Irish ace Joseph Beattie added yet another title to his collection as he won the SMPT Irish Open stringing eleven straight wins together over the two days play in Belfast. Top Essex bowler Craig Burgess was also in sparkling form once again as he claimed his place in the final but Beattie was not to be denied on home soil. Delighted Irish spectators were treated to another classic display by Joseph as he stormed to a 14-3 win. The Plate final saw Terry Crawford beat Kevin Mcnamee 13-5 while in the Shield final England’s John Lax beat James Shaw 13-5. The only Norfolk player to make the trip to Belfast was David Blundell who was eliminated in the first knock-out round of the Shield competition losing to Emil Wylie.
Joseph Beattie - one of the best short mat bowlers playing the game today
Photo by courtesy of the SMPT