"Bowls Elegance: Haxby Road's Seventh Brian Bunce Trophy – Another Record!"

 

HAIL Haxby Road Bowls Club. For the seventh time they won the Brian Bunce Trophy after winning the 18th annual Double Triples competition run at Clarence Gardens.But while Haxby celebrated again, Clifton BC missed a gilt-edged chance to take the title for the first time.

Everything hinged on the final round of games and the match between Clifton and Haxby Road with Clifton having nine points and a +27 shots difference and Haxby on seven with +32 shots difference. On the handicap system Clifton had three shots’ start for each triple.

But in an amazing start Clifton’s six-shot “lead” became a deficit of four after the first of 18 scheduled ends.

John Butler, Ron Newton and skip Gary Bunce started with a two against Peter Waddington, Bill Gore and Andrew Fothergill before Phil Reeves, Kev Butler and John Stroughair bagged an eight against Alan Harrison, Vic Wooley and Ian Styles.

After ten ends Haxby’s Stroughair led 24-6 and Bunce 18-7, but Fothergill’s trio rallied to win 27-20.

However, Stroughair’s triple won 31-14 for Haxby Road to take the title on shots difference. Their other squad members were Tom Haldon and Steve Cain.

Clifton were to rue their penultimate duel against Clarence Ladies, losing a significant lead and an aggregate points loss which was to prove costly in their title tilt.

Also at Clarence Gardens, Gary Bunce qualified for the 2012 EBA Champion of Champions tournament.