Parkway add to Hunts triumphs after winning the Bowls England national fours title

The Parkway rink of Ean Morton, Simon Law, Stuart Popple and Tristan Morton have won the Bowls England national fours title at Leamington.

They defeated a rink from Kent 22-17 in the final following a morning 14-11 semi-final victory against a rink from Leicestershire.

The Parkway rink took command early on in the final, scoring ten shots in the space of three ends to lead 13-3 after six ends, and they added a four count later on to make certain the Kent team were kept at arm’s length.

It completed a successful few days for the Hunts contingent, with Lewis Baker and Nick Brett winning the pairs and Rebecca Moorbey the junior singles.

Hunts may be one of the smaller counties affiliated to Bowls England, but to claim three national titles in the space of eight days was a terrific achievement.

But hopes of a Brett family national pairs double at the Championships were dashed when Nick’s daughter Chloe was beaten in the semi-finals with Parkway colleague Rebecca Moorbey.

Although scoring seven shots over the last four ends, they had too much ground to make up on Suffolk pair Tracey Johnson and Joanne Rowe, and were beaten 15-18.

The defeat came less than 24 hours after her Nick, in partnership with Brampton team-mate Lewis Baker, won the men’s pairs title.

Following on from the pairs success Moorbey, who shares her time between the Parkway and Brampton clubs, was crowned women’s junior singles champion.

Beaten finalist in 2016, she went one better this time when defeating Somerset’s Olivia Starr 21- 15 in the final.

This success followed victories against Sussex 21-4, Devon 21-19, Somerset 21-18 and Norfolk 21-10.

It’s her second national title in successive championships having teamed up with Brett’s daughter Chloe to win the junior pairs last year.

They made a determined bid to retain the title, but were beaten in the semi-finals.

The women’s four, containing three generations – Pat Reynolds, daughter Emma Thurston and granddaughter Keira Thurston along with Michelle Coleman – lost their opening match 20-11 to Warwickshire.

**Bourne pipped Deeping BA Owls by three points to win Division Three of the Peterborough & District Bowls Club 55 League.