BEAMAN HAD TITLE IN HIS GRASP…. - Staffordshire County Crown Green Bowls Association - Staffordshire County Crown Green Bowls Association

BEAMAN HAD TITLE IN HIS GRASP….

Friday, 25 January 2008

By David Noble

Crown Green Supplement to World Bowls

November 1976

The Victor Ludorum of the Crown Green Bowling World ‘The Tom Thumb’ Championship was played at the Waterloo Hotel, Blackpool, on Saturday October 2nd 1976; a crowd in excess of 2000 people watched the final.

Gerry Sewell (Eccles) the Isle of Man champion was the first to be knocked out losing 21-2 to Keith Illingworth the British Parks Champion. R. Stanford of Sale found Denis Mercer (Stockport) and Barrat Oak winner far too experienced on this green and went down 21-10.

David Blackburn (Huddersfield) the Yorkshire champion and British Crown Green runner-up had a good start beating A. Higgingson (North Midlands) 21-17. Tony Poole (Shrewsbury) the Daily Express Hepworth champion had a struggle to beat Les Silie (Ogden St Bruno champion) 21-19. Keith Beaman (Staffordshire champion) just managed to get the better of Welsh champion Mervyn Williams wining 21-18.

John Milton Davies had a very awesome task against Noel Burrows (Lancashire champion) going down 21-5. Stephen Williams (Shropshire champion) found Reg Pointon just too good and lost 21-17. Roy price the Potteries champion had a well fought game with Bob Smith (Warwick & Worcester) the youngest competitor on view and won 21-17.

The semi-finals brought local boy Keith Illingworth and Tony Poole together in what was thought to be a titanic struggle and for a while it was. Poole, however gained the ascendancy and had a comfortable 21-14 win.

In the other semi-final Keith Beaman of Wolverhampton produced an excellent spell of bowling across the crown which soon had Roy Price in difficulty and ran out a worthy winner 21-9.

The final was one of the most competitive and entertaining games of the day played by two players who had broken the stranglehold of northern players on this green.

Tony Poole was soon into his stride and led Beaman 9-3. Beaman came back strongly to take a 14-13 lead only for Poole to level the scores at 14 across. Beaman once again forged ahead to 19-17 but then made a mistake which cost him the game.

Beaman’s lead to his favourite mark across the middle of the green was excellent, partially shielding the jack. Poole’s lead bowl was short and slightly off land. In an attempt to make sure of two points and lie game on Beaman overplayed his second bowl which cannoned his first bowl on to the jack and pushed the jack away to the right. This left Poole an opportunity with an open sight of the jack and he played a perfect second bowl to make the score 18-19.

At the following end Poole was short with both his bowls to give Beaman an opportunity to clinch the game however his second bowl was two yards overplayed.

With the score at 20-18 in his favour Beaman played cast the jack on an acute angle into the left-hand corner. A bowl a yard short would have been difficult to beat but Beaman’s lead was two yards through, Poole’s lead bowl stopped just short of Beaman’s to count. Beaman tried to take out a yard of his next delivery in doing so he left his bowl three yards short of the jack. Poole made no mistake with his second to level the scores at 20 across.

Poole decided to shorten the mark to about 24 yards in doing so his lead bowl was very short. Beaman’s reply just crept passed to win. Poole’s second bowl just passed Beaman’s led, in his excitement Poole slipped on the green and removed a divot both player went to the spot to repair the damage. Beaman returned to the mat knowing the championship was his with a length bowl anywhere within a yard of the jack. Unfortunately for him his second bowl ended short and Tony Poole clinched the title 21-20.

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