The Bure Pairs Championship defending champions Simon Willies & Melvin Woods of East Tuddenham are through to this season’s Finals Night after earning the second qualifying spot at the Halvergate heat. Their fellow East Tuddenham pairing of Jean Woods & John Turner won the heat to earn their place. Last season’s runners-up were Halvergate’s Josh Baxter & Keith Cooke but with Josh not expected to play in the Bure this season he was replaced by England international Ryan Fox. Fox & Cooke enjoyed a trouble free evening at the Horsford BC heat winning all their four games to earn maximum points. Hevingham’s David Sharpe & Steve Hall opened with a 7-1 win against Halvergate’s Ray Lamb & Nigel Willard and went on to secure the second qualifying place with six points. Their only defeat was by 5-2 against Fox & Cooke. The Hevingham heat saw Halvergate’s Jamie Forster & Robbie Lamb win all their four games which included a decisive 9-3 win against seeded pair Robin Amos & Rob Howlett of East Tuddenham. Billie & Melvyn Barker of East Tuddenham earned the second qualifying spot finishing on four points and +4 shots. Amos & Howlett also finished on four points but a heavy 8-1 defeat against Andy Drummie & Melly Woodhouse of Windows cost them dearly as they finished with a minus 6 shots difference and became the only seeded pair not to qualify from the heat stages. The heat at Thorpe Marriott was the closest of all as three pairs all finished level on six points. The seeded pairing of Halvergate’s Jason Woods & David Lamb had a wake-up call in their opening game as they were beaten 12-3 by Teresa & Selwyn Goldsmith of Hevingham. They recovered well though with a 13-3 win against mother and son duo Lianne & Mathew Mills of Woodbastwick and eventually finished on 6 points and +23 shots to finish first. The Goldsmiths finished on 6 points and +15 shots to finish in second place. Just missing out were David Claxton & Mick Dale of Horsford Heroes who also collected six points but with a shot difference of +7 after losing their last game by 12-5 against the seeded pair. The Final’s Night will therefore see three East Tuddenham pairs, three Halvergate pairs and two Hevingham pairs taking part. The Bure Finals Week will be in March 2020 on week beginning Monday 2nd March. The dates for the Bure Pairs Finals Night, as well as the Bure Triples and Bure Singles Finals Nights, will be announced in January after the heats of the Bure Singles have been completed.
Last years winners Melly Woods & Simon Willies made it through at Halvergate