There were celebrations abound for Pateley Bridge this week as two of their newest and brightest stars clinched the coveted Pairs Merit Title. With skill and consistency Adam Varley and Tony Brown bowled their way through a host of Division One bowlers to claim their first ever major title.
Varley/Brown got the day going with a real battle against current Wilf Shaw champions Carl and James Bushby. The Busby’s lead throughout the whole game with Varley/Brown never nearer than 4 chalks. With the game standing at 20-16, Varley and Brown put in two terrific ends scoring a 2 and a 3 to clinch the game from the jaws of defeat. The one and only time they were ever in the lead was at 21 which shows some great determination and perseverance.
Next up were Bilton Clubmen John Jennison and Stuart Worsnop against Wayside’s Steve Cochrane and Ian Kennedy. The clubmen took an early lead but the game remained fairly close until 10 across, when Jennison\Worsnop took control with an 8 break giving them a good advantage. Cochrane/Kennedy fought back with a good run bringing the game to 19-19. With the Wayside pair lying game, Worsnop bowled the final wood of the match. It was certainly worth waiting for as he picked up the Jack with pin point accuracy pushing it through to score two and deservedly taking the game.
Two to the pre match favourites took to the green next. Defending Champion Brian Walker paired with son Stephen against the experienced Martin Hemmingway and Alan Whittaker from Black Swan. Hemmingway/Whittaker controlled much of the match keeping themselves ahead in this competitive game. At 19-14 down Walker/Walker put in a good fight to get back to 18 before losing out to an excellent finish by Hemmingway.
Billy Bowers’s reigning champions and last year’s losing finalists Richard and Adam Briggs were next up against Dacre’s Julia Heaton and David Brockhill. It was a good solid performance by the Briggs who are coveted as one of the strongest pairings in the region.
In the first semi-final Varley/Brown certainly faced a tough battle ahead against the experienced Jennison/Worsnop. It was a commanding performance from the newcomers however who enjoyed some good ends including three three’s and four pairs which helped them onto a great 21-12 victory.
It was a similar tail in the second semi as Briggs/Briggs faced Hemmingway/Whittaker. Briggs took early control of the game which they maintained throughout. With a commanding performance Briggs/Briggs booked their spot in the final with a 21-14 win.
And so it was to an exciting final where Varley/Brown had undoubtedly their toughest battle of the day as they faced Briggs/Briggs. The Almscliffe pair took the first three ends scoring singles and settling in early. Varley/Brown took the Jack however and followed up with a great 4 which helped settle the nerves and get them started. They built up a good 14-8 lead before Briggs/Briggs pulled the game back to 14-13.
With everything to play for and the game hanging on a knife edge, a couple of cracks started to appear in the Briggs armour. With father Richard giving some sound advice, son Adam overruled in what turned out to be a couple of poor decisions that turned the course of the game.
Fortune favours the brave, and bravery on the green is certainly something young Briggs doesn’t lack. Lying one on, Adam took the gamble to turn over his bowl and fire at the opponent’s nearest bowl. A tactic, had it come off, that would have given them 3 chalks rather than just the possible two a safe draw would have offered. Unfortunately he hit his own leading bowl leaving them down.
It wasn’t a gift that Varley/Brown were going to squander, with a great four end run the Nidderdale lads wrapped things up with a terrific couple of singles, a pair and a great 3 chalk finish to clinch their first major title and get the Pateley celebrations underway.
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