WHITE Hart’s annual Needles Doubles Tournament on Saturday produced plenty of fine and competitive crown green bowling.
The event is normally held at the beginning of the season but was delayed by nearly six months due to previous pandemic restrictions on doubles matches.
Eight pairings contested the event and two of the four first round matches were very close encounters.
Neil Laxton and Elaine Meredith were 13-4 down to Tom Hawkes and Mike Hancock at one stage but fought back to earn a fine 21-20 victory, while Dave Edwards and Dave Kings also claimed a semi-final place with a 21-19 win over Graham Arnott and Brian Chatterley.
Kirk Wright and John Meredith had already secured their spot with an easy 21-5 win before Ian and Sheila Humphreys claimed their place with a 21-17 success over Phil Hemming and Mike Jeynes.
In the first semi-final Laxton and Elaine Meredith went 5-1 up against Edwards and Kings but could only score a single shot from the next seven ends to go 14-6 behind.
They rallied well over the next few ends but could not prevent a 21-15 defeat.
The other semi saw Wright and John Meredith dominate their match in much the same way as they had in the first round. Ian and Sheila Humphreys failed to find any consistent form and were comfortably beaten 21-5.
The final was a closely-contested match. At 8-8, Wright and Meredith then took three shots from the next two ends, but Edwards and Kings hit back with four shots from the next five ends to lead 13-12.
Their opponents then took seven shots in a row to lead and at 19-14 Wright was holding two to win the match when Kings produced a fine recovery bowl to take the end.
Despite taking two shots from the next end, it was two winning bowls from Kirk Wright which finally won the match for him and John Meredith 21-16.
