Last updated at 12:23, Thursday, 24 July 2008

Cumbria's hopes of further success in the Middleton Cup were washed away at a soggy Kirbymoorside when Nottingham came out on top by 11 shots.

Conditions were far from perfect but few people would blame them as much as the performance of many of the Cumbria side who failed to sparkle on the day and saw what was almost certainly an inferior Nottingham side come out on top. Make no mistake this was a game which should have been won but it is no good just being the better side, that side has to produce the goods on the day and on Saturday they did not.

Stephen Farish and Ben Sherwen both skipped their fours to six shot wins while Stuart Airey finished all square. These results however could not cover the five shot defeat for Ian Gallagher. The eight shot defeat for John Bell and the ten shot loss of Rick Gallagher.

Alsop Cup: At Edenside the Alsop Cup result was merely academic but the side did show a positive attitude and earned a good 18-4 win by 21 shots overall. Craig Phillips won by nine and Paul Irving and Peck Orchard were both six shot winners. Peter Metcalfe got home by four while Jim Hynds and Rupert Cox both went down by just two shots each. The result saw Cumbria finish in second place in the Alsop table twelve points behind champions Northumberland.

Armstrong Trophy: Cumbria’s third team is currently holding up the rest of the league but has a chance to improve on previous disappointments when taking on Lancashire at Appleby on Saturday at noon. Both Durham and Northumberland and just three points in advance of Cumbria and a good win at Appleby could see us move well up the league. The selected side which continues to have its emphasis on youth is shown below.

County finals: For a variety of reasons County Finals Day had its programme decimated and only the Roland Starkie Fours and Two Wood Singles were completed. Rick Gallagher continued his love affair with the Two Wood Singles winning the event for the fifth time in the last seven years after a semi-final defeat of Graham Shepherd and a final win over Paul Wallace who had earlier beaten Mark Irwin.

In the Roland Starkie victory in a closely fought affair went to the Whitehaven four of Ryan Prince, Noel Christopher, David Blackmore and Alan Prince who defeated Walter Bracken of Penrith.

The final of the fours which was played on Monday evening proved to be a dramatic affair with an exciting finish for the spectators. At halfway it looked to be something of a one horse race as national champions Danny May Ian Airey, Richard Chandler and Stuart Airey had opened up a 21-6 lead.

However it was all to change as Ian Gallagher’s four picked up a single and a count of seven followed by a five to leave them just two adrift after seventeen ends. The champions struck back with six shots on the next two ends and an eight shot lead should surely have been enough but it was not Gallagher scored another five on the penultimate end and on the last end laid three shots with one bowl to play a bowl which stopped just four inches short of being a match winning delivery. On the final end after twelve of the sixteen bowls the jack was shifted to the side of the rink and in the virtual two wood singles between Airey and Gallagher it was Airey who came out on top to keep up his four’s long winning run. The final of the Under 25 Singles between Lewis Parker and Danny may was being played last night while the pairs and triples finals have yet to be completed.

Carliol League: Subscription has extended its lead at the top of the Thursday table to seven points after beating Holme Head 8-2 whilst nearest pursuers Brampton could manage only a draw at British Rail. Courtfield move into third place after winning 8-2 at Edenside while Dalston drop to fourth after having a bye last week. In the only other game West End moved up one league place after beating Stanwix 6-4.

In the Friday league Dalston saw their lead reduced to seven after beating second placed Stanwix 6-4. Stanwix moving up as a result of beating Brampton 6-4 in a rearranged fixture. Brampton’s scheduled fixture saw the win 8-2 at Subscription and the two results saw them move into third place. West End is in fourth spot after winning 6-4 at Currock while Subscription drop to fifth. Courtfield beat Edenside 8-2 and are joint sixth along with Wetheral who won the local derby against Linton 6-4.

Under 18 Mixed Singles: Keswick Fitz Park is staging a Junior Singles event on Monday August 4th which will be played as a Round Robin Tournament rather than knockout which will give all competitors a series of games. Entries by telephone to Vic Emmerson on 01900 823112 no later than Friday August 1st.

Commonwealth Games: Bowls England has announced that Wigton’s John Bell, above, has been appointed as Commonwealth Games Co-ordinator for the 2010 games in Delhi. Several other staff have as yet to be appointed to train the squad for the games.

The pursuit of excellence is to be encouraged but at a time when the game itself is struggling for cash and participants it may seem madness that so much money is to be spent preparing a small number of bowlers for what was once regarded as a truly amateur event.

Of course, bowlers should realise that the funding comes from Sport England and not Bowls England. Nevertheless it is still public funding and I for one would much rather have seen the money used to promote the game itself, an improvement in facilities and particularly playing surfaces is desperately needed if the game is not to fade into oblivion.

I am not aware of the actual budget but of course if the four home countries alone are all doing a similar excercise then something well in excess of a £250,000 is likely to be spent. A lot could have been done for the game at grass roots with that kind of cash injection.

Cumbria v Lancashire Armstrong Trophy Appleby Saturday July 26 noon. A Hocking, G Allan, L Parker, R Au, JD Park, M Bowman, J Fieldhouse, D Baxter, Mk Hodgson, G Shepherd, D Balfour, R Dent, Mat Hodgson, A Newstead, J Barber, S Beattie.

First published at 11:46, Thursday, 24 July 2008
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk