The annual East Coast Over 50's Short Mat Bowls Week at Potter's Resort in Hopton-on-Sea saw bowlers travelling from Durham in the north to Kent in the south to compete in this popular tournament at the home of bowls.

When the East Coast Triples, the main event of the week, reached the semi-final stage there were two Kent triples, one North Yorkshire triple and one Norfolk triple still standing.

Brenda Sizer, Diane Boswell and Mike Boswell of Windows were still flying the flag for Norfolk and they faced North Yorkshire and Easingwold triple Sally Roocroft, John Pennock and Roger Green.

Boswell's triple had a bad first end dropping three shots but with one end to play had built up an 8-4 lead and added three on the final end to clinch their place in the final.

In the other all Kent semi-final Whitstable's Lynn Hall, Barbara Hadler and Geoff Hall were 3-0 up after two ends against defending champions Pauline Friel, Peter Richards and Tony Friel of Woodpeckers. Friel's triple staged a great recovery though to reach the final once again with a 10-4 win.

In the final the defending champions started well taking a 3-0 lead on the opening end after Mike Boswell failed to retrieve a difficult situation with a weight shot. A good bowl by Diane Boswell stayed in place on the second end to gain the Norfolk triple their first shot of the final. Friel's triple looked set to take the third end until a great second bowl by Mike Boswell cut the arrears to 3-2 but after a loose start by both leads on the fourth end Friel's triple took a 4-2 lead.

Brenda Sizer drew in a superb wood on the next end and added to the pressure drawing in another. Peter Richards took one of her woods out with a fire shot but Mike Boswell drew in again to level the game at 4-4. Boswell's triple looked set to take the lead on the sixth end but a last wood fire shot by Tony Friel put his triple back into the lead by 6-4. Boswell's triple needed a good penultimate end but it was not to be as Pauline Friel, Peter Richards and Tony Friel all drew bowls into the head. Mick Boswell took out one Kent bowl with a firing shot but he missed with his last attempt and Friel's triple took an 8-4 lead into the last end.

Boswell's triple had a mountain to climb on the last end but it only got steeper as the Kent triple drew in some lovely bowls into the head. Boswell opened up the head with weight with his first bowl and drew shot with his last wood but it was Kent who were left celebrating with an 8-5 win to retain the East Coast Triples Cup.

In the third place play-off Geoff Hall's triple beat Roger Green's triple 9-3.

The East Coast Pairs event provided an all Kent final as Tony Drew and Roy Toms of Aylesford & Chalk faced Peter Richards and Tony Friel of Woodpeckers.

Friel and Richards took three shots on the first end and led throughout to record a 6-4 win and achieve a triples and pairs double. A super wood by Tony Drew took the jack into the ditch on the last end to decide the issue.

In the third place play-off Terry Thorpe of Coronation, Norfolk and North Yorkshire's Paul Whitcombe beat Pauline and Mac McCallum of Durham 7-4.