Seaham's Higgins secures his first Northern Counties title success

It was a quiet Northern Counties Championships for Bowls Durham, with only one title secured.

- by Sport Reporter

In the Singles, Seaham Town's Mark Higgins landed his first Northern Counties success. A 21-16 semifinal win over Northumberland was followed by a 21-17 victory in the final against host county Cumbria.

In the Pairs, the Darlington RA duo of Mark Ralphs and Andrew Kirtland missed out in the final when losing to Cumbria 20-6.

Durham had no entry in the Triples. In the Fours, the Silksworth quartet of Jaxon McKenna, Neal Ridley, John Leeman and David Bolt lost their opener against Cumbria 18-11.

Darlington RA's Dave Newman lost in the final of the Two Bowl Singles and Silksworth's Layton Sykes missed out in the Junior Singles. The Durham Middleton Cup squad were left to rue a slow first half against the 2023 winners Lincolnshire in the quarterfinal played at Dunnington.

Durham looked set for a heavy loss as they trailed by 31 shots at the halfway mark, with an early finish on the cards.

However, the Durham lads produced a great fightback to get it down to three with the final bowl of the game. That went to Blackhall's Paul Hartley, who had an outside chance of a three, but it was not to be leaving Lincolnshire the 119-115 winners.

In the semifinals at Leamington Lincolnshire will play Hampshire.