Jack Pye joined the small select band of bowlers who have lifted all five Norfolk County titles when he beat Chris Mann today in an all Wymondham final. Jack started well taking two shots on the first end and forced a re-spot on the second end when he knocked the jack off the side of the mat before taking a single to move 3-0 up. Another single followed on the third end after a forceful bowl by Mann failed to stop Pye’s progress. Mann went on to the attack on the fourth end ditching the jack with his second bowl. The umpire was called into action to decide shots with Mann’s tactics paying off as he collected three shots to cut the deficit to 4-3. The fifth end saw Jack Pye’s drawing earn him another two shots to move him 6-3 ahead but a great last bowl by Chris Mann on the sixth end earned him another shot. A replayed seventh end was won by Pye who increased his lead to 8-4. After two accurate drawn woods by Pye on end eight Chris Mann was again forced to attack and knocked the jack off the side. The replayed end saw Chris Mann again under pressure but he produced a perfect final wood to take two shots and trail by just 8-6. On the ninth end Mann held one shot with just one bowl to be played by Pye. His attack shot looked certain to take shot but it just ran the jack off the side for yet another replayed end of bowls, extremely unlucky for Pye. On the replayed end Mann held two shots when Pye stepped up to play the last wood of the end. An absolutely perfect bowl by Pye took shot and a well deserved 9-6 lead. On the final end Chris Mann needed to take Pye’s second bowl out and stop for three shots to force an extra end but a deflection left him holding just two shots and Pye had won the all Wymondham battle by 9-8 in a final to be remembered. In the third place play-off Chris Willies beat Gary Best by 7-5. In the semi-finals Jack Pye beat Bob Carter’s Gary Best by 10-3, Best had lifted the title twice before in 2016/17 and 2017/18. In the other semi-final Chris Mann beat East Tuddenham’s Chris Willies 8-7 thus denying the former West Mids bowler the chance to add to the Norfolk Pairs, Triples and Fours titles he had won earlier in the season. Despite some poor entry figures for the competitions this season the ESMBA allocations have awarded Norfolk four places in the Singles, Pairs, Triples, Fours and Over 55’s, two places in the Under 18’s and one place in the Mixed Fours.
Jack Pye - Norfolk Singles Champion 2021-22
Chris Mann - Runner-Up