Portsmouth & District Bowls  – all the winners from Men’s finals day at Fareham BC

Brian LeMarquer denied Dave Wildman back-to-back Ivan Robb Memorial Trophy wins when the finals of the Portsmouth & District Men’s competitions were held at Fareham BC.
Triples winners Rowner (Bill Ross, Dave Webb, Graeme Coles) with P&D competition secretary Simon BatchelerTriples winners Rowner (Bill Ross, Dave Webb, Graeme Coles) with P&D competition secretary Simon Batcheler
Triples winners Rowner (Bill Ross, Dave Webb, Graeme Coles) with P&D competition secretary Simon Batcheler

Wildman was aiming to defend the trophy he won in 2019, but after a tight start trailed by just one point after five ends.

But from that point, LeMarquer (Waterlooville) found his range a lot better ran out an easy 21-3 winner seven ends later.

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Milton Park’s Trevor Ball, Mick Molloy and Andy McKain faced Rowner’s Dave Webb, Bill Ross and Graeme Coles in the Triples final.

Singles winner Simon Filippi with P&D competition secretary Simon Batcheler.Singles winner Simon Filippi with P&D competition secretary Simon Batcheler.
Singles winner Simon Filippi with P&D competition secretary Simon Batcheler.

After 14 ends the game was tied 13-13, whereupon the Rowner trio then picked up five shots on the next three - meaning the Park trio had pick up five on the last to take the match into an extra end.

With his penultimate wood, McKain drove the jack into the ditch but was only lying two shots. Coles, with his last wood, drew shot which was removed by McKain’s last bowl. But with his wood not stopping on the green, Milton only managed two shots.

The Rowner trio had been fortunate to get through to the final as, in the semis, they were nine shots down with three ends to play against Bridgemary. But the game was turned on its head on the 16th end as Rowner picked up the ‘Hot Shot’ maximum of nine to level.

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That left Bridgemary shell-shocked and Rowner picked up four more shots on the last two ends to take the game.

Pairs winners Priory (Martin Eggleton, Clive Carter) with P&D competition secretary Simon Batcheler.Pairs winners Priory (Martin Eggleton, Clive Carter) with P&D competition secretary Simon Batcheler.
Pairs winners Priory (Martin Eggleton, Clive Carter) with P&D competition secretary Simon Batcheler.

In the afternoon session, the Singles, Over 60s Singles and Pairs finals took place.

The singles final, between Alexandra’s Steve Feilder and Star & Crescent’s Simon Filippi, was 14-14 after 15 ends. At that point, Filippi pulled ahead 19-14 after 18 ends and completed the win on the next end with an excellent bowl to lie the two required that Fielder couldn’t beat with his final bowl.

In the Over 60’s Singles final between Fareham’s Charlie Bailey and Lee-on-the-Solent’s Martin Ellis, the former showed his greater finals experience to move into a 16-5 lead after 15 ends.

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Ellis picked up eight shots on the next three ends, but the next four saw Bailey triumph 21-15.

Ivan Robb Trophy winner Brian LeMarquer (Waterlooville) with P&D competition secretary Simon Batcheler.Ivan Robb Trophy winner Brian LeMarquer (Waterlooville) with P&D competition secretary Simon Batcheler.
Ivan Robb Trophy winner Brian LeMarquer (Waterlooville) with P&D competition secretary Simon Batcheler.

The Pairs final saw Andy McKain back on the green, this time with Dave Brown, taking on Priory’s Martin Eggleton and Clive Carter.

It was the Priory duo who found the rink much to their liking as they moved into a 20-shot lead by the 12th end.

Try as they might, the Milton pair couldn’t cut the lead enough and were left searching for big shots to tip the game their way. Trailing 28-10, they shook hands after the 20th end.

Portsmouth & District League

Over-60s singles winner Charlie Bailey with P&D competition secretary Simon Batcheler.Over-60s singles winner Charlie Bailey with P&D competition secretary Simon Batcheler.
Over-60s singles winner Charlie Bailey with P&D competition secretary Simon Batcheler.
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The final divisional winner was decided in City Division B as Waverley played two rearranged away games at Pembroke Gardens and Star & Crescent.

They easily saw off Pembroke, winning by 39 shots and picking up all the points.

That meant a win over tenants Star would see them win the title as their points total couldn’t have been overtaken by Alexandra.

This was achieved as they won by 13 shots and picked up 10 points.

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There were two rearranged games in City Division A, the first seeing Vospers cement runners-up spot with a 10-shot home win over College Park, picking up 11 points.

Gas Social and Naismith ended in a 44-44 draw, but Naismith took the majority of the points by winning on two rinks.

This was despite the efforts of Social’s Andy Layton, who recorded a 13-shot win but by losing a single on the last their last end couldn’t take their side to overall victory.

In the Combination Leagues, the final divisional winner was decided in the Havant & Waterlooville division.

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Waterlooville Gold travelled to Cowplain Red knowing they had to win on all three rinks to take the title from Bedhampton. But the Cowplain team didn’t play ball as they won on two rinks and took the game by 17 shots..

Midweek Triples Leagues

City Blue

In the final round of matches, Vospers Blue took the title by a single point from Waverley after their 21-shot home win over Alexandra Blue, taking all the points.

At Waverley, Pembroke Gardens threw a spanner in the works by winning one of the triples. So although Waverley won the match by 14 shots, by only picking up 10 points Vospers leapfrogged them into top spot.

Report by Dave Wildman