Spalding Indoor Bowls Club round-up
A sensational season is getting better and better for Spalding Indoor Bowls Club.
They have continued their remarkable run of national success by winning the Denny Cup for the second time in three seasons.
The club has already seen their Lightning team win the national mixed Top Club title and the Under 30 double triples team also taste glory.
The addition of the Denny Cup is a further feather in Spalding's cap as it is considered to be the top inter-club competition and the final against Torquay United had some of the country’s best players on show.
Lightning started strongly and soon built a significant lead, mainly thanks to the rinks skipped by Jordan Philpott and Dominic McVittie who raced into 20-0 and 13-1 leads against England stars, Sam Tolchard and Jamie Walker, respectively.
Spalding were as many as 30 shots ahead and, while Torquay United showed their battling qualities to reduce the deficit to 17 at one stage, the lead proved too much as Lightning won by 27 shots (92-65) and the cup for the second time.
Rink scores: Dan Mills, Ollie Jeapes, Graham Smith and Mathew Orrey won 26-14; Lewis Parnell, Martin Simpson, Martin Spencer and Dominic McVittie won 29-17; Kevin Ekins, Nick Wilkie, Simon Lilley and Jordan Philpott won 22-12; Stephen Harris, Brian Martin, Ean Morton and Tristan Morton lost 15-22.
Success on the national stage then continued with a terrific triples triumph for the ladies trio of Ruby Hill, Chelsea Spencer and Annie Dunham.
They followed in the footsteps of men's national singles champion Dominic McVittie by winning the ladies national triples title.
Hill, Spencer and Dunham had qualified for the event after winning the crown in 2021 and following it up with the British Isles title in 2022 so would have been considered as one of the favourites.
In the last 16, they had a relatively comfortable 19-7 win against a team from Egham and followed it up with a 19-16 success against Hartlepool who had won the national fours title only the week before.
In the semi-final, Ruby, Chelsea and Annie had to battle hard against a team from the host club of Nottingham.
At one stage, they found themselves 12-2 behind and went into the last end two shots adrift.
The Spalding girls held their nerve to pick up three shots, win the match 19-18 and book their place in the final where they would face a team from Lakenheath skipped by England international Anna Chalk and which also included former Spalding member Lauren Finbow.
The match was streamed on EIBA TV and Ruby, Chelsea and Annie started well by picking up seven shots on the first end which would have relaxed any early nerves.
Although the Lakenheath team contributed to a high quality final, the Spalding girls proved too strong as they won the final 26-16 and lifted the national ladies triples title for the second time. They will also represent England at the British Isles Championships next season.
The run of victories shows no signs of abating after the Spalding ladies team lifted the Trudy Bates Trophy for the second consecutive season.
They travelled to Sleaford to play Lincoln in the Trudy Bates final after they won the County South Division this season.
Spalding started slowly as they found themselves 17 shots behind at five ends but they battled hard and, by the halfway stage, the match was level.
This continued for the rest of the match and Spalding were two shots in front with one rink left to finish.
Betty Deaton and her rink kept their cool as they consolidated to drop one shot which meant that Spalding won the match 72-71 to beat the North Division champions.
Rink scores: Sue Jackson, Sue Slayven, Trish Stafford and Maggie Wheatley won 26-9; Ann Newbury, Michelle Billingsley, Petrine Ault and Betty Deaton won 25-17; Carole Nunney, Hazel Tokley, Mandy Parkins and Julie Hicks lost 13-22; Jan Sinclair, Anita Phillips, Sandra Hammond and Maisie Belding lost 8-23.
