64 – Reports from the 1993 Tournament
Former Champs Crash Out Of Bowls Tourney
While former champions crashed out in the early stages of this year’s Eastbourne Open Bowls Tournament, the local challenge, led by defending champion Terry Howard was still going strong. Victoria Drive’s Howard cruised into the fourth round with wins over E. Randall from Snodland and Oxford’s Ken Jennings. But last year’s runner up John Watson, from Ilford, went out in the second round to Esher’s P. Whatford. Similar fate befell the 1991 champion John Exton from Ewell as he bowed out in the second round to local favourite Len Bull from Eastbourne. Champion in 1990 Andrew Irons lost even earlier, in the first round, to the Redoubt’s Dennis Mackaway. Of the seven players who had booked their fourth round place in Section D on Monday night, six were local. Hampden Park’s Wally Ward and Vic Margetts, Victoria Drive’s Bob Stratford, Roselands’ Wally Wallace, Parade’s David Booth and Bull were all through to yesterday morning’s action. In Section C only four third round matches had been completed by Monday night, three of the winners being from the Eastbourne area. Eric Pilkerton from Gildredge Park, George Brown from Motcombe Gardens and Sid hall from Parade were still looking good yesterday morning. The completed fourth round draw in Section B included seven locals. Fishermen’s John Brunger and Redoubt’s John King faced each other yesterday morning but otherwise the surviving Eastbourne players all played visiting opposition. Steve Bain (Redoubt), Jim Preston (Motcombe Gardens), Jack Kent (Parade), Stan Aris (Redoubt) and defending champion Howard were all preparing for fourth round play yesterday. The locals did not fare well in Section A with only three reaching the 16 strong fourth round. Victoria Drive’s Roy Deacon and Derek Wells and Redoubt’s David Bratthammer flew the local flag. The pairs event starts this morning while the triples, which started yesterday continues tomorrow. The Mayor of Eastbourne, Mr Bert Leggett, got the tournament underway when he bowled the first wood on Monday morning. Six venues around the town are being used during this week to accommodate the 400 competitors. The tournament finals take place on Saturday.
End of the line for champ Terry
A new name will be on the Silver Challenge Cup after defending champion Terry Howard crashed out of this year’s Eastbourne men’s Open Bowls Tournament in Tuesday’s fifth round. Howard was beaten by South Norwood’s Colin Murray, but otherwise the locals were still going strong as the event entered the section semi-finals on Thursday. Nine of the last 16 surviving players were from local clubs. Victoria Drive’s Derek Wells was the only remaining local player in Section A and he faced Wokingham’s Frank Townsend on Thursday. In Section B Steve Bain from the Redoubt was the only Eastbourne player to reach the semis where he played Robert Cumming from Chislehurst. Section C was where the locals really took charge with all four semi-finalists coming from the Eastbourne area. Redoubt’s David Bain took on Victoria Drive’s David Weaver, while Seaford’s Tom Riley faced Sid Hall. David Booth from the Parade club reached the semi-finals of Section D where he had to play his club-mate Martin Biggleston. Ken Bailey from Hampden Park completed the list of surviving locals and he faced Lewes’s John Riddles on Thursday. Heavy rain on Thursday morning made life difficult for the bowlers but play continued and the tournament was still on schedule at Thursday lunchtime. The pairs event had reached the fifth round with five Eastbourne pairs reaching the last 16. Motcombe Gardens’ Jim Preston and Simon Riggs and Jack Kent (Parade) and Andy Bishop (Roselands) survived the early rounds in Section A. Meanwhile in Section B Princes Park’s Ken Hill and David Croft, Alec Burgess and Geoff McKeown (Parade) and Malcolm Fuller and Harry Fagg (Princes Park) kept the local flag flying. The finals of all competitions take place at Princes Park this afternoon, starting with the pairs and triples at 2pm, followed by the singles.
Sid Champ as locals rule the day
Sid Hall, of the Parade club, became singles champion at the 64th Eastbourne Open Bowling Tournament, sponsored by Langney Shopping Centre, at Princes Park on Saturday. Eastbourne bowlers took the first three places in the singles on a day when the sun shone and a good crowd enjoyed some fine bowling after four days of wet and dismal weather. Hall, who had played well all week, sailed through the semi-final against club-mate David Booth in the morning and in the final took the title with a fine performance against Derek Wells of Victoria Drive. In an excellent match, Hall was rarely behind. He was leading 17-13 when Wells drew level with a four, but he came back with a 2, 1, 1, to win 21-17. Wells had enjoyed a good week and bowled well to put out Bob Cumming from Chiselhurst in the semi-final. The play-off for third and fourth place proved a close and interesting contest, with Booth setting the pace but Cumming pulling back to lead 20-19. With his opponent laying game on what was to be the last end, Booth was fortunate to disturb the head and score two shots to win 21-20. The pairs title went to Trevor Brown and Doug Whetstone, of Lindfield, who beat Phil Gander and Lee Ashton from Brighton, 24-17, after an interesting game. In the semi-finals Brown and Whetstone beat brothers A. and G. Irons by one shot, 18-17, and Gander and Ashton put out the local pair Andy Bishop (Roselands) and Jack Kent (Parade). Bishop and Kent won the Coy Challenge Cups and a special prize for the Eastbourne pair going furthest. Things looked good for the Redoubt trio of John King, John Rose and Ken Hook in the triles final when they picked up five shots on the second end, but the success was short-lived as their opponents, D Brown of Tolworth, G Hughes of Chessington and E Chapman of New Malden, powered to a 19-9 lead at halfway and went on to win 22-12. In the semi-finals the winners beat George Brown (Motcombe), A. Hemmings and Cliff Taylor (Parade) and the runners-up put out M. Goodwin (Fishermen), J. Leckie and K. Bailey. At the conclusion, honorary secretary David Henderson thanked all who had contributed to the smooth running of the tournament and introduced the Mayor, Mr Bert Leggett, who presented the trophies and prizes.