Dorset Ladies Pairs Champions
Sue Bird and Gill Bryceson represented Swanage Bowls Club in the Ladies County Pairs Competition. Their first game at Broadstone Wessex started their winning streak. The next two games against a different pair from Broadstone and then West Moors were very close and down to almost the last bowl of the game for a win.
Sue remembers the tension as they played the quarter finals “we played at Lyme Regis against Blandford when again it was down to the very last bowl to make sure of a win.”
The Semi Finals were played on the same day at Lyme Regis against probably their toughest opponents from Poole Park. The scores were all level going into a very tense last end. Gill said “We took a slender lead but needed to protect it while the opposition fired 3 times attempting to remove our holding shot. Although they succeeded in removing two of our close bowls, we still held on to one shot to win the game. We were both thrilled to win.”
The Final at Dorchester against Sherborne was scheduled for Saturday afternoon 22 July at 3pm. Nerves were intense for the excited supporters from Swanage Bowls Club especially as the rain was lashing down. Gill and Sue were relieved in the end when the game was postponed until Sunday morning. On Sunday the sun shone and a very vocal bunch of supporters cheered Sue and Gill all the way through the match.
The game started well and they managed to take a good early lead which they held until the end. The opposition from Sherborne conceded on the 17th end as it was impossible for them to win on the last end. Sue and Gill told us that “We overcame our nerves to win 19 shots to 9. We were again both thrilled with the result and will now go on to represent Dorset in the National Finals to be held at Leamington Spa on August 15th.”
The National Finals are the pinnacle of bowls and Leamington Spa is a wonderful place to play. Some of our Club will be there to cheer Sue and Gill on and whatever the result at Leamington Spa, Swanage Bowls Club is immensely proud of them.