Bridport Bowling Club hosts finals weekend to end centenary

In hot and humid conditions, the ladies’ handicap singles was a rather one-sided affair with Lynn Craddock beating Cheryl Mackenzie 21-7.

The ladies’ drawn pairs was a far closer game and the duo of Denise Rhodes and Ali Tibble finally overcame Petra Morgan and Jill Willcox 16-11.

Drawn Triples played for the Brian Conisbee Trophy with club captain Neil Kennedy brought in as a late replacement for Brian Medland through injury.

Kennedy, Margaret Strange and Mel Griffiths just got over the line 18-16 against Andrew Stocks, Keith Bourne and Dan Hoskins.

The afternoon session saw another three finals with both the ladies and men’s Junior Cup and the Ladies Championship pairs.

Both Junior Cup games were again rather one-sided matches. Newer members got their names on the trophies as Petra Morgan beat Carol Broad 20-7 and Trevor Deadman-Spall overcame Mike Edwards 21-5.

Bridport’s Ladies Championship Pairs could have gone either way until Lynn Craddock and Jill Willcox finally pulled away and defeated Ali Tibble and Di Shatford-Butcher 22-15.

On the second day, Ali Tibble secured her second win of the weekend with a 17-11 win over Cheryl Mackenzie.

In the men’s competition, Ben Jones eventually overcame Chris Taylor 16-13 in a very close match. The men’s Drawn Pairs saw Brian Stone and David Ledger come from behind to beat Brian Pratt and Dan Hoskins 18-10.

The eagerly-anticipated Ladies Championship was a rematch of the handicap singles, but this was a much closer affair with Lynn Craddock coming from behind to win her third trophy of the weekend 19-16 against Cheryl Mackenzie.

The Men’s event was contested by Chris Thorne, no stranger to the final, and Mel Griffiths playing in the final for the first time.

In a close-fought match, experience eventually played its part as Thorne took the title 21-13.

The Mixed Pairs final was contested by two married couples, Paul and Ali Tibble against Bob and Jean Seadon.

This was yet another close contest and it was the Tibbles that edged past the Seadons 19-14, Ali Tibble also picking up her third trophy of the weekend.

The Men’s Championship Pairs saw the duo of Bob Taylor and Ben Jones win an entertaining match against Dan Hoskins and Clive Langdon 19-15.

The Men’s Handicap Singles final had to be carried over to a third morning due to Ben Jones’ involvement in the County Finals at Dorchester.

He was successful at Dorchester, winning the County Champion of Champions title and then in the last final of the season to be played, tasted success again beating Mike Craddock 24-12.

This brought the curtain down on one of Bridport’s most successful seasons of recent years with both the men’s A and B teams winning their respective Dorset County leagues.

Bridport Ladies came close to making it a clean sweep but ended as very creditable runners-up in both the Dorset County Division One and the South Dorset Bowls Association Division One.

The men’s B team were also champions of the South Dorset Bowls Association Division Two League with the A team finishing runners-up in Division One.

In addition to this, there were also championship wins for a men’s triples team comprising of Clive Langdon, Chris Taylor and Peter Scott at the Lyme Regis Open Tournament, and a rink comprising Chris Thorne, Barry Shortland, Brian Medland and Mike Craddock, at the Lyme Regis Silver Jubilee Tournament.

Keeping up the winning streak, a ladies triple team made up of Cheryl Mackenzie, Fran Morgan and Denise Rhodes, also won the Honiton Invitational Tournament.

A men’s team comprising of Chris Thorne, Barry Shortland, Dave Smith and Chris Taylor also attended the National Championships at Leamington Spa as County Senior Fours champions in what was a centenary season to remember for the club.