Solihull Municipal...double champions

Solihull Municipal Bowls Club had a successful day at the Warwickshire County Bowls Association Finals Day held at Wolvey on Sunday 30th, coming away with two titles.

Having won the Ivens Cup last year, the Muni again qualified as Birmingham Area winners to go to the County finals with the qualifying teams from Coventry, Rugby and South Warwickshire. In the morning semi-finals they played Kineton, and after a slow start managed to come through 21-19. A clash with the Fours final meant that a new set of bowlers had to come in to play the afternoon match against hosts Wolvey, who had won their morning match against Bilton. John Hanmore, George Carmichael, Geoff Wyatt and Bryan Jones started strongly and held off a spirited fightback to win 17-14 to see the Muni retain the trophy, the first club to do so since Nuneaton in 1989.

Following their win in the morning Ivens semi-finals, John Bentien, Clive Burbage, Rob Wilson and Gary Langford went into the Fours final with confidence. A steady first half saw them build a 15-6 lead against Wolvey, but the hosts chipped away to go into the final end just two shots behind. Good positional bowling by the Muni Four gave them a single to win 19-16 and take the title of Fours County Champions.

Both finalists in the Fours will represent Warwickshire at the National Championships, held at Leamington in August.