Finals Weekend 2025
The first day of the Lilleshall Hall Bowls Club Finals weekend was held on Saturday in glorious sunshine, with four high-quality finals thrilling the spectators.
Cyril Davies Cup - Quentin Smith beat Rod Paybe 21-20
Club stalwarts Rod Payne and Quentin Smith contested a gripping final. Quentin established an early 10-4 lead, but Rod demonstrated his resilience, fighting back to level the score at 13-13 after 13 ends. The lead then exchanged hands multiple times in a tense finale. Rod was on the brink of victory, leading 20-19, but Quentin impressively claimed two shots on the 22nd end to clinch the title 21-20 and secure his first Veterans Cup success.
Tarmac Cup - Mark Kaleta (1) beat Peter Hancock (2) 21-16
The Tarmac Cup Handicap final saw Peter Hancock face Mark Kaleta. Peter, competing in the first of his four finals, began with a one-shot advantage. The match was tightly poised, level at 11-11 after 13 ends. However a spell of excellent play saw Mark pull away to a commanding 20-12 lead. Proving that the final shot is always the hardest to get, Peter mounted a spirited comeback. Despite this late pressure, Mark held his nerve to secure the single shot he needed on the 22nd end, winning his first trophy of the weekend.
Warburton Cup - Mark Kaleta beat Dominic Simcoe 21-20
The men's singles championship saw Mark Kaleta take on Dominic Simcoe. Mark started superbly, racing to a 13-1 lead. In a remarkable turnaround, Dominic found his form and expertly clawed his way back, levelling the match at 18-18 and eventually taking a 20-18 lead. With Dominic needing just one shot for a stunning comeback victory, Mark showed great fortitude to score two shots on the final end, winning the title 21-20. The match, a club record for the longest number of ends this season, was a fitting showcase for the club's premier singles competition.
Mike Caird Cup - Peter Hancock beat Mark Hussell 2-1 (8-12, 11-4, 2-0)
In the day's final match, Peter Hancock met Mark Hussell for the Mike Caird Cup, played over the best of three sets. Mark Hussell's high-quality drawing shots saw him take the first set 12-8. A determined Peter fought back strongly in the second, winning it 11-4 to force a three-end tie-break. The tie-break continued the high standard of play, with Peter winning the first two ends to claim the set and the championship for the first time.
Closing Presentations
At the conclusion of play, Competition Secretary Alan Harvey thanked all the finalists for their wonderful contribution to the day, the supporters and visitors for their passionate encouragement and the officials for their expert officiating. Club President Mike Caird then presented the trophies to the winners and runners-up, who all received warm applause from the crowd.
Day Two
The weather took a major turn for the worse with heavy rain coming about half an hour before the start of play, accompanied later by thunder and lightning. Two games were started - Clive Kimberley playing Mark Hussell in the QRS Cup and Mark Kaleta and Peter Hancock crossing swords again, this time in the Nuway Cup. Only a few ends were possible before the rain started puddling and the green was declared unsafe. Contestants and markers retreated into the clubhouse to join the rest of the members enjoying the cakes and scones prepared by Sheila and Mitzi.
Day Three
Finals Weekend concluded a day later than scheduled, as the Frank Richards Ladies Singles Final between Liz Caird and Mitzi Harvey was moved to Monday due to Sunday's adverse weather.
Richards Cup - Liz Caird beat Mitzi Harvey 21-10The match began under blue sunny skies, with the green playing remarkably well considering the amount of rain that had fallen over the previous 24 hours. Liz got off to a quick start, picking up a single on each of the first two ends. Mitzi, however, soon found her footing on the slick green, responding with two and three shots over the next two ends to lead 5-2. The high-quality contest saw a seesawing of single shots, leaving Mitzi with a slender 7-6 advantage after nine ends.
The momentum shifted dramatically as the skies darkened and a strong wind began to blow. Liz capitalised on the changing conditions, picking up a crucial nine shots over the next three ends to take a commanding 15-7 lead after 12 ends. The weather then decided to intervene more directly. A mixture of heavy rain and hailstones, coupled with strong winds, forced a temporary pause in play. The green quickly became sodden, with a danger of flooding once again. However, after a delay of approximately an hour, the sun returned. Following a green inspection, it was decided to continue the final to its conclusion.
The rain delay did nothing to dampen the players' quality of play though, with the jack being attacked regularly. Liz's steady performance saw her increase her lead to 20-10 on the 19th end. Despite a valiant effort from Mitzi, Liz secured the one shot she needed on the 20th and end, claiming the 2025 Ladies Singles title - her second win in the competition.
Before presenting the Trophy, President Mike thanked both players for their fortitude in such testing conditions and providing such a high quality final. President Mike then presented the trophy to his delighted wife!
Due to the sodden state of the green, the possibility of further rain, and the unavailability of players to arrange alternative dates, it was decided to delay the playing of the Pairs Shield, QRS Cup and Nuway Cup finals until a date to be determined in the early part of the 2026 season.
