The 'Pub On The Prom' Sponsored Over-60s Open Pairs got underway at the Great Yarmouth Bowls Festival yesterday.

The last of the 11 events which make up the annual three-week seafront bowls bonanza began with a round robin stage. Teams play in groups of four, each playing three games of 12 ends.

Last year's winners Ian Morris and Peter Duke are safely through to today's second group stage, though the men from Lincolnshire lost a match in the process, only winning their group on shot difference.

There will be no return to the final, however, for last year's runners-up Roy Pooley and David Mann after the local hopefuls failed to progress. Although they won their last game they paid the price for a defeat and draw in the other two.

D Smith & K Saward (Bradwell) won all three of their three games 16-13, 12-8 and 17-5 for six points, as did Chris Ward & D Brawn. P Groom & J Hardy (Wymondham Dell) won 14-12, 13-7, 12-6 in their three matches.

Over-60 singles winner Ian Platford, partnered by B Lyon, has hopes of a title double after winning his three games 10-7. 16-5, 17-9.

A Dunton & C Boon not only won all three games but returned the highest shots difference score on the day – plus-38.

Other qualifiers as group winners were D & E Cowie, V Thrower & P Allard, B Manning & M Beeton, J Malcolm & E Macdonald, N Gant & T Jermy, Jim Downie& T Bingham, R & L Duff, P & L Hazelwood, G Scott & T Want, B Hubbard & K Breame, C & R Southwood, T &P Eaglan, T Izzard & M Haydon.

Play will begin at 9am today under the same format – eight groups with the group winners going on to tomorrow morning's quarter-finals, when play will again start at 9am.

The final is due to start at around 1.15pm before the Mayor performs the Festival's closing ceremony.