Southam United come out on Top again thanks to Tredgold heroics

Southams Heather Tredgold in action against Gloucester Spa. Picture submitted

In extremely hot conditions, Southam United came away with an excellent 2½ to 1½ success.

Patsy Tandy got Southam off to a fine start, winning a hard-fought singles 21-15.

Velisa Brown and Rosemarie Geden came up against a very strong pair and had to battle to claw back a 27-15 defeat.

Meanwhile, Chris Cooke led her rink of Marie Bromwich, Sue Thornicroft and Wendy Jeffs to a comprehensive 34-16 win which included a rare hotshot of eight on the second end.

This left the result depending on the triple of ladies’ captain Heather Tredgold along with Sandi Couchman and Mal Eaton.

In a fluctuating contest they gained a 13-13 draw on the final end to set up a clash against the winners of Devon versus Somerset in the next stage.

Meanwhile, 16 club members took part in the Gill Dunne Gala with club captain Denis Ward beating Janet Thornley in the final.

Thirteen years after featuring in Warwick Boat Club’s triumphant Warwick Town Triples side, Sylvia Murray made a long-awaited return to the winner’s enclosure alongside Vivienne and Bryan Griffin.

The trio beat Boat Club 2nds in their semi-final on home soil, with Murray skipping a 14-9 victory over Tony Jeffs, Jean Smithard and Marjorie Aplin.

Boat Club came up against John Harris, Mike Preedy and Pat Harris in the final after the Potterton’s trio eked out a two-shot victory over WCC (Neville Quirk, Roger Talbot, Dot Talbot) in their last-four clash.

A dramatic final clash looked like going the way of Potterton’s, who despite trailing 17-14 on the final end, held six shots.

However, Murray’s last wood took the jack well past the Potterton’s woods, and stayed with it, ensuring an 18-14 win for Boat Club in the competition’s 100th year.

At the Bowls England Women’s Nationals, there were first-round defeats for both Lillington’s Sue Hornsby in the fours and clubmate Jenny Corn in the senior pairs.

Corn and Elaine Taylor battled through a preliminary round clash with Suffolk which they won 24-15 before bowing out 29-24 to Dorset.

Hornsby, Dianne Thurlbeck, Chris Ward and Hazel Goodman went down 24-15 to Huntingdonshire B.