

In a normal year, this would have brought the curtain down on the P&D season, but there are still Midweek Triples titles to be decided, writes DAVE WILDMAN.

The P&D CoC is played by the winners of each affiliated P&D club’s Men’s Singles Championship.

This year saw the smallest contingent of club champions appear – just 13 in total.

The early rounds were played on Saturday 11 with the final the following day.

The standard of bowling on both days was excellent with many matches taking more than 25 ends before a winner was found

In the first round, the match between Vospers’ Sean Taylor and Leigh Park’s Peter Robinson took 31 ends before the former progressed 21-19.

It took the new Ivan Robb winner, Brian LeMarquer of Waterlooville, 25 ends before he finally ended the resistance of Priory’s Steve Watt 21-19.

Twenty three ends were needed before Brookes squeaked through 21-20 against Gosport’s Tony Horne.

The quarter-finals saw similarly tough games, none more so than that between Carter and LeMarquer, which needed 32 ends before Roy won 21-19.

The first semi was played on the Saturday and it saw Brookes face Milton Park’s Andy McKain.

McKain led 13-6 after 11 ends and 16-12 after 17. At that point, Brookes won the next five ends to get through 21-16.

On a very sunny Sunday, Carter took on Alexandra’s Steve Feilder in a delayed semi.

Fielder raced into a 16-4 lead after 10 ends, which became 18-9 after another four ends. Carter then woke up and proceeded to win the next six ends to triumph 21-18 after 20 ends.

The final saw Carter start sluggishly again, with Brookes 13-3 ahead after eight ends.

Carter responded and trailed 17-15 after 18 ends. However, an excellent three on the 19th extended Brookes’ lead.

Two excellent opening bowls on the next end saw Carter having to use weight to disturb them; that he failed to do and Brookes triumphed 21-15.