The Short Mat Players Tour staged two major open international tournaments on the 22nd and 23rd November at Bromsgrove Indoor Bowls Centre
In the Fours tournament 96 players ( 24 teams ) from the UK. Ireland, Sweden and Belgium competed throughout the day. There were two teams from Worcestershire – Sean Thompson / Alan Walters / Richard Payne / Tony Kilgour / and Terry Clifford / Malcolm Saunders / Trish Clifford / Richard Rose.
The format for the days play consisted of 6 groups of four players playing in a round robin series of matches with the top two teams progressing to the main knockout series with the third and fourth teams progressing to a “Plate” competition. Both the Worcestershire teams competed in the Plate competition with Terry Clifford’s team being knocked out in the first round and Richard Payne’s team being knocked out in the quarter final. The overall winners were the Irish fours team of Andrew Morrison, Jal Richardson, William Morrison and Lisa Douglas.
Three Worcestershire teams competed in the Pairs tournament –
Ian Davis / Richard Payne
Sean Thompson / Tony Kilgour
Malcolm Saunders / Richard Rose
There were 52 pairs competing from the UK, Ireland, Sweden and Belgium, playing in groups of four. Similar to the Fours tournament the top two in each group progressed to the main knockout series with the third and fourth teams in the groups competing for the ” Plate “. Malcolm Saunders and Richard Rose progressed to the main knockout phase only to be defeated in the first round by a very strong team from Gloucestershire. Richard Payne and Ian Davis and also Sean Thompson and Tony Kilgour . competed in the plate series but went out in the first round to strong competition.