DORCHESTER 29

DORSET BOWLS RESORT 32

DORCHESTER’s hopes of retaining their Purbeck Trophy title evaporated at the challenging Bournemouth Indoor Bowls Club, when the game was once again decided by the final two bowls delivered.

The double triples format of Brian Paulson, Leigh Meyers and Roger Nicholas (skip) playing against the Resort team skipped by Paul King, and the companion Dorchester triple of Clive Matthews, Phil Hallett, and Dave Joslin paired with the Bowls Resort skip John Matthews, produced some tight exchanges, as all players tried to come to terms with a very tricky surface.

It was an even affair until the midpoint of the game with no prospect of either side really dominating, and, after the first five ends of play, Nicholas trailed by a single shot (5-4) but managed to hit back and, after 10 ends, had taken a 10 shots to seven lead.

Joslin, who held a 5-4 lead at five ends, found his triple trailing 9-8 at the 10-end stage, although Dorchester then held a small

aggregate score advantage at 18-16.

At the completion of 15 ends, Dorset Resort had rallied and they were back in front with three ends to play on each rink.

Resort’s Matthews was now 14-11 up against Joslin, and Resort’s King was level pegging 12-12 in a tense battle against Nicholas.

The penultimate 17th end was completed leaving the Bowls Resort 28-26 to the good and the outcome still in their favour.

But Dorchester were not out of it yet, as Nicholas took a last-end three shots, to leave the county town side one up with one to play, and their title hanging by a thread.

Bowls Resort’s Matthews held one shot, when Joslin attempted to take the jack to rear of the rink to gain Dorchester outright victory, but cruelly the jack was displaced sideways leaving the Bowls Resort holding three shot. This was added to by Matthews with his final bowl and the spoils went their way.

The Dorset Bowls Resort will now play in their first Purbeck Trophy final, when they tackle the all-conquering Moonfleet.

Their semi-final was over after only 10 ends of play, when Dolphin Poole were crushed and threw the towel in early.