Club Competition Finals 2024/5

With the winter season coming to an end attention turned to the club competition finals, with five sessions spread over Friday evening and the weekend the majority of the finals were completed.
Tony Nisbett had a very busy time at the finals, playing in all five sessions, the best out of the five though was the last one as he took on Doug Pitcher in the Over 60s Singles. Pitcher got off to a good start, quickly leading 5-1 but Nisbett pulled back an took a 10-7 lead. The pair kept exchanging blows, neither managing to break clear of the other. With the scores level at sixteen all a single and double took Nisbett two away from victory but Pitcher replied with a double and single of his own to level things nineteen all. A pair of singles sealed the victory for Tony Nisbett 21-19 in a truly epic clash.
Tony was joined by his wife Sue, Judy and Gerry Magan in the Open Fours to take on Wayne Kilsby, Becky Lever, John Kilsby and Nigel Hewitson. Magan’s four made a good start, 6-1 up after five ends, Hewitson and co scored a double but Magan took their advantage to ten shots at the midway stage. The game spun on its head over the next four ends as Hewitson score a single, seven and five with a single in reply to lead 16-14. The sides exchanged singles before a pair of threes took Hewitson and co eight clear with one end to play, needing a miracle Magan and co could only take a single, Hewitson’s four winning 23-16.
Tony Nisbett and Gerry Magan were joined by Colin Hall in the Men’s Triples taking on Chris Chapman, John Barnet and Oliver Fowler. After six ends Fowler’s trio held a four shot lead but a double and five swung the game in Magan’s favour, another good spell saw that advantage turn into a ten shot lead with five ends left. Fowler and co halved the deficit over the next two ends but Magan’s three took it back to ten with a five, Fowler took a penultimate end double but Nisbett, Hall and Magan finished with a single to win 24-15.
Oliver Fowler, Andy Fowler, Keith Mason and Ewan Mason took on Doug Anderson, Jim Dean, Geoff Tysall and Pete Dymond in the Men’s Fours and made a good start to lead by nine after six ends. With ten ends played Dymond and co had reduced the deficit to three but then dropped a treble on the next end. Dymond’s rink scored a couple of singles but a pair of doubles and a treble took the Fowler’s and Mason’s to a 22-9 victory.
In the first of two encounters Maureen Edwards took on Jane Redfern in the Ladies Two Woods. Redfern quickly moved 4-0 up but Edwards scored seven unanswered shots to move 7-4 ahead, Redfern dug in to clear the deficit and move five shots clear. The pair exchanged shots to leave the score 18-13 to Redfern who then took a single and double to win 21-13. The Ladies Championship saw the pair resume their battle, this time it was Edwards that made the early running to lead 7-2. Redfern cleared the deficit and moved a shot clear before going on a scoring spree to lead 19-10. Edwards scored a treble but Jane Redfern completed the double over Maureen Edwards with another 21-13 victory.
Jane Redfern teamed up with Yvonne Bromfield to take on sisters Julie Smith and Kim Tubb in the Ladies Pairs and they recovered from a first end four to lead by three after eight ends. A pair of fours, treble and single swung the game in the favour of Smith & Tubb, 18-9 after twelve ends. Redfern & Bromfield took a double but dropped a six to see the deficit increase thirteen with four ends to go. Redfern & Bromfield took a brace of doubles and a single but called it quits after the penultimate end, Smith & Tubb winning the Pairs 24-16.
Before heading off to join the Warwickshire Juniors in the National Under 25s Double Rink final Jacob Mills played Graham Farrell in Men’s Two Woods Finals, he raced away to a 6-0 lead but Farrell hit back to reduce the deficit to two and the pair kept exchanging shots as the score reached 9-7. Another good spell took Mills 16-8 ahead and then through to victory 21-9.
Sue & Tony Nisbett were in action again taking on Kim Tubb & Howard Wilkins in the Mixed Pairs final. A balanced start saw the Nisbett’s one up after four ends, they then put on a scoring spurt to reach the eleventh end fourteen shots up. A treble and double knocked a bit off the deficit but Sue & Tony Nisbett completed the victory 21-10.
Unfortunately, two finals had to be cut short due to players poor health. Tony Nisbett and Gerry Magan were 16-0 up when Dave Furness & Doug Pitcher had to concede in the Over 60s Pairs, while in the Men’s Pairs Oliver Fowler & Ewan Mason were 12-1 up when Wayne & John Kilsby had to call it quits. 

​The three remaining finals of the club that couldn’t be played over finals weekend were completed on Wednesday night.
Fresh from finishing runners up in the National Under 25s County Double Rink with Warwickshire brothers Jacob and Thomas Mills faced each other in the Junior Singles final, which is made up of two sets of seven ends. With five ends gone Thomas Mills held a one shot advantage and took the first set with a couple of singles. Three ends into the second set and Thomas was again a shot up but Jacob took a double to move ahead. Thomas Mills scored a brace of trebles to win the title 2-0 in sets, set scores 6-3 and 8-3.
The Mens Championship saw Geoff Tysall take on Oliver Fowler and a tense start saw neither player break clear, the score 5-5. Tysall then took advantage moving five shots ahead, Fowler hit back but Tysall managed to keep his advantage to lead 16-11. A single and brace of trebles saw Fowler clear the deficit and move two shots clear, the next end he took a double to move within a shot of winning, a good final end saw him take the shot he needed to win 21-16.
Father and son Keith & Ewan Mason faced the grandad and grandson duo Doug Pitcher & Cormac Sheehan in the Related Pairs final. The first six ends saw five singles and one tied end, Sheehan & Pitcher holding a slender lead. An impressive spell saw the Mason’s add nine unanswered shots, a double and single brought the deficit down to five but the Keith & Ewan Mason sealed the victory with a pair of singles and a five, final score 18-6.