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County Arts Under 18 Junior Pairs
Dan (Mills) & Tom (Segolo)
On Sunday 13th March 2011 members of the junior team gathered at County Arts for the clubs Under 18 Junior Pairs Tournament.
Acle was once again well represented. If anything can be said about the juniors it is that they are competitive and willing to try in any competition they enter. As this was an open contest some of our youngsters were partnered by players from other clubs.
Dan ‘Spike’ Seabourne partnered James Segolo (County Arts), playing to defend their title. Dan ‘Millsy’ Mills paired up with Tom Segolo (County Arts) and Jessica Ward once again played alongside Sophie Blanche (North Walsham, but soon to be Acle). The all Acle teams were Edward Lambert and Jack ’ Hot Shot’ Larter, Lewis Moore and Matthew Dawson, Jack Brown and Alex Makepeace and finally but by no means least, the other two Potters Hot Shots, Owen Arnold and Thomas Cooper.
The format was 4 bowl pairs over 6 ends or 45 minutes with 6 groups of 4 pairs each playing three games. Group winners to go through to the quarter finals along with the 2 best runners up.
Jessica and Sophie were in Group A. They had a good start with a win 6-4 over Gallow however the second round was harder with strong opposition from Katherine Rednall from Ipswich and Suffolk and Bram Cross of Mid Suffolk. They lost the first end by 1 but took 2 on the second to move into the lead. Unfortunately their side of the score board saw no further action and at the end they lost 2-11. The last game was very different the girls stormed ahead to a 7-1 lead at the half way mark and finished 9-4 up. This gave Jessica and Sophie 4 points but with their second game heavy loss they didn’t have enough shot difference to get them through to the quarter finals.
Group B held the most interest for Acle as three of the pairs had Acle players involved. The reigning champions Dan and James with Lewis and Matthew and Edward and Jack. Spike and James started well and found themselves 5-1 after 3 ends, gained a 7 on the fifth and came out 12-3 winners over a pair from Gallow. This meant that the other game in this group was an all Acle contest. Edward and Jack took a 4-0 lead after 3 ends but steady play and determination from Lewis and Matthew took the game to a 7-7 draw.
The second round for this group saw Edward and Jack play Jake Briggs and Lee Johnson from Gallow. This was a close game with Ed and Jack holding the lead 3-1 after 4 ends they held their own and finished with another draw, 4-4. Daniel and James took on Matthew and Lewis. The skilled veterans were to much for the spirited youngsters and they beat them 17-3 and the story was the same when in round three they saw off a determined attack from Edward and Jack and took their third win. Matthew and Lewis did not have a lot of luck in their third game and where defeated 3-10 by Gallow.
These results meant that Daniel and James had 6 points and a quarter final place, Edward and Jack 2 and Matthew and Lewis 1. In some ways it was a shame that the experienced two were in the same group as the other two pairs. It is difficult to play against people you know and play every week at practice. What the apprentices have to do is learn from these defeats and remember is that it won’t be very long before the old guys are too old and if they keep playing with as much resolve other players will soon be dreading their names on a draw sheet.
The first round in Group C gave Millsy and Tom a bye as their opposition did not turn up. They were awarded a 10-4 win and played a few ends to warm up. At the start of their second round game hearts where in mouths when they dropped a 5, to a Mid Suffolk team, on the first end however those five were the only shots they dropped and they finished 20-5 winners. Round three matched them against Norfolk BC and by the third end they had established their dominance and where 13-0 up. Norfolk BC did pull back over the second half with the final score being 15-4. With all six points Dan and Tom were definitely through and were showing a dominance in their play.
Group D was where Jack Brown and Alex Makepeace played. Their first game was against Diss and at 3 ends they were level at 2-2. It was only the match experience of their opposition that finally beat them in a close 4-7 loss. The second round they won 5-2 and the third they drew 5-5 a brilliant performance when you consider that it was their first contest as a team and Alex has only been a member of Acle Juniors for 5 months. Their 1 win, 1 draw and 1 loss gave them 3 points not quiet enough this time but the future looks bright.
The final Acle pair was in Group E. Thomas and Owen meet a pair from Gallow and had a wonderful start winning the first end with 1 shot. Experience won over the next two ends and the score stood at 1-4 after 3, but then the young two where having none of being bullied and although they eventually lost, drew 3-3 over the next three ends making the final score 4-7. Their resolve unfortunately did not last and in the second round they lost 0-16 to a pair from Norfolk Bowls Club. The third game was again against a pair from Gallow and the Acle two fought well and got a magnificent 11-2 win. This gave them a points total of 2.
The Quarter Final draw saw Daniel and James play Diss and they swept them aside with a dominant 28-1 win. The same could be said of Millsy and Tom who beat a Suffolk Ladies player and her partner 14-1.
The semi finals were Daniel and James against Beccles. At the half way mark, Dan and James were 2-4 down but patience and skill saw them book a place in the final when they finally won. Dan and Tom played one of the Gallow pairs and at half way they were 5-1 up and at the end 9-6 winners.
This meant that it was a dead cert that a Dan and a Segolo or an Acle and County Arts player would win the contest as Dan Seabourne and James Segolo were to meet Dan Mills and Tom Segolo in the final over 8 ends. As Millse’s mum it is at this point that I must not appear biased, but Dan and Tom did play b****y well and by the penultimate end left James and Dan needing a 5 to win. They didn’t get it so the trophy went to a different Dan and Segolo from last year.
Well done Tom and well done Millsy but mostly well done everybody that put on and played in an Acle Shirt and I must not forget a well done to the parents for bring their off spring to every practice and every contest, Thank You.
Daphne Townsend
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