Pavilion bowlers win Bembridge Open tournament to retain title won by clubmates

In all, 48 members of Pavilion's touring club travelled to the Isle of Wight on the annual spring holiday from March 3-7.

The championship was contested by 32 teams of four, with Pavilion putting up nine teams while bowlers from two rival visiting clubs provided most of the others.

During two days of qualifiers, each team played four matches over nine ends on the indoor rinks at Warners hotel, after which the eight highest scorers progressed to the quarter-finals.

Three teams representing Pavilion reached the last eight, including the rink of Chris Cheeseman, Alan Cheeseman, Graham Morrey and Jonathan Gauntlett, who won all four group games. They defeated the rink of Helen Beale, Tony Beale, Graham Farley and Linda Farley in the qualifiers, thanks in no small measure to a wick from Gauntlett.

With three wins from four, Farley's rink qualified alongside a third Pavilion rink of Michael Bevis, Tim Baldwin, Francis Fahey and Alan Vidler, who also lost only one qualifying game.

Gauntlett's rink and Vidler's rink each won their first knock-out match to reach the semi-finals.

The greatest excitement was confined to the third Pavilion rink, who had to play a 10th end when they were tied after nine in their quarter-final.

In the sudden-death shoot-out they were two shots down with only the skips left to bowl. Linda Farley drew within six inches of the jack to give Pavilion a chance but that seemed to vanish when the rival skip drew even closer.

Not to be denied, Farley's last shot turned over her first bowl, moved the jack and secured victory, earning huge applause from the spectators.

That success guaranteed at least one Pavilion rink would reach the final. One became two when Vidler's rink and Farley's rink were victorious in the semi-finals, making the final an all-Pavilion affair.

The match was closely contested until Vidler's rink dropped a big score in trying to close the gap on their rivals. With Helen Beale and her skip on outstanding form, they scored a five on the eighth end and went on to win 13-5.