Blessed with perfect weather conditions, the 2023 Pitcher and Le Quesne Open took place at the Sun Bowls Club over the weekend of 19th and 20th August. A full complement of 20 teams took to the green on the first day playing the Australian format of 3 bowl pairs over two 5 end sets, with a one end 2 wood triples tie break if the scores were level. Add to that allowing the third player to be brought on as a sub in each set, a powerplay end in both sets, fancy dress and music and you have a very different perspective of lawn bowls.
The costumes were many and varied and it was good to see many of the teams entering in to the spirit of the occasion, which all made for a colourful spectacle on the green.
Before the main competition got under way on the Saturday morning, there was a new ‘Mega Bowl one wood shoot out’ competition held in somewhat damp conditions on the Friday night. The drizzle didn’t deter the 24 entrants from trying their luck to win a cash prize of £100, by literally bowling one wood in a straight knock-out, the winner progressing to the next round. In spite of the miserable conditions, there were some good shots played and the final shoot out saw Club Captain Kevin take on his father, Maurice. Maurice won the toss and went first. In a tactical move, he took the mat right up, bowled his wood and trailed the jack. Pressure on Kevin then. But he didn’t crack, and drew his wood closer to take the prize money. Well done, Kevin.
For the main competition, the group ’round robin’ stage started on the Saturday morning, with the first 2 teams in each group progressing to the quarter-finals and the knock-out stage. There were many very close contests and the tie-break end was needed in several of the games. The teams to progress in each group were as follows:
Group A: Under the Sea (Greg Davis, Kim Hutchings, Jamie Lawson) and Reasonable Rates (Rob Clive, Anne Richardson, Maureen Poree)
Group B: Around the World (Sue Cockle, Cyril Renouf, Lorraine Bowman) and Mo-Hicans (Maurice Andrieux, Kevin Andrieux, Terri Boss-Andrieux)
Group C: The French Tarts (Eileen Vowden, Dave Gallichan, Ann Hunt) and The Magic Bus (Dave Black, Mark Hamilton, Sally Black/Jayne Hamilton)
Group D: Spice Girls (Ross Davis, Abbey Andrieux, Pat Lawson) and Bowlfinger (Jim Larkin, Moira Larkin, Dave Robinson)
A live draw took place for the quarterfinals which saw Spice Girls up against Reasonable Rates, Mo-Hicans against Around the World, The Magic Bus against Bowlfinger and The French Tarts against Under the Sea. There were some incredibly close and exciting games to watch and this was very much appreciated and acknowledged by the many supporters who attended on both days to watch and enjoy the spectacle.
Moving through to the semi-finals, the draw saw Reasonable Rates take on Mo-Hicans, and The French Tarts face The Magic Bus. By now, it was really hotting up – quite literally – and there were some who were perhaps regretting their choice of fancy dress given the heat from the sun.
Winning their way through to the final were the teams of Reasonable Rates and The French Tarts, leaving Mo-Hicans and The Magic Bus to contest the 3rd/4th place play-off. After a closely contested final, which was nip and tuck all the way, it was the Reasonable Rates who took the honour, the trophy and the £450 prize money. They were pushed all the way by The French Tarts, who took the runners-up spot and £150 team prize.
The 3rd/4th place play-off was won by the Mo-Hicans (Maurice Andrieux, Kevin Andrieux and Terri Boss-Andrieux – pictured below), who also took the prize for the best team costumes, as voted for by all the players.
And in 4th place, the Magic Bus (Jayne Hamilton, Sally Black, Mark Hamilton and Dave Black).
At the presentation ceremony, Club President Peter Davis thanked all the players not only for supporting the event and for entering in to fun of the Open with their various fancy dress costumes but also for their high standard of play and sportsmanship which produced some memorable moments across the 2 days. He also thanked the supporters, who had turned out in force to cheer on their favourites, and all those who had helped in any way towards the running to the competition, including those who had worked in the kitchen, the bar, prepared and cooked the BBQ on Saturday evening, the green keeper and his team and especially the organising committee of Ross, Greg, Kevin and Kim.
Final words of thanks and appreciation were reserved for our sponsors, Pitcher and Le Quesne Funeral Directors, for their generous support once again this year.
More photos can be seen on the Gallery page of the website.
Sun Bowls Club, Jersey 