The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Spalding Indoor Bowls Club’s Matt Whyers and Graham Smith helped England to a record-equalling sixth consecutive British Isles men’s senior international series win over the weekend.
Whyers and Smith were selected as a front end players in a rink with Perry Martin (Swale) and current world men’s singles champion Robert Paxton (Exonia) as skip at Llanelli Indoor Bowls Club in Wales.
Spalding’s Stephen Harris was also selected to travel as reserve, but did not get his chance to play on this occasion.
In the first match of the series, defending champions England faced enthusiastic hosts Wales, who had much to prove in front of their home crowd.
Despite a spirited start where Wales managed to hold the strong England team for a few ends, the favourites soon pulled away and were 65-33 up by ten ends.
This was extended to 93-45 by 15 ends before England won on five of the six rinks and secured a comfortable 140-87 win.
Whyers and Smith had an impressive 24-11 rink win against a rink skipped by 2018 Commonwealth Games pairs gold medallist Daniel Salmon (Cardiff).
The other game of the day saw Scotland beat Ireland, 121-106.
Next up, England were strong favourites against Ireland. In a similar fashion to the Wales game, Ireland managed to stay within touching distance and, although England were always in front, they finally broke their opposition at around 15 ends where they extended their lead to 92-67 before a final score of 124-93.
Whyers and Smith made it two rink wins from two for the weekend with a 21-11 win against Ireland’s Gary McCloy.
Scotland comfortably dispatched Wales (143-88) to set up a winner-takes-all-match between the old enemies.
On the final Saturday of the series, the crowd were warmed up before the main event as Ireland won a close match against Wales 111-104.
The early exchanges were controlled by England and by ten ends, they were 65-49 ahead.
It was at this point where Scotland showed some fighting spirit and, by the 17th end, they actually went narrowly in front (98-96).
The lead exchanged on a couple more occasions, but England responded well and finished strongly as they secured a 12-shot win (123-111).
Whyers and Smith went down 15-20 on their rink against an in-form set skipped by five times world men’s singles champion Paul Foster MBE.
However, they have been part of the same rink for the last six series and the record from this series extends their record to an amazing 15 rink wins from 18 appearances.
