The SMPT English Masters was held at Chelmsford with six Norfolk players entering the fray. Wymondham’s Chris Mann proved to be Norfolk’s likely lad as he finished second in Group 16, with four wins and one narrow defeat, to qualify for the main cup knock-outs. He progressed through the first knock-out round beating Steve Smith by a resounding 18-2 margin but Mann’s hopes were dashed in the second knock-out round when he was defeated 9-6 by Welsh bowler Arwel Morgan. Two other Norfolk bowlers qualified for the main cup knock-outs. John Jeffery of Wymondham enjoyed his most successful group stage yet in SMPT competitions as he reeled off four wins with just one defeat in Group 12. His only defeat came against group winner Pauline Beattie of Ireland and that is certainly no disgrace against a player of her class. In the first knock-out round John faced the talented Mitchell Young and that proved a task beyond him as he lost 16-2, nevertheless John can be proud of his achievements over the weekend. Hempnall’s Neil Davidson was the other Norfolk player to make the cup knock-outs after finishing second to Stephen Gale in Group 31 winning three games, drawing one game and losing one game. Neil’s journey also came to an end in the first knock-out round as he lost 13-4 to Martin McNicholl. Wymondham’s Melvyn Barker and Jack Marshall were unlucky to both be drawn out in Group 2. When they met Melvyn got the better of his team mate as he raced to a 13-3 win which earned him fourth place in the group therefore qualifying for the Plate competition. His first knock-out round opponent was Aaron Clare who beat Melvyn 12-7. Jack finished fifth in Group 2 therefore entering the Shield knock-outs where he lost by 9-8 to Sarah Sarling. David Blundell was in Group 14 and finished fifth to also qualify for the Shield event. After his brave efforts in the last SMPT event David was in confident mood and won his first knock-out round match by 16-1 against Ronald Smith. David then progressed through the second knock-out round beating Faye Ray by 10-5. The third knock-out round proved fatal to his chances though as he lost 12-9 against Danny Curl but can be pleased with a good weekend’s performance. The final stages of the English Masters saw Ireland’s Mark Beattie, already a six time winner of SMPT singles titles, eyeing up yet another win. He despatched Jonas Hagar in the semi-finals by a convincing 13-6 margin. Many saw the brilliant Alex Kley as his likely opponent in the final but Martin McNichol had other ideas as he beat Kley 13-8 in the other semi-final. In a hard fought final Mark Beattie collected an incredible seventh SMPT singles title beating McNicholl 11-9. The Plate final was won by Sibe Laureys who beat Gary McNabb 12-3. In the Shield final Bob Naylor won by 11-6 against Sam Moore.
UP COMING EVENTS IN 2024
SMPT Belfast Open Pairs/SMPT World Masters
The SMPT Belfast Open Pairs takes place at Belfast IBC on Friday 19th April with the SMPT World Masters being played on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st April at the same venue. Both events are fully booked. All details for SMPT events can be found on the Short Mat Players Tour website.
Potters East Coast Triples & Pairs Over 50’s event
The popular East Coast Triples & Pairs Over 50’s four night break at Potters Resort in Hopton-on-Sea in Norfolk has attracted another big entry and Potters have made more accommodation available for this All-Inclusive Short Mat Bowls Break. The break begins on Monday 6th May and prices start at £435 per person which includes accommodation, meals, entertainment, drinks and entry into the competitions. This is way below the brochure price which is £699 per person. To book your place at this special price please contact Teresa Goldsmith of the NCSMBA at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Details, booking forms and special prices of the short mat holiday breaks at Potters Resorts at Hopton can be found on www.shortmatnorfolk.co.uk under the SMB HOLIDAYS tab.
Mark Beattie wins SMPT English Masters