The quartet of Dawn & Becci Cox, Bryan Watkins and John Mills became Herefordshire’s second ever national winning side on Saturday 14th March as they went all the way to claim the 2026 National Mixed Fours title.
Following the success of Herefordshire’s first-ever national title-winning side in 2020- comprising John Mills, Shirley Cox, Kate Williams, and Joe Loveys in the same discipline- Mills returned with the ambition of becoming a two-time national champion. On this occasion, he formed part of a family-based team alongside his partner, Becci Cox; her twin sister, Dawn; and Dawn’s partner, Bryan Watkins, all representing Woolhope Club. Together, they aimed to build upon the county’s consistent progression to the knockout stages of various National Championships in recent years, with the goal of securing their place in Herefordshire’s sporting history.
The group stages saw the rink start the day in perfect fashion with a 16-5 win against Hertfordshire “1” before going on to beat Oxfordshire “2” 11-5. A 7-4 loss to Humberside “1” followed, but this proved irrelevant in its impact on the overall standings as The Bulls topped their group to book their place in the knockout stages, where the drama truly began.
The round of 32 saw them face familiar neighbours Gloucestershire, where an early 9-0 lead was cut down by their opposition to sit 10-5 up heading into the final end. As the pressure built, the side found themselves 6 down before Mills stepped onto the mat and, with all eyes on him, fired to save the game- taking out three Gloucestershire bowls to halve the deficit and secure a 10-8 victory.
A strong Cornwall team awaited in the next round and, if they thought things were going to get any less tense, they were certainly wrong. With the scores level at 6-6 after the allotted eight ends, the match went to an extra end where they looked all but out, with both teams having a toucher in the ditch but Cornwall’s lying closer to the jack. However, a last-gasp fire from Mills into a live Cornwall toucher sent it into the ditch, making contact with the jack and pushing it nearer to the Herefordshire bowl- securing a 7-6 win by the narrowest of margins and a place in the quarter-finals.
Having lost to Humberside “1” in the group stages, The Bulls then faced Humberside “2” in the quarter-finals as they looked to exact revenge for their earlier defeat. Despite entering their eighth hour of bowling, Dawn, Becci, Bryan and John stood firm and produced their most controlled performance yet, claiming an 8-3 victory to reach the semi-finals.
Awaiting them was, on paper, their toughest test yet- an Essex team featuring Short Mat Players Tour world numbers 1 and 8, Craig Burgess and Mitchell Young respectively. However, the Herefordshire quartet more than matched their opponents and, after holding a narrow 4-3 lead going into the sixth end, produced an outstanding 7 to move 11-3 ahead. Essex subsequently conceded with two ends remaining, sending Herefordshire through to their second ever national final as history beckoned.
Standing in their way was a formidable West Midlands team, once again featuring two of the country’s best in Adam Easthope and Nathan Caines, alongside Diane Heamden and Beth Baller. In a final livestreamed to over 120 viewers, the tension was palpable as neither side could establish a firm advantage, trading singles across the ends as Herefordshire edged into a 4-3 lead heading into the final end.
Leading things off, Becci’s opening bowl just missed the jack as it landed towards the back of the mat. Sensing an opportunity with her second bowl, Becci attempted to fire the jack into the ditch, but the effort fell foul of the block. An exchange of draws between Dawn and Beth followed, leaving The Bulls holding one shot. With the angles favouring Herefordshire, Easthope was forced into a draw that, whilst sat perfectly on the jack, gave Herefordshire an opportunity.
In a clear turning point, Watkins produced a pinpoint weighted shot (54:32 on the live video), striking the West Midlands bowl and pushing the jack back to take shot and swing momentum firmly in Herefordshire’s favour. As West Mids fell short with an attempted draw, Mills added another bowl to the back to guard against any final effort. A measured fire from Caines was on target but locked onto their own bowl, leaving Herefordshire two up with one bowl remaining for each side.
As had been the case throughout the day, Mills delivered once more with a top-level draw to sit between the West Midlands bowl and the jack, all but securing the national championship. Knowing the calibre of their opponents, a tense pause followed as West Midlands assessed their options. Ultimately, a final attempted draw to force an extra end fell short, confirming Herefordshire as National Champions.
The Association’s congratulations go to Dawn & Becci Cox, Bryan Watkins and John Mills, who write their names into the national history books. Three members of the Cox family now hold National Championships, whilst John Mills goes one step further and becomes a two-time national champion.
The HSMBA now looks forward to the Singles, Pairs, Triples and Fours in April, where The Bulls will aim to carry this momentum forward.
To watch the exciting final as it played out, please click below: