Bowls: Three-sy does it as Evans trio bowl to victory

Mar 27 2008 by Our Correspondent, Merthyr Express

BOWLS

MERTHYR Tydfil's John and Julian Evans reached their second national quarter-final this season when, with their father Ray, they won their second and third round matches in the Welsh Triples.

They had to be patient as their first game against Bro Myrddin’s former British Isles Champion Mal Bishop lasted the maximum four hours.

In a tight game, the Merthyr trio just edged ahead with a three on the penultimate end to lead 17-14 and, with the time almost up, managed to edge a single on the last.

Having to go back on to play the next round immediately, they showed great steel to lead all the way against international Gareth Thomas’s Dinefwr three, but had to survive a scare on the last when the former junior British Isles Champion, at five behind, narrowly missed a chance of making a six with his last bowl, leaving the Merthyr triple winners by one.

They now face Rhondda’s Chris Ashman, who with junior stars Jarrad Breen and Mark Thomas, devastated Merthyr’s Steve Batten with an extra end win after they had trailed 14-0.

Batten had demolished former UK Singles Champion Steve Rees in the first match but also had to go straight back on to face the Rhondda team, who were fresher having received a bye in their second round.

Batten, with Liam Stone and Craig Humphreys, got off to a flyer but got stuck on 15 while his opponents pegged back and grew in confidence.

At the extra end stage, Batten played a superb drive with his last bowl to scatter his opponents’ three shot bowls, but one of the Rhondda bowls stayed in the head to leave him game down.

There was equal disappointment for John Downey, Richie Ahrens and David L Davies who beat Cardiff's world number 20 Richard Morgan in the first game and had the benefit of a break of four hours before playing Radnor’s Clive Martin.

The Merthyr triple started well and led 15-6 at the halfway stage but had three consecutive bad ends to trail 17-15. They managed to get in front, playing the last end 18-17 up, but, at game down, had to trust to luck when Downey’s last bowl just managed to bump one of his own bowls to force an extra end.

On the sudden death end, Ahrens managed to ditch the jack with his last bowl but the Merthyr triple could not beat Radnor’s closest bowl on the edge of the ditch and lost 19-18.

Radnor now play Ogwr’s Les Harris who were conquerors of Merthyr’s other triple (Paul Hayden, Roger Harvey and Andy O’Sullivan) in the first game.

Results, second round: Les Harris (Ogwr) 20, Paul Hayden (Merthyr Tydfil) 5; John K Evans (Merthyr Tydfil) 18, Mal Bishop (Bro Myrddin) 14; John Downey (Merthyr Tydfil) 25, Richard Morgan (Cardiff) 15; Steve Batten (Merthyr Tydfil) 26, Stephen Rees (Swansea) 10. Third round: John K Evans (Merthyr Tydfil) 17, Gareth Thomas (Dinefwr) 16; John Downey (Merthyr Tydfil) 18, Clive Martin (Radnor) 19; Steve Batten (Merthyr Tydfil) 16, Chris Ashman (Rhondda) 17.