2024/25 champions: Bill Kell, Gavan Ebsworth, Sergio Sanabria, Colin Tremlett; Insets: Mitch Brown and Neville Palmer
Final
Sergio Sanabria, Bill Kell, Colin Tremlett, Gavan Ebsworth beat Ian Ellis, Brian Barron, Les Mikowiec, Len Paterson 26-16
Group ASkips P W L D F A PtsNeville Palmer 2 1 1 0 53 32 2
Barry Whinfield 2 1 1 0 35 37 2
Bob Barsden 2 1 1 0 28 37 2
Group BSkips P W L D F A PtsLen Paterson 2 2 0 0 45 28 4
Ivor Thomas 2 1 1 0 31 32 2Alan Arter 2 0 2 0 22 39 0
A TEAM containing two substitutes - Sergio Sanabria and Gavan Ebsworth - lifted the Fours crown against the only team with a 100 per cent record from the two groups of sectional play.
Both subs had excellent games and along with Bill Kell and Colin Tremlett they more than made up for the absence of Mitch Brown and Neville Palmer, arguably the two stars of the rink, as they beat rookie Ian Ellis, Brian Barron, Les Mikowiec and Len Paterson 26-16.
Len's team won only five of the first 16 ends but found themselves just three behind at 15-18 with five ends still to play. However, the outcome was determined on the 17th end when Len, with the backing of his team, went for a risk or reward shot, trying to drive the jack to the back of the rink. If successful Len's men would almost certainly have taken the lead. Instead, he took out their nearest bowl and left the opposition with six shots.
Now nine behind, Len was poised to get at least four back on the next end only for Gavan to draw shot.
With a deficit of ten shots, the players shook hands on the penultimate end, having entertained a surprisingly large crowd.
NEVILLE PALMER, singles and pairs champion in his first season, now has the chance to add the fours to his name after his rtink reached the final from the brink of elimination.
Having lost to defending champion Barry Whinfield, Neville and his team of Mitch Brown, Bill Kell and Colin Tremlett found themselves 8-2 adrift to Ray Bedford, Bill Nicoll, Fred Emmerton and Bob Barsden. From the position of strength on six ends, Bob's men fell into a heap with one solitary shot on the 16th end as they went from top to bottom with a 9-25 defeat.
Mitch, who missed the first game, will again be absent for the final against rookie Ian Ellis, Brian Barron, Les Mikowiec and Len Paterson, who were engaged in a four-hour marathon against Peter Cutten, Merv Davies, Greg Boyd and Ivor Thomas.
Both teams had beaten the Alan Arter rink so it was winner tales all and initially it looked as if Len's men would stroll through to the final at 13-4 on seven. However, with Merv pulling off some remarkable shots and Ivor finding his firing accuracy the score was more evenly poised at 13-10 on 11.
Both skips kiulled an end and with one to go it was a tantalising 18-16 before, at around 5pm, Ian, Brian, Les and Len took three shots for a 21-16 victory in which they had led for all 18 ends.
BARRY WHINFIELD kept his hopes alive of becoming champion skip for the second year running by winning his second game against Singles champion Neville Palmer and his team of Sergio Sanabria, filling in for Mitch Brown, Bill Kell and Colin Tremlett.
Barry and his team of Chris Beaney, the only other member of last season's successful side, Brian Binney and Les Kempton, now have to rely on Neville's men beating Bob Barsden's rink, which will then decide who tops the group on shot difference with all three in the mix.
Barry's team dropped a five on the second end and trailed 6-11 on eight before 13 shots in the next five ends put them in the driving seat for a 23-18 victory.
The other section will be decided between skips Len Paterson and Ivor Thomas, both of whom have defeated a strong looking Alan Arter rink.
With Ivor's team sitting this one out, Alan's side of Ian Edgar, Eddie Eation and Lindsay Marsh had to win to stay in contention. They started brightly in taking a 12-7 lead on 11 ends but then never scored another shot as Len, newcomer Ian Ellis, Joe McKenna, substituting for Brian Barron, Les Mikowiec and Len finished the remainder of the game in great style to take the game 24-12.
BARRY WHINFIELD, champion skip from last season, suffered an astonishing collapse from a lead of 12-1 on ten ends to go down 19-12 to the Bob Barsden rink that turned the game on its head after taking a four on the 11th end.
There was no stopping Bob, Ray Bedford, Bill Nicoll and the in-form Fred Emmerton.
Barry, with only Chris Beaney from last season's success still in the team, left the green shell-shocked along with Brian Binney and Les Kempton.
The competition has been split into two groups of three with the winners playing off for the title in a final that will be played alongside the ladies, which also kicked off yesterday,
In the other group, the Alan Arter rink that looked stronger on paper, with a team of Ian Edgar, Eddie Eaton and Lindsay Marsh, were all square at 10-10 on 15 ends before Peter Cutten, Merv Davies, Greg Boyd and Ivor Thomas finished on a high note to win 15-10.
