Pavilion taste defeat in two national bowls championships

Carol Tillett, Jill Lay and skip June Lewis won their home game 22-11. Linda Patten, Heather Atkinson and skip Linda Farley lost theirs 23-11.On the away rinks, Mandy Hewitt, Diane Bartholomew and skip Esme Clough lost 19-14. Ange Gatland, Linda Carter and skip Gill Harrisson lost 17-12.Apart from Pavilion's four skips, the experience of playing in a championship run by the English Indoor Bowling Association was a new one for the ladies, who deserve credit for representing the club at this level.

Pavilion lost all five games in their match against Adur Indoor Bowling Club on Sunday, a defeat that ended the hosts' challenge in the Top Club championship at the first hurdle.The national competition is composed of two-wood singles for men and ladies, four-wood mixed pairs, mixed triples and a mixed rink.

The visitors arrived with a strong line-up, including England international Lorraine Kuhler, but Pavilion made a promising start when Sue Pearson built a 4-1 lead against Claire Stevens in the singles.

Stevens won five ends in a row to go 9-4 up, then Pearson took the next four to reduce the deficit to only one shot.

The lead never changed hands again, although Pearson pushed her opponent all the way before losing 21-16 on the 29th end.

Paul Ward also led in his singles but was quickly pegged back by John Godfrey, who took eight consecutive ends in going 13-2 up. Ward managed to prevent a rout, extending the game to 23 ends before falling to a 21-11 defeat.

Pat Edmonds and Simon Davey led 7-3 against Katherine Hawes-Watts and Jack Fairhall in the pairs after seven ends but Adur took the next six to move seven shots clear. Pavilion broke that run on the 14th end by scoring a single. They still trailed 14-8 when conceding defeat with the overall outcome of the match already determined.

Jeremy Simpson, Linda Farley and skip Jamie Dunk called time against Lee Cooper, Lorraine Kuhler and Paul Gandey after 11 ends when they trailed 10-7.Julie Woods, Esme Clough, Russ Doherty and skip Garry Olver endured a fruitless encounter against Rhianna Russell, Doreen da Silva, Richard Moses and Richard Dray in the fours. The Adur quartet won the first 11 ends, scoring two sixes, a five and a four in building a 27-0 lead. Pavilion broke their duck on the next end but dropped another two shots on the 13th and conceded when 29-1 behind.