CLUB SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIP

for the Len Matthews Trophy

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The 2022 edition of the championship started on the morning of Monday 4th July with eighteen bowlers, drawn into groups of three.  Each bowler played two twelve end matches and marked a third.  The six group winners, plus the two best runners-up and the one competitor who had been given a bye went forward to the second round held two days later.  So, on Wednesday morning, with nine bowlers remaining, the same format was in use.  This time, the group winners plus the best runner-up qualified for the semi-finals which were played the following morning.  In longer, eighteen end matches, Peter Barker played Mark Richards and Nick Gooch played Geoff Worrall with Mark and Geoff emerging as winners.

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The final was played on Friday afternoon with the temperature climbing into the thirties and the spectators trying to find what shade they could..  The first seven ends produced single shot results and with victory going to the first bowler to score twenty-one shots, regardless of the number of ends played, it looked as if it might be a long match.  However, Mark then opened a seven shot lead only for Geoff to score six in the next two ends and almost get back to level.  Once again Mark drew ahead to lead eighteen shots to eleven after eighteen ends.  On the next end, Geoff was possibly three shots and match down before producing a superb draw to stay alive.  Once more, he cut Mark's lead over the next few ends until, in the twenty-seventh end, Mark finally scored the shot he needed to win twenty-one to nineteen.   It had been a great match and, as in 2021, it was a shame that there had to be a loser.

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Thanks go to all those who helped organise and make the competition a success and to Robbie Hubbard and Ian West who acted as markers for the semi-finals and to Dave Thomson who did the same for the final.

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The 2022 champion Mark Richards on the right with Geoff Worrall and Robbie Hubbard who presented the trophy in John London's absence.