The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Spalding duo Martin Spencer and Steve Hill have become only the second-ever Lincolnshire team to win the pairs title at National Bowls Championships.
Spencer and Hill, who represent Royal Mail Cart locally, were representing their county at the Leamington Spa event having won through a host of qualifying matches throughout the season.
They are the first LIncolnshire duo to win the pairs since 1981 and will now represent England at the British Isles Championships – also at Leamington – next year.
In the first round, Hill and Spencer faced Mitchell Cooper and Chris Hitt from Berkshire. At the half-way stage, the Royal Mail Cart pair found themselves only two or three shots in front, but they pulled away in the second half of the match and secured a 22-12 win.
The second round match against Scott Lepley and Alan Hutchinson from Hertfordshire followed a similar pattern. After a closely fought first few ends, Hill and Spencer were expecting a tough match. However, a collection of quality bowls saw Hill and Spencer secured another comfortable win, this time with a score of 29-6.
In the last 16, a tough test against Chris Moore and Joe Dawson from Leicestershire awaited.
Hill and Spencer led 19-9 with three ends to play, but the Leicestershire pair refused to go out without a fight and collected a score of five shots on the 19th end. However, the Lincs team won the next end to prevail 20-14 and secure a quarter-final spot.
In the last eight, Hill and Spencer were in impressive form to dispatch Devon duo Aaron Southgate and Josh Hadfield 20-9.
Will Parker and Kevin Alder, from West Witney BC in Oxfordshire, were now all that stood between the South Holland lads and the final.
As was the case with the last 16 and quarter final, Hill and Spencer started exceptionally well and raced into an 11-1 lead. A comeback from the Oxfordshire pair saw that reduced to 18-15 up with only three ends to play, but the Mail Cart duo edged home 23-15 to set up a final against Cumbria’s Cumbria’s John Baird and Rick Gallagher.
Showing no fear, Hill and Spencer again started well and raced into a 17-9 lead with only seven ends to play. However, that soon became 19-15 with three ends to play.
On the 19th end, Spencer found himself two shots down with his last bowl in hand. Spencer played the perfect conversion to make one shot but Gallagher still had one bowl remaining. He played a perfect push and stop to make three shots for the Cumbria pair and bring the score back to 19-18 and ensure an exciting finish.
The Lincs duo consolidated the 20th end to go 20-18 in front, but the title was essentially clinched when Spencer played the perfect draw in the last end – leaving Gallagher a tough shot.
He missed and the Mail Cart pair won 20-19 to lift their first pairs title.
Amazingly, Spencer now has three national titles to his name – having won the outdoor under-25 singles back in 2012 and the indoor singles in 2016.
As well as the trophy, the pair also won a cheque for £800.
