Simon Martin and Chloe Watson star at National Championships

Simon Martin was a double winner in the AIIB National Championships at the County Antrim Indoor Bowls Club over the weekend, but he was overshadowed by Chloe Watson, who made it a clean sweep of trophies in the Women's event.
By The Newsroom
Published 19th Jan 2016, 02:27 BST
Simon MartinSimon Martin
Simon Martin

Martin, from the Belfast club, produced a superb display to get his hands on the singles and pairs titles. He was simply too hot to handle.

In a one-sided final, he defeated his international colleague Andy Kyle (21-5). And, earlier in the day, he teamed up with John McCullough to chalk up a 21-7 win against Ballybrakes Community duo, Stephen Falls and Nigel Robinson.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I’m thrilled,” said Martin. “It’s the second time I’ve won the singles and it’s probably sweeter than my first success.

“It was great to complete the double . . . it will probably take some time to sink in.”

Martin sent out a message of intent by beating Trevor Robinson (21-12) in the singles semi final before totally dominating a one-sided final.

Kyle started impressively by motoring into a 5-2 lead after four ends. But that was his final contribution to the the match.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Martin peppered the jack with ease on every end and duly won the contest on 15 ends, picking up the single required to chalk up a 21-5 victory.

Ian McClure was also on the winning rostrum, picking up his 12th indoor national title.

Joined by Aidan Reid, Stephen Falls and Derek Smith, McClure’s Ballybrakes side edged into the final by only one shot, beating Belfast Mark Leckey 16-15.

But they went into overdrive in the decider against Aidan Smith, Jim McGetterick, Paul Prunty and Paul McEwan, from the Belfast club.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

McEwan registered a single on the first and third ends, but his rink’s played no further part after that as they crashed to an alarming 31-2 defeat in only 12 ends!

But it was teenager Watson who stole the show by claiming everything that was on offer in the Women’s Championships, that run in tandem with the men’s event.

It was a remarkable record breaking performance from the Belfast girl, who retained both the singles and junior singles.

She teamed up with Sandra Bailie in the pairs, triples and fours to complete the grand slam.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

They defeated former title holders Murial Wilkinson and Barbara Cameron (22-19) in a hotly contested pairs final.

Joined by Maire McCord, Watson and Bailie roared to a 27-9 victory over Alice Elliott’s Ballybrakes Community side in the triples final.

Alica McKee and Pat Smyth then joined forces with Watson and Bailie in the fours and there was just no stopping the Belfast combination as they registered a 16-12 success against Jennifer Dowds’ Ballybrakes rink in the final.

Results

AIIB National Championships

Singles: A Coleman (CAIBC) 12 A Kyle (CAIBC)21; T Robinson (CAIBC) 12 S Martin (BIBC) 21. Final: Kyle 5 Martin 21.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Junior Singles: S Jess (BIBC) 21 S Kirkwood (BIBC) 19; S Barkley (CAIBC) 21 S Beggs (CAIBC) 13. Final: Jess 21 Barkley 13.

Pairs semi final: R Coleman, J Caldwell (CAIBC) 18 S Falls, N Robinson (BCIBC) 24; J McCullough, S Martin (BIBC) 18 S Barkley, A Coleman (CAIBC) 14. Final: Robinson 7 Martin 21.

Triples: A Kennedy, W McCaw, G Kelly (BCIBC) 13 M McPeak, R Battersby, B Bennett (BIBC) 14; J Baker, A Duncan, G McKee (CAIBC) 11 T Colvin, N Robinson, G McCloy (BCIBC) 19. Final: Bennett 13 McCloy 14.

Fours: M Martin, M McKeown, J Fraser, M Leckey (BIBC) 15 A Reid, S Falls, D Smith, I McClure (BCIBC) 16; A Smith, J McGetterick, P Prunty, P McEwan (BIBC) 26 B Hughes, N Vauls, B Smyth, W McCaw (BCIBC) 14. Final: McClure 31 McEwan 2.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Senior Fours: J McLaney, B McPeak, S Ashwood, D Hamilton (BIBC) 18 C Garnaghan, R Culbert, G Hall, J Keeney (CAIBC) 7; S Moore, M Beattie, P McVeigh, S Elliman (BIBC) v R Coleman, F Anderson, J Caldwell, R McCune (CAIBC) w/o. Final: Hamilton 11 McCune 21.

IWIBA National Championships

Singles final: C Watson (BIBC) 21 N Graham (BCIBC) 7.

Junior singles final: C Watson (BIBC) 21 A McKee (BIBC) 10.

Pairs semi final: C Watson, S Bailie (BIBC) 28 P Johnston, A McKillop (BCIBC) 5. Final: Bailie 22 M Wilkinson, B Cameron (CAIBC) 19.

Triples semi final: C Watson, M McCord, S Bailie (BIBC) 22 W Adair, A Pauley, M Kyles (CAIBC) 12. Final: Bailie 27 M Robinson, P Calvin, A Elliott (BCIBC) 9

Fours semi final: C Watson, A McKee, P Smyth, S Bailie (BIBC) 22 M Wilkinson, W Adair, S McAuley, B Cameron (CAIBC) 13. Final: Bailie 16 A Smith, B Logue, A McClelland, J Dowds (BCIBC) 12.

Related topics:Belfast