Bowls: Clock House dominate Essex finals for quadruple

Clock House women dominated the Essex finals weekend at Witham to complete one of their most successful county campaigns ever.

Rebecca Smith beat Elm Park’s Jean Hough 14-11 in the semi-finals of the two-wood singles to set up a meeting with Helen Grant of Loughton.

And Smith was crowned county champion after recording a 16-9 victory, before joining Hayley Kenny and Michelle Carlin in the triples later in the day.

The Clock House trio then edged past Tiptree Jobserve, 16-14, after a close contest to lift more silverware.

A return on Sunday for the fours final led to another title for the Upminster club, with Kenny, Michelle Squires, Serena Madgewick and Smith beating their Holland-on-Sea rivals 19-11.

And having completed a hat-trick, Clock House completed their weekend in the Top Club final, looking to regain a title they had lost won in 2019.

Leigh-on-Sea’s Fairwood Bowls Club provided the opposition on this occasion, but nothing could stop the momentum built up by the Clock House bowlers.

Kenny decided she wasn’t going to hang about in the singles when the rain started to fall and raced to a 21-10 win, but Angela Ueckermann and Smith were edged out 18-15 in the pairs.

After a slow start in the triples, Jane Preston, Debbie Walmsley and Madgewick won 22-13, with Margaret Tinton, Jan Tallentire, Carlin and Squires romping to a 36-11 triumph in the fours.

That saw Clock House finish as 3-1 winners and 94-52 up on shots overall, as travelling reserves Val Baker and Hazel Pudney joined in the celebrations.

Clock House women will now compete in the two-wood singles, triples and fours at the Bowls England National Finals at Leamington, which start on August 10, as well as being part of the Johns Trophy squad.