The County Championships for the 2026/27 season got underway with the Over-55 Pairs competition, as 14 teams arrived at the new county venue, Freedom at GL1.
The venue gave everyone the opportunity to experience the mat-on-mat format. However, the mats played rather better than some might have expected!
The teams were split into two groups of eight and six, with each pairing playing three round-robin games in the morning. The top eight teams then progressed to the knockout stages.
The Ripple pairing of Monica and Mike made light work of both Sharpness teams on their way through the competition. Monica, in particular, gave a superb demonstration of lead bowling. End after end, her perfectly weighted bowls, often finishing with a slight trail on the jack, gave her pairing a competitive advantage.
Meanwhile, the Whaddon pairing of Julie and Mark Beaven faced Phil and Jan from Kingsway in the semi-final. The instruction was to keep it tight, and they certainly did! After the first two ends, just a single point had been scored, setting the scene for a tense encounter.
The final between Whaddon and Ripple proved equally gripping. With the score at 6–7 heading into the last end, the question was whether Whaddon could pick up the point needed to force an extra end or find a way to win outright.
In the end, Monica and Mike held their nerve to take the title!
Congratulations to Monica and Mike of Ripple, the first County Champions of the 2026/27 season. And well played to Julie and Mark Beaven of Whaddon, who pushed them all the way in a cracking final.
A great start to the county championship season!
Next event Pairs Championship : 18th October GL1
See you there, Chris Evans
