National Competitions
National Finals at Leamington Spa 2023
The Bowls England National Finals took place at Leamington Spa with representatives from Dorchester competing in 3 events.
Nick Voss and Jamie Lockwood qualified for the Men's Pairs starting Sunday 13 August 2023.
In their first game Nick and Jamie played Pat Smythe and Bob Mortlock from Sandown BC, Isle of Wight and ran out 18-15 winners. In the second game they faced Aaron Johnson and Ian Catchpole from Norfolk BC and were defeated 10-21.
Dave Smith, Martin Pavey and Steve Lambert-Culling played a strong triple Isaac Jenner, Lewis King and Harry Goodwin (Kent) in the Men's Triples on Wednesday 16 August 2023 and were defeated 9-26.
Dave Smith and Ged Costello played Chris Daniels and Pete Ward (Hampshire) the National Finals at Leamington in the Men's Senior Pairs and won 20-16. Unfortunately in the last 16 they were defeated 16-17 by Rick Clarke and Peter Webster (Yorkshire).
National Men's Competitions 2022
Adam Tidby and Dave Smith played at the Men's Senior Pairs Regional Playoffs at Ilminster on Saturday 6 August 2022. In their first game they beat Christopher Sherriff(Lilleshall Hall, Worcestershire) 19-11. In afternoon they were beaten by Neil Westlake(Clevedon, Somerset) 13-18 missing out on a place in the quarter finals at Leamington Spa.
Details of the Regional Playoffs can be found here.
Ged Costello played at the Men's Champion of Champions Regional Playoffs at Ilminster on Sunday 7 August 2022. In the first game he beat Scott Ashby(Nuneaton, Warwickshire) 21-11. In the second game he played Louis Ridout(Kings, Devon (South)) fresh from winning a Gold medal in the Triples and Bronze in the Fours at the Commonwealth Games. In a tight game Ged twice held match winning lies only to be see the ends killed by Louis, Ged went down 19-21 missing out on a place in the quarter finals at Leamington Spa.
Details of the Regional Playoffs can be found here.
National Men's Competitions
Well done to Adam Tidby and Dave Smith beating Jim Garner and Stuart Stephens(Branksome Park) in the Area Final of the National Men's Senior Pairs (Jim and Stuart were the 2021 winners). Adam and Dave now play at the regional Playoffs at Ilminster on Saturday 6 August 2022. Details of the Regional Playoffs can be found here.
Ged Costello travelled to Yeovil BC on Tuesday 26 July 2022 for the Area Final of the National Men's Champion of Champions where he beat Terry Priddle from Purnell BC Somerset 21-17. Ged now plays at the regional Playoffs at Ilminster on Sunday 7 August 2022. Details of the Regional Playoffs can be found here.
On Friday 29 July 2022 Dorchester C travelled to Greenhill BC to play the Area Final of the National Men's Top Club against a team from Poole Park. The evening started of well with Dave Smith winning the 2 wood singles 16-12 and Martin Puckett winning the 4 wood singles 21-12. As daylight faded Dorchester's hopes of victory diminished as the Pairs was lost 13-14 and the Triples went down 18-19 after a dramatic extra end. Leaving the Fours to decide the game, Dorchester went into the last end 11-14 down but could only manage to pick up 1 shot from an end played in near darkness. Therefore Poole Park won 3-2 and move on to the regional playoffs against Ilminster from Somerset.
On Saturday 30 July 2022 Harry Hovenden, Linda Hill, Barbara Smith and Ged Costello travelled to Blandford BC for the Area Final of the National Mixed Fours where they faced the Poole Park quartet of Rebecca Cresswell, Penny Cresswell, Ben Paulley and Perry Martin. Unfortunately the Dorchester quartet came off second best going down 9-24.
Dorchester C went down to Poole Park 29-31 in the Area Final of the National Men's Two Fours at Swanage on Thursday 21 July 2022.
National Top Club Competition
Dorchester played Lyme Regis at home in the area semi-final of the multi-discipline national Top Club competition and produced a fine performance which gained the County Town Club a 3-2 win and a place in the area final where they will face Poole Park.
Although the overall points score was close, Dorchester were always in the ascendancy as Dave Smith cantered to an 18-8 win in the two-wood singles against C Stevens and Nick Voss followed suit with a comfortable 21-9 victory playing P Pomeroy. The overall result wasn’t left in doubt for long as Dorchester’s George Aslett, Ged Costello and Steve Lambert-Culling were always on top in their clash with R Hunt, A Nabarro and S Pomeroy and eventually finished with a massive 27-3 success.
Lyme Regis did win the remaining disciplines in hard-fought matches as their S Dowling and C Barber battled to a 16-14 success against Martin Pavey and Adam Tidby and T Allman, R Gridge, A Weech and B Rattenbury edged past Dorchester’s Ed Smith, Geoff Ellis, Wayne Garnett and George Spracklen to win 18-4.
National Top Club Competition
In the National Top Club Competition, Dorchester’s senior team (Dorchester C) were drawn against Dorchester’s number two side (Dorchester A) on Wednesday 29 June 2022.
Although Dorchester C won this multi-discipline event by four to one, they by no means had it all their own way. Dorchester C’s Martin Puckett hung on to edge the four wood singles 21-18 playing Bill Ford after Ford grabbed a full house on the twenty-first end to close to within one shot and the A Team’s Steve Willsher was well in contention in his two wood singles tie with Dave Smith until late pressure from Smith saw him ease to a 17-9 win. Dorchester C’s Phil Lannon, Graham Cockett and Les Selby were ahead 14-9 in their triples contest with George Aslett, Martin Pavey and Steve Lambert-Culling when their match finished early following the A Team’s concession.
Dorchester C were victorious in the other two disciplines by convincing margins as their Jamie Lockwood and Adam Tidby finished 25-14 ahead of Harry Hovenden and Mick Durant in the pairs and Ged Costello, Jamie Roe, Wayne Garnett and George Spacklen cantered to a comfortable 19-9 success against Phil Goater, Dave Joslin, Alexander Wilson and Terry Cartwright.
Dorchester C now take on Lyme Regis in the next round.
The club enters teams in Bowls England National Inter Club Competitions, in 2022 the club has entered 3 teams in both the Men's Top Club and Men's Club Two Fours and a team in the Tony Allcock Trophy (Over 60s Mixed Two Fours).
The club also has individual entries in Men's Senior Singles, Men's Senior Pairs and the 2021 Club Champion Ged Costello is entered in the Champion of Champions event.
Details can be found on the Bowls England Competitions Portal
National Two Fours
Dorchester A lost to Bridport on both rinks of the National Two Four’s competition. Dorchester’s Graham Cockett, George Aslett, Les Selby and skip Dave Glanville were always in arrears in their clash with B Medland, K Brooks, B Shortland and C Thorne and they eventually succumbed to a 12-20 loss. It was a much tighter affair in the contest between the County Town’s Harry Hovenden, Dave Joslin, Mick Durant and skip Ged Costello and Bridport’s C Taylor, P Scott, B Jones and M Solomon but Bridport eventually battled to a 16-15 success.