ECBA Carpet Bowls Festival 2013
Monday 13th to Friday 17th May 2013

This was the 10th anniversary of this event and even though numbers had dropped slightly it was still very well supported.

All participants were given mementos to mark the occasion as a thank you from both Potters and the E.C.B.A.

There were 50 rinks, 96 pairs and 113 singles entered into the three competitions, once again the standard of bowling was very high with representation from 11 different counties.

Prize winners came from 8 different counties and the finals were won by 3 different counties with new winners in all three disciplines.

In the Singles final Martin Campbell from Sunderland was trying to win this title for the fourth time in a row but Paul Cousins from Suffolk was a worthy opponent and after a somewhat shaky start soon began to show why he had reached the final. This was a really good match with some real quality bowling and Paul deservedly won the match to end an incredible run for Martin but he should be very proud of his achievements in this competition.

The Pairs final was contested by Laurence and Sarah Pullar from Cambridgeshire and David and Linda Williams also from Cambridgeshire both of these couples also play for the same carpet bowls club. While David and Linda started in fine form Laurence and Sarah were unable to re-produce the scintillating form that had seen them get to the final nevertheless they played their part in making this another good final with David and Linda running out as winners.

The Rinks final was between Colin Yarham, Ruby Risebrow, Maureen Fletcher & Christine Spencer from Norfolk and Janice Miller, Audrey Slowther, & Rene & Blanche Barnett from Durham.
This was the pick of the finals nip and tuck all the way with a very high standard of bowling, both of these rinks have supported this event since the start and either one would have been worthy and deserved winners but in the event the Durham rink won it on the last end to bring to close the proceedings for 2013.

After a lot of soul searching I had decided that this would be the last time I would run this event, not an easy decision but I feel the time is right for me to move on to other things.

The support myself and this event has received over the last ten years has been nothing short of magnificent and is greatly appreciated by myself the ECBA and Potters leisure resort.

Hopefully we have found the right person to take over the running of this competition and I sincerely wish Rita Daniels the best of luck in taking on this task.

I will miss everyone connected to this event it has enabled me to meet many new people some of which have become friends over the years, sadly some are no longer with us but always in our thoughts.

The event will continue and I sincerely hope that it still receives the support it has done in the last ten years, I wish Potters the ECBA and most of all the bowlers all of the best for the future and a big thank you to you all.

Tony Cuthbert
ECBA Chairman
May 2013

Singles

Winner: Paul Cousins (Suffolk)

Runner up: Martin Campbell (Sunderland)

Pairs

Winners: David & Linda Williams (Cambridgeshire)

Runners up: Laurence & Sarah Pullar (Cambridgeshire) Both the winners and the runners-up are from the same club (Over)

Rinks

Winners: Blanche & Rene Barnett, Jan Miller, Audrey Slowther (Durham)

Runners up: Christine Spencer, Maureen Fletcher, Colin Yarham, Ruby Risebrow (Norfolk)

A list of the event's previous winners can be found here.

updated 22/05/13