Bowlers reach national finals

MC Glass-sponsored Park, whose men's fours and mixed fours reached the national stages last year, have this year qualified in the mixed fours and in the under-25 singles.

Sue Gunston, Geraldine Friola, Charles Wright and skip Peter Gunston will be the county's representatives against Warwickshire in the first round at Northampton on February 14 after a nail-biting 17-16 extra end defeat of Adur's Sandra Godfrey, Jean Bridle, Chris Rose and John Godfrey.

Stuart Holland jnr, meanwhile, will travel to Nottingham on February 5-6 in the singles following an equally dramatic sudden death area final victory over pairs partner Kevin Carrie on Friday.

The area mixed fours final at Wealden IBC on Monday could not have been a tighter game with both teams playing top class bowls.

Adur led 9-2 at seven ends, but the Bexhill team took their opportunity to level at nine-all after 12 ends. Adur then looked to have the match won when they opened up a 15-9 advantage, but Gunston's team showed great resolve and levelled again after 19 ends. A brilliant draw by Godfrey gave Adur a one shot advantage after the next end, but Park scored a last end single to force sudden death.

The shot changed hands from ball to ball on the extra end, but Godfrey, who had bowled brilliantly throughout, moved the jack a couple of inches in trying to close out the game and gave the shot to Park.

Wright, who along with Friola will be making his first appearance in the mixed fours finals, said: "I felt we showed great mental toughness to come back and stick to a game plan. Your ability to stay cool in the clutch (situations) depends on how well you can learn to read your physiological signals."

Bexhill College student Holland, 16, won the final two of three play-off ends to book his second national final appearance after he and Carrie, with whom Holland has reached the fifth round of the national pairs, had each won one set and the other was drawn.