The Potters Cup Weekend at Hopton-on-Sea produced a tremendous Norfolk v Suffolk clash in the final.
Carlton Colville's Ann Rawlings, Margaret Barley and Laurie Rawlings faced Hempnall's Bernie Cudden, Joan Cann and Paul Baker in front of an appreciative watching audience in the International Arena.
A tight opening end saw the umpire called in to measure, resulting in Baker's triple taking one shot. A superb backhand draw by Baker took shot on the second end to give the Norfolk-based triple a 2-0 lead, which then became 4-2. Baker was again in tremendous form on the fifth end to level at 4-4 when again the Suffolk triple had looked likely to collect valuable shots. This seemed to lift Baker's triple on the sixth end as they took a 6-4 lead.
With his triple continuing to struggle on the next end Laurie Rawlings played two attacking bowls which cut the deficit to just one shot. On end eight, Baker's forcing shot failed to rescue them and they dropped four shots to trail 9-6 going into the final end.
Needing three shots to force an extra end was always going to be difficult for Baker's triple and the way the final end developed never gave them the opportunity. Baker held just one shot when he stepped up to play his last bowl and he was unable to add any more shots leaving the Carlton Colville triple celebrating a Potters Cup victory.
In the Potters Shield final, County Council's Lewis, Owen and Rob Cranston were in brilliant form as they raced to a 20-1 win against Pat High, Carol Taylor and Alan High of Seaxe in Essex to add this win to their Potters Cup victory of last year.
The Potters Cash Pairs provided its usual share of competitive games and by the time it came to the last session just two pairs were on maximum points – Barbara and Colin Hadler and Paula and Julian Scales. It all went wrong for both pairs then as they both suffered defeats. Owen and Rob Cranston won with nine points and +33 shots while Windows pair Brenda Sizer and Keith Halford came runners-up with nine points and +14 shots.
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