Despite the pleasant outdoor weather conditions on Sunday, a very good crowd turned up at Cumbria Indoor Bowls Club to see the completion of the club’s domestic finals.

The Gents Pairs for the Rocca Cup went the way of the favourites Trevor Taylor and Stuart Airey. But their opposition, Steven Green and Graeme Vipond, put up a great fight before eventually having to give best.

The opening exchanges were fairly even, but a two on the 12 end saw Airey go 16-10 ahead.

By the 17th end, that lead had risen to 20-11 but Green and Vipond rallied, picking up a single and a count of four to pull back to 20-16 with two to play.

On the 20th end, Vipond had a chance to score a three or four but, despite Vipond’s vociferous exhortation, his bowl failed by the narrowest of margins and the title was Taylor and Airey’s.

ME Watson provided the trophy for the Men’s Restricted Pairs which saw Jack Harkness and Kevin Johnston facing Raymond Park and Bill Adam.

The younger pair looked to have a leading chance but it was Park and Adam who were hitting all the right notes for the first half of the game.

At one point they led 16-3, but things changed dramatically soon after and in no time at all, Harkness and Johnston were in the lead. Fitness and concentration both play their parts in bowls and it showed here.

The next few ends were fairly even but in the second half the younger pair just had the edge and held on to take the title, only just, despite some valiant attempts by Adam.

The late Joan Burbage provided the plate for the Ladies Restricted Singles and the final proved to be a very good game.

Jenny Poland, successful in the Mixed Fours final earlier in the week, led 8-2 but her opponent Joyce Westmorland, who won the title in 2002, fought back to lead 12-9.

After 15 ends Westmorland led 15-11, but after that, a drought set in and she was unable to add to her score for the next six ends.

By this time, Poland had taken her tally to 19. Westmorland came back with two singles but it was Poland who scored a brace on the 24th end to win 21-17.

In the afternoon, there were three singles finals completed.

The Gents Restricted Singles final between Stewart Gilmour and Melvyn Sallis could not be played because of unforeseen circumstances, more on that next week.

The Junior Singles saw two of the club’s up and coming players matched when Robert Carruthers met Daniel Pool. Neither player really showed their full potential on the day but both have already shown that, given normal progression, they can have a bright future in the game.

Carruthers held a narrow lead for most of the game and was 16-14 up after 18 ends. A three for Pool on the next end hinted at a possible change but Carruthers countered with a two on the next end to nose ahead once more at 18-7.

Pool rather fortunately levelled the game with a single on the next but Carruthers came back to lead 19-18 and then picked up the vital two shots on the 23rd end to lift the I Carruthers & DT Taylor Trophy.

The Gents Singles saw Trevor Taylor matched against John Baird, and it was Baird who had the better of the first few ends.

Baird had the better of one or touches, something which appeared to frustrate Taylor who was certainly not at his best.

Baird led 14-6 and Taylor scored 6-2 in the next five ends, but never really looked like getting his hands on the NP Currie Cup and it was Baird who ran out a comfortable 21-13 winner.

The Randall Memorial Trophy was the prize at stake for the winner of the Ladies Singles which saw Linda Rose facing Janice Gower.

Both players have played at international level but neither of them showed that sort of level on Sunday. Gower went away to lead 12-4 after ten ends but Rose began to improve and fought back to be just three shots adrift at 12-9.

Gower then collected a two, but Rose really began to blossom and scored six shots in the next three ends to take the lead at 15-14.

She then lost a three but replied with another two to go into the twentieth end at 17-17.

Just when it looked as though Rose might complete a tremendous recovery, a rather loose end saw Gower take full advantage and a count of four saw her home 21-17.

National Finals

The main interest this week is the playing of the national finals at Nottingham. Cumbria IBC was represented in the Over-60 Fours last Saturday but on the day Alan Carruthers, David McManus, Anthony Little failed to sparkle and went down in the first round to Paul Bret of Folkstone.

It was the turn of the Ladies on Monday but Linda Rose, Christine Wharton and Eleanor Gass went out in similar fashion in the Over-50 Triples, losing 22-8 to Tina Broderick of Wellingborough.

Looking ahead and Eleanor Gass will be hoping for better things, tomorrow afternoon when she plays the first round of the Senior Singles.

At 4.30, she will meet Rita Hodgkinson of North Cave.

Earlier in the day, Cumbria IBC will have John Crozier representing the club in the men’s Senior Singles when he meets Colin Mason of Bounds Green.

Crozier has already had two wins in this competition, the first of which was 15 years ago. He was beaten in the final in 2005, but took the title once again in 2009 and he will, as ever, take plenty of beating tomorrow.

On to Saturday and this is a big day for Cumbria’s county side, which will play Devon in the final of the Liberty Trophy, the game commences at noon.

Devon will be a hard nut to crack and their six skips are Sam Tolchard, Ryan Whitlock, Louis Ridout, Danny Denison, Ian Bond and Stuart Evans.

Three of their skips Ridout, Tolchard and Bond are in the top 20 in the national ranking list, a statistic which gives some idea of the quality of the side, though I have heard that some of the leading Devon players do not really rate the side as a whole. We shall see on Saturday.

Outdoor Bowls

The arrival of the County Handbook heralds the fact that the new outdoor season is just a few weeks away, and for three of Cumbria’s younger players, there will be something extra to look forward to following the decisions of the international selectors.

Abbie Bowe has been selected for the Junior Ladies Trial while Lewis Baxter and Adam Hocking have been named in the Junior Mens Trial with James Park as a reserve. Good luck to all of them.

County administrator Cyril Atkinson spoke to me last week and has asked me to mention that he has one or two places available on the County Weekend Tour to Leicestershire on July 14.

If interested, please contact him ASAP.

He has also asked me to mention that there are two alterations to HVP matches shown in the handbook.

The game against the English Civil Service on Friday, May 26 will be at Whitehaven NOT Fitz Park and the game against The Scottish Past Presidents on Sunday, August 20 will be at Wetheral NOT Annan.

Cyril continues to look after the Roland Starkie Tournament and has again done well to get 50 entries for the coming season, just one less entry than for the main County Triples Championship.

The first day’s play is on Monday, May 1, with the outdoor season not too far away, indoor members should be aware that the Cumbria Indoor Bowls Club will be open 9.00am to 2.00pm today after which the club will be closed.

If you need your shoes and bowls etc, please make sure to collect them before, otherwise it will be early May before you can get them.

Teams

Cumbria v Devon Liberty Trophy at Nottingham on Saturday at noon

Cumbria: J Harkness, R Gallagher, G Vipond, S Airey, T Prescott, L Baxter, M Nanson, I Gallagher, S Green, G Rice, J Wills, G Taylor, E Murray, J Walker, P Barlow, S Farish, R Carruthers, A Glendinning, R Graham, B Sherwen, K Harrison, P Wallace, J Baird, S Irwin