Anthony Rogers (Woolhope, pictured left) secured his third County Singles title at the weekend, putting him second on the list of all time winners, an amazing twelve years after he last took victory in the County Singles.
A fantastic number of entries saw 24 players gather on the morning of Saturday 4th February 2023 at The Larruperz Centre, Ross, where six mats had been tightly squeezed in to accomodate the large number of competitors. Drawn into six groups of four, the group stages saw some incredibly close results and brilliant play, showcasing the very best that the HSMBA has to offer. An example of this closeness can be seen in Group Three where David Millington-Jones (Ross) and John Clapson (Lea) drew level for top of the group on points, shots difference and ends won meaning that a one end shootout, won by Clapson by one shot, was needed to determine the winner.
The Quarter-Finals saw three former winners competing on three different mats with Anthony Rogers taking a 13-5 victory over Peter Wright (Ross). Joe Loveys (Gorsley) joined him in the semi-finals, beating Jim Knowles (St Martin’s) 11-6 with an end to spare but John Clapson (Lea) fell short of clubmate Merion Attwood who, after losing the first End, won the next eight to take a 13-2 victory. The final game was a Mother vs Daughter grudge match between Shirley and Becci Cox (Woolhope) with Becci, having been 8-7 down, taking 5 shots in the last two ends to book her place in the next round.
The Semi-Finals drew Woolhope clubmates Anthony Rogers and Becci Cox together and what a match it proved to be. By End 6, at 7-2 up, it was looking as though Cox would be through to her first singles final but Rogers fought back to lead 10-7 going into the final end. Ultimately, the three shot lead proved to be too much, with Cox only able to take a one following a fire with her final wood. In the other game, Merion Attwood took a strong early lead, putting himself 8-1 up at the halfway stage and, despite a late comeback by Loveys, Attwood’s lead was never truly in doubt as he rode out the victor with an 11-5 scoreline.
The final saw Rogers dominate from the outset as Attwood struggled to get a foothold in the game. Finishing 22-1, the score proved to be harsh on Attwood whilst also showing just how well Rogers had played as he took his third County Singles title, leaving him just one short of the record holder, the late HSMBA Chairman, Ian Park.
Following the final, competition organiser Becci Cox gave her thanks to all those who entered and made clear her happiness to see increased entries from many clubs as well as entries from clubs who had not taken part for several years, such as Ledbury. It is hoped that this momentum can be carried forward into the Bromyard Triples and County Fours Championships in March.
For further information about HSMBA competitions please contact Becci Cox ( competitionsec@hsmba.org ).