David Cornwell House, Bowling Green, Leicester Road, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire LE13 0DA
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S.A.Rodwell e-mail: sar@eiba.co.uk
REPORT
ON FINALNational Under 25 Singles Championship Final 2001
The games of the First Round were played on Rinks 4, 7 & 8.
Rink 4 saw Neil McKee (23)(Kingsthorpe), the U25 England International Team Captain, playing Lewis Moore (Browston Hall), who was celebrating his 15th Birthday. He must have felt that he had won the game when he stood 20 -11 after 21 ends. However, over the next five ends his opponent Neil proceeded to take a 1, 1, 3, 4 and a 1 to win 21-20.
On Rink 7 two U25 England Internationals Matthew Marchant (20)(Victory) and David Bolt (22)(Sunderland) were locked in battle. Again we saw a player with a "winning lead" of 20 - 10. On this occasion, although David took three 3's in succession he still lost to Matthew 21 - 19.
Just when the spectators thought that there could not be any more excitement, over on Rink 8, another two U25 England Internationals were playing. Steve Collingham (20)(Gedling) held a winning lie of 4 shots, only to see Treve Evans (19)(West Cornwall) draw the winning shot with his last wood and win the game 21 - 17.
In the Semi-Finals played on Sunday morning, Neil McKee recovered from being 19 - 10 down after 16 ends against Norman Worley (20)(Paddington), by scoring on the next seven ends to win 21 -19.
In the other game, Simon Jones (16)(Desborough-Maidenhead) recovered from being 13 - 8 down after twelve ends, by taking eight of the next ten ends and winning 21 - 18 against Matthew Marchant.
The Final took place on Sunday afternoon, with both players having now qualified to play for England in the World Indoor Bowls Council (WIBC) U25 Singles Championships later this year.
Neil McKee, a Financial Analyst from Northampton who had previously reached the Quarter Finals of this Championship in 1996 and 2000, played Simon Jones, a Trainee IT Sales Executive from Bracknell, Berkshire, who had been an U25 England International Trialist in 1999 & 2000.
After 10 ends the Final was even at 11 - 11. With four singles in succession, Neil built up a lead of 15 - 11, only to drop a three on the 18th end to make the game again all square at 16 - 16. Despite this set back, Neil proceeded to then take the next three ends to win the Championship 21 -16.
D N Brown S A Rodwell