Raining champion: Andrew Croft retains his Men's bowls title between the downpours

Both the men’s and ladies’ champions endured an eventful run-up to their finals - Andrew Croft retained his title after illness and then bad weather forced the postponement not only of the Men’s Championship final (twice) but also his Terry Gasson Trophy contest, which he and partner Ken Starnes also won.

And Elsie Wilding defied cuts and bruises following a fall just days before finals weekend to triumph in both the Veterans and Ladies’ Championship competitions.

Marge Breading was also a serial winner, lifting the Sam Farmer Trophy, Handicap and Mixed Pairs, with partner Tony Jarvis, and was beaten by Wilding in the final of the Veterans competition.

Two debutants were successful – Mike McQuillan defeating Peter Huntley in the John Martin Shield and Mark Howell partnering Basil Larkins to success in the Drawn Pairs.

Another playing in his first final, Bill Mann, was runner-up in the Handicap.

Croft eventually played his Terry Gasson game with partner Starnes several days after the weekend matches, but rain forced a second postponement of his Men’s Championship final. Under leaden skies and amid frequent showers, he kept a cool head against Neville Dalton, playing in his first Men’s Singles final, to retain the trophy he had first won last year.

Nicola Coles was bidding to do the same in the Ladies’ Championship against Wilding, whom she had defeated in last season’s final. But there was no stopping Elsie, fresh from her Veterans 2-Woods success, and she cruised to victory to regain the trophy she had first won in 2021.

There were impressive comebacks in both pairs events. Larkins and Howell were trailing Coles and Stephen Banks 2-11 before recovering to win the Drawn Pairs 17-13. And Breading and Jarvis won the Mixed Pairs 24-21 against reigning champions Anne Bosman and Tony Ashby after at one stage being 1-9 down.

Results:Men’s Championship: Andrew Croft beat Neville Dalton 21-14Ladies’ Championship: Elsie Wilding beat Nicola Coles 21-8Handicap: Marge Breading beat Bill Mann (4) 24-17Veterans 2-Woods: Elsie Wilding beat Marge Breading 15-12Sam Farmer Trophy: Marge Breading beat Adie White 22-10John Martin Shield: Mike McQuillan beat Peter Huntley 21-16Drawn Pairs: Basil Larkins/Mark Howell beat Nicola Coles/Stephen Banks 17-13Mixed Pairs: Marge Breading/Tony Jarvis beat Anne Bosman/Tony Ashby 24-21Terry Gasson Trophy: Andrew Croft/Ken Starnes beat John Milsom/Stephen Banks 16-6