Brothers are best in the West!

THE annual West Church pairs event must be one of the first tournaments that brothers Raymond and Gordon Stubbs mark in their diaries at the start of each year.
By The Newsroom
Published 7th Jan 2010, 09:14 BST
Updated 12th Jan 2010, 08:19 BST

The Ballinderry siblings have enjoyed remarkable success at the P&O-sponsored event over the years and added yet another title to their glittering bowling cv last week.

In last Tuesday's finals night at the Craig Hall, the Stubbs produced some wonderful bowling to capture the title for the first time for the fourth time in five years - their domination of the event only broken by Liscolman's Davy Walker and Martin McAleese in 2009.

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Raymond and Gordon produced a strong finish to see off Clough pair Nigel Wasson and Jonathan Miller in a final watched by a large crowd.

Earlier in the evening, two of the fancied pairs - Graham Wilson and Sam Hall (West Church) and Hugh McCallum and Uel McKeeman (Dunluce) - were surprisingly eliminated at the quarter-final stage.

McCallum and McKeeman went down in a closely fought match with Arron Tennent and Ken Shirley (St Colmans) by eight shots to six.

The West Church pair lost to eventual finalists Wasson and Miller in a low scoring match by six shots to three.

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In the other quarter finals, Stephen Dunlop and his father David (Killymurris Glarryford) found the Stubbs brothers just too strong and were beaten by 10 shots.

Derek McRandal and John Semple (Kilwaughter), after a good start leading by four shots to one in four ends, went down thanks to a great finish by Ballindery pair Noel Marsden and Alan Johnston

In an all-Ballinderry semi final, the Stubbs brothers narrowly beat Marsden and Johnston by two shots in a close finish with the result in doubt until the last bowl.

The other semi final was also closely fought, Wasson and Miller storming to a six shot lead after six ends but having to hold off a strong finish by Tennent and Shirley to scrape home by two shots.

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In the final Wasson and Miller raced to a six shot lead after three ends but the Stubbs pair proved too strong in the end, winning the last six ends to triumph by 10 shots to six.

The prizes were presented by Mr James Esler, Passenger Sales and Marketing Manager P&O Irish Sea, and Mr Matt McPeake, club chairman, thanked P&O for their excellent sponsorship and all the bowlers for putting on a great display of bowling and providing an evening of entertainment to the many spectators.

RESULTS

Quarter finals: R and G Stubbs (Ballinderry) 11, S and D Dunlop (Glarryford) 1;G Wilson and Sam Hall West Church lost to N Wasson and J Miller Clough by 6 shots to 3; A Tennent and K Shirley St. Colmans beat H Mc Callum and U Mc Keeman by8 shots to 6; N Marsden and A Johnston Ballinderry beat D Mc Randall and J Semple Kilwaughter by 10 shots to 5.

Semi finals: R &G Stubbs beat Marsden and Johnston by 8 shots to 6; Wasson and Miller beat Tennent and Shirley by 9 shots to 7

Final: R & G Stubbs beat Wasson and Miller by 10 shots to 6.