Ann Halliday started her challenge in cold, but not windy, Leamington weather. By the time she’d finished, nearly 2.5 hours later, she was warm and the crowd were chilled to the bone! A great effort to reach the Senior Singles after the very difficult year she has had. Ann went from being behind, then catching up, then going behind again and catching up again to reach 18-18. Then her opponent from Suffolk managed to score 3 on the following 2 ends. It was a mammoth game and the Men’s Senior Singles matches had already started when the girls came off the green!
Meanwhile on E green – as far from the Middlesex supporters as you could get, Attilio from Uxbridge started his Senior Singles challenge, dispatching his first opponent 21-6. and his second 21-11 which puts him into the quarter finals today. Supporters from both the men and ladies camp will be cheering him on!
This morning, Anna Mays & Rob Hackwell (who beat Dawn & Paul Cater in the Area Final) represent Middlesex in the Mixed Pairs. They should be on the green now, so we hope they’re doing very well. It’s Anna’s first time at Leamington but she was there Tuesday and yesterday acclimatising herself to the atmosphere and an extra fleece!
Tina’s victor in the Two Bowl Singles continued her run of wins and was on for her third National Title in almost as many days, but Ellen Faulkner of Cambridgeshire beat Stef of Somerset in the final. Still, what a terrific achievement for one so young. She is only the third lady to win the Singles and Two Bowls in one season and Sam Tolchard the first ever man to achieve the same.
Mandy Simpson (Ladygate) reported that the umpires were working flat out on Tuesday as both the men’s and ladies’ two bowl singles were played from start to finish in one day – 6 rounds for those reaching the final. 154 sessions requiring markers for each, plus one umpire per green. We didn’t see Mandy at the end of the day, but Ron Eden, Vic Perry and Darren Stanford wearily returned to the hotel on Tuesday night around 8.15 pm after the final matches and then they were all back out on the championship greens doing pre-match checks to start again at 8.30 am yesterday morning! Well done to all of the markers and umpires. They’re doing a great job. If you think you’d like to attend a marking course or get a qualification, check out https://www.ebua.org.uk/
