Stars flock to Southwick for British Open championship

The recent British Open Championship took place in Southwick.
Singles champion Ray Bamford is presented his trophy by Quiller BarrettSingles champion Ray Bamford is presented his trophy by Quiller Barrett
Singles champion Ray Bamford is presented his trophy by Quiller Barrett

Reg Bamford (Surbiton) won the singles title for the 11th time while his opponent in the final, John Paul Moberly (Durham), teamed with Tobi Savage (Ramsgate) to win the doubles title.

Competition was kicked off with the doubles championship, where 20 pairs battled it out in two blocks.

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The top-two teams entered the knockout rounds and the remaining 16 pairs went for honours in the plate.

In the top half, Ian Burridge and Rachel Gee (both Nottingham) beat New Zealand duo Euan Burridge and Chris Clarke.

In the final Burridge and Gee succumbed to the power play of beaten singles finalist Moberly and Savage. In the plate knockout, Simon Carter and Peter Haydon (both Dulwich) beat Martin French (Ipswich) and Lionel Tibble (Northampton).

The singles championship involved 32 players competing initially in four blocks.

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The intention was that the top-two would go forward to the knockout stage but one block required a play-off between the four players in second place with four wins each.

Numbers whittled down to the semi-final stage and the first match pitched Moberly against Jose Riva (Spain) and it came down to the last hoop of the third game.

The other semi-final saw Bamford beat another former world champion, Stephen Mulliner, in two games.

Bamford took the first game of the final easily but slipped to a four-hoop deficit until Moberly made an important mistake which allowed Bamford to run out winner the 7-5, 7-5.

The third-placed finisher in each block competed for the bowl, which was won by Richard Bilton from Jose Alvarez-Sala (Spain).

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