Extra-end defeat for bowls trio in the national semis

Judith Moody, Olive Wells and Mary Johnson.

The trio were competing at the National Ladies’s Triples and Pairs finals at Nottingham.

Olive, Judith and Mary qualified after winning the Area Four final.

Their first draw was against Ipswich, the ladies winning 21-10 after Ipswich conceded at the 17th end.

Having proceeded to the quarter final the trio won 22-7 after 15 ends.

Judith, Mary and Olive went into the next day’s semi-finals where they met the Norfolk team.

It was neck and neck for the whole match, ending in a 14-14 score after 18 ends.

The Norfolk team, including four-time World Bowls champion Katherine Rednall and fellow internationals, won by one point on the extra end and eventually went on to win the national title.

Mary and Olive Wells also competed in the Ladies’s Pairs, defeating Egham 22-5 after 14 ends.

They then proceeded to the quarter-finals to met Swale, winning 16-11 after 18 ends.

Mary and Olive met Katy and Lucy Smith from Westlecot in a close match, with the Horncastle pair leading 13-11 at end 13.

However, their England under 25 opponents pulled out all the stops and went on to win 13-20.

Horncastle played host to the County Men’s semi-finals where the Horncastle trio of Paul Bark, Keith Jackman and Lee Boucher competed.

However, they were beaten 22-8 by Spalding trio Matt Whyers, M. Spencer and G. Smith.

Horncastle Men’s LIBA Over 60s team hosted Louth in a close match that Horncastle went on to win by 103 shots to 93, 14 points to 4.

Rink scores: N. Rodgers won 30-14, J. Bontoft won 27-19, S. Avison won 21-17, D. Ladlow lost 11-26, N. Burton lost 14-17.

The LIBA Mixed team played host to Louth in another close match, with both teams sharing the aggregate points following a 92 shots draw.

Horncastle, however, won on only one rink and lost on four so lost the match by 14 points to 6.

Rink scores: T. Nunn won 31-13, C. Starsmeare lost 15-17, K. Taplin lost 14-17, J. Scholey lost 19-23, P. Scholey lost 13-22.

The ladies’s Trudy Bates team played their last game of the season against Scunthorpe.

Horncastle played very well and won by 122 shots to Scunthorpe’s 82.

Horncastle won on four of the five rinks and took 14 of the 16 points on offer.

Rink scores: J. Taplin won 20-18, Jean Hoyles won 24-14, P. Scholey won 33-17, L. Main lost 12-24, J. Moody won 33-9.