England enjoy home comforts Llanelli triumph is their first success in the Home International Series since 2003

England regained the Hilton Trophy for the first time since 2003 when they won an exciting Home International Series in Llanelli, the result of which was in doubt until the last bowl of the three days action.

Indeed, no fewer than three of the four countries finished the series with two wins out of three matches and four points ensuring that shots difference would determine the destination of the title.

The English opened with a win over an Irish side that led for much of the contest before comfortably disposing of Wales in their second game. They went into their final fixture against defending champions Scotland with a 100% record and with the Scots requiring a 21-shot victory to retain the title they won last year in Belfast.

An opening evening win over the Welsh had been followed by a surprise defeat at the hands of the Irish but, with Scotland having shocked England less than 24 hours earlier in the Calcutta Cup rugby clash, hopes were high in their camp of delivering a ‘double whammy’ to their southern neighbours.

And that looked very much on the cards just after the halfway mark in the match when the Scots held a 24-shot lead before England rallied and went two shots in front with most people in the Selwyn Samuel Centre assuming they would go on to record their third success in a row.

However, back came the men from the north and, in a tense and closing few ends, they held a 15-shot advantage before going into the final end of team captain Graham Robertson’s tie with Graham Shadwell needing seven shots to triumph. With ‘Robbo’ having one bowl left to deliver, the Scots rink lay five shots but a brave attempt by the skip to force a seven handed England a single and the title. It was a first title success for former world No.1 Andy Thomson since replacing Tony Allcock as team captain and his joy was evident.

He and his world No.1 successor Greg Harlow won all three of their matches as did the evergreen Willie Wood now a sprightly 67 years young and still playing as well as ever.

Ireland went into their last match on the final day with a chance of completing an indoor-outdoor double and winning a first indoor series but their victory over Wales was not by enough shots to keep them in contention. They were dealt a blow before a bowl was delivered in their opening contest when world-ranked Jonathan Ross, one of their key skips, had to withdraw as his flight back from a business trip to Turkey had been delayed.

The host nation, winners of the Hilton Trophy in Perth in 2004, finished with the wooden spoon losing all three matches. One plus point, however, was a winning debut at skip for Port Talbot’s Jonathan Tomlinson, while Cardiff’s Jeff Webley put in a real captain’s performance to defeat Gary McCloy’s rink
34-8 in their closing game.

Final Results
England	109	Ireland	98
Scotland	106	Wales	87
Ireland	120	Scotland	114
England	129	Wales	86
Ireland	110	Wales	98
Scotland	114	England	101

 

 

 

 

Final Series Results
1          England
            (4 points for 339 shots against 298 – +41 shots)
2            Scotland
            (4 points for 334 shots against 308 – +26 shots)
3          Ireland
            (4 points for 328 shots against 321 – +7 shots)
4          Wales
            (0 points for 271 shots against 345 – -74 shots)

_________________________

England reign supreme in ladies’ indoor scene
The ladies’ third win in a row underlines their present dominance in indoor competitions

England emphasised their current dominance at indoor level in women’s bowls by winning a third successive Home International Series in South Shields in April.

On paper, they looked too powerful for all their opponents and that is exactly what their young and talented squad proved to be as they eased to victory in all three matches to retain the Clara Johns Trophy.

In their opening clash with the ‘Auld Enemy’ Scotland, the English girls took control from the off leading 41-16 after five ends and staying in front for a comfortable success. They won on four of the six rinks through skips Ann Lennie (Eldon), Jayne Roylance (North Walsham), Wendy King (Swale) and Ellen Falkner (City of Ely). Jean Sykes (Auchinleck) and Lynne Stein (East Fife) skipped the winning Scots rinks.

However, Ireland, chasing a first ever title success, scored a surprise win over Wales in their first game to mount what would prove a short-lived challenge to the defending champions.

On day two, England maintained pole position in the title race by seeing off the challenge of the Welsh by 27 shots before easily accounting for Ireland by 48 shots in their final match.

Meanwhile, Scotland stormed back into contention with a massive 73-shot win over the Irish in their second outing. However, there was controversy when the Scottish selectors dropped Commonwealth Games star Linda Brennan after just one outing along with Josephine Williamson.

Scotland continued in a winning vein in their final fixture against Wales, emerging victorious by 126-104, though the rink skipped by Ayrshire ace Jean Sykes came in for good-natured banter when dropping a maximum count of eight shots in their clash with Maureen Williams. However, Sykes, who finished the week with a 100% record, had the last laugh, edging the contest 25-24.

Other skips whose rinks won all three games included England’s Ellen Falkner, Wendy King and Jayne Roylance together with Scotland’s Lynne Stein

 

Final Series Results