LLANELLI Indoor Bowls Club member Matthew Partridge came close to winning a national title on Sunday (Jan 20).
He reached the final four of the coveted Welsh Indoor Bowling Association’s champion of champions event held at the Selwyn Samuel Centre for the first time.
Matthew was one of 25 club singles champions from around Wales who qualified for the event.
After two days of keen competition, Matthew was beaten in the semi-final by his outdoor international teammate Andrew Fleming, of Bro Ddyfi.
The other semi-final saw junior international Dale McCarthy, of Port Talbot, lose out to former Welsh singles champion Mark Harding, of Cardiff.
In the final, it was Mark Harding, who will be captain of the senior squad for the home international series in Essex in March, who came out on top winning two sets to nil.
Results were as follows:
First round: J. Phillips (Ogwr) lost to S. Williams (Dinefwr) 0-7, 1-7; G. Rees (Swansea) lost to L. Davies (Rhondda) 2-7, 1-7; A. Fleming (Bro Ddyfi) beat D. Prosser (Cynon Valley) 7-0, 7-3; D. Smith (Torfaen) beat P. Rees (Earlswood) 7-0, 7-1; R. Vaughan (Ffrith) lost to D. McCarthy (Port Talbot) 1-7, 0-7; D. Curtis (Sully) beat M. Thomas (Taff Ely) 7-6, 7-4; M. Dick (Newport) beat S. Allen (Pontardawe) 7-2, 7-2; O. Dando (Blaenau Gwent) beat M. Selway (Islwyn) 5-7, 7-0, 7-6; P. Lewis (Severn Valley) w/o H. Williams (Pembroke) scr; M. Partridge (Llanelli) beat A. Thompson (Radnor) 7-2, 7-2.
Second round: S. Williams beat L. Davies 7-0, 4-7, 7-2; A. Fleming beat D. Smith 7-5, 7-2; D. McCarthy beat P. Richardson (Flint) 7-2, 2-7, 7-4; D. Salmon (Cardiff) beat A. Collinge (Carmarthen) 7-3, 7-0; J. Roberts (Heatherton) beat N. Rees (Merthyr Tydfil) 7-4, 7-1; M. Harding (Cardiff) beat D. Curtis 7-3, 7-3, M. Dick beat O. Dando 1-7, 7-5, 7-2; P. Lewis lost to M. Partridge 1-7, 0-7.
Quarter-final: S. Williams lost to A. Fleming 4-7, 6-7; D. McCarthy beat D. Salmon 7-6, 7-6; J. Roberts lost to M. Harding 2-7, 5-7; M. Dick lost to M. Partridge 7-6, 6-7, 5-7.
Semi-final: A. Fleming beat D. McCarthy 6-9, 9-2, 9-2; M. Harding beat M. Partridge 9-2, 9-5.
Final: A. Fleming lost to M. Harding 1-9, 7-9.
Add Comment