PHOTO:
The Pembrokeshire Short Mat Bowls Association team
Picture provided by Castle Photography and Framing

 
Heatherton Sports Park near Tenby was the excellent venue for the recent British Isles Inter-County Team Championships which featured the top county teams from Wales, England and Northern Ireland.
 

Good start by host county

 
Pembrokeshire were the Welsh representatives against Norfolk (England) and Ulster (Northern Ireland) in a competition which took place over two days where the host county led at the half way stage but Ulster showed their terrific all-round strength to turn a mid-competition deficit of 12 points into a five-point lead that saw them receive the coveted silverware from Eric Harries, the chairman of the Welsh Short Mat Bowls Association.
 
Played with 24 players per team, plus reserves, there were two matches apiece of singles, pairs, triples, plus six rinks so that every player was called upon to show their skills - and Pembrokeshire might have started as slight favourites with home advantage, plus the fact that their line-up included British singles' winner Mike John (Tavernspite) and the rinks' champions Sean Hughes, Marley Hughes, Mark Thorpe and Andrew Evans.
 

Grateful thanks for vital support

 
The Pembrokeshire Short Mat Bowls Association would like to thank Huw and Mair Davies (Heatherton) for their wonderful support in providing the ideal venue, alongside Laurence Blackhall (Mayor of Tenby) and his Mayoress, Samantha Skyrme, who officially opened the event.
 
Also hugely involved alongside a committed county team was Shirley Williams (president), Leslie McKenzie (Hon Secretary), Paul and Kate Hudson (Championship organisers) – and after two days of terrific competition the championships were closed by John Munt (Chairman, Pembrokeshire SMBA).
 

Ulster stage a superb come-back

 
The first day of intense rivalry alongside great sportsmanship saw Pembrokeshire on top with 34 points ahead of Norfolk (27 points) and Ulster (18) but as usual the Irish got stronger as the second day wore on; Norfolk faded out of contention and Pembrokeshire were only five points ahead going into the final match.
 
It still looked likely that the host county would still win but Ulster produced a terrific all-round performance to surge into a final tally of 56 against Pembrokeshire’s 49 points, and Norfolk a distance behind having garnered only three points on the second day.
 
So Ulster recrossed the Irish Sea with the coveted trophy but Pembrokeshire can take consolation that they played really well and if they can maintain their momentum will again be strong contenders to do well in 2017 as matches start against the other county associations in the battle to retain the Welsh Inter-County Championship.