The 2019 Eastern Counties Champion of Champions was hosted by Cambridgeshire on 12th May.

FOURS - Neil & Keith Jolly and Paul & Mike Daniels

It was a nervous start for Suffolk but they just came out on top of their game against Norfolk 8-7. The second game was against Norfolk and was altogether more convincing as they ran away to a 15-2 win, putting them a point clear of Cambs and Essex.

Next up were Hertfordshire and that was a game which went from bad to worse. With 2 ends to go it was close, Suffolk were 5-3 down but still in the game, however things unravelled pretty quickly thereafter. On the following end there was plenty of room to play with but no one could get close and they ended up dropping 5 shots and worse was to come. The final end saw them go from 2 up to 7 down in the space of a couple of woods. it wasn't just that it was a loss but the 17 shots they had conceded were bound to be problematic at the end of the day. As it was the result dropped them to third but only a point off the lead.

Now up against leaders Cambridgeshire nothing less than a win would do and for most of the game that looked unlikely as the opposition were constantly rescued by their skip. They went in to the last end a shot down but finally pulled themselves together the final Cambridgeshire wood was good but only enough for third as Suffolk took the game 8-7. Just as importantly Herts had been held to their thrid draw of the day so Suffolk were leading again, by 1 point but with a shot disadvantage which meant that a win was essential in their final game.

Their opponents Essex had started the day well but faded and here they weren't far off but Suffolk started better and began to slowly build a lead which by the end of the game had grown to 18-0, handing them the title by 1 point ahead of Hertfordshire.

TRIPLES - Tom Runnacles and Clint & Emma Watling

Suffolk started the day with a win, 8-4 over Bedfordshire which left them just a couple of shots behind Norfolk and that was who they would meet in their next game.

Unfortunately it was a game in which Suffolk struggled against a Norfolk team who were on top form, ending with a 12-3 loss. However they were back to their winning ways against Hertfordshire, 11-4 kept them in the running, 1 point behind Cambs and still two behind leaders Norfolk.

Better still they produced the kind of performance normally expected of them as they romped away to a 15-0 victory over Cambridgeshire, bringing them up to second behind a still undefeated Norfolk.

However just before the final games were about to begin one of the Bedfordshire players became unwell and the team had to withdraw with all their results being scrubbed. It made no difference overall, Suffolk needed to win and Norfolk would have to lose.

And with Norfolk 7-0 up that looked unlikely until they let Cambridgeshire in to take an unlikely 8-7 win, unfortunately Suffolk could not capitalise on that result. Against Essex they never got going, losing 8-5 to leave them with a third place finish.

PAIRS - Rita & Pete Runnacles

It was a difficult start for Suffolk, down from early on they recorded a 12-5 loss to Hertfordshire. Sadly their second game was no better, another loss, this time 12-4 against Cambridgeshire.

Next up were Essex who had also started off with two losses and it was a nervy game, only one shot scored per end but Suffolk came out on top to get off the mark with a 7-2 victory.

Unhappily things didn't continue that way as they lost a tight game to Bedfordshire 7-5 but they did finish the day with their best result of the day, a 9-5 win over Norfolk.

That result lifted them to a third place finish, although with 4 points they were some way adrift of Hertfordshire who finished on 8 points and the winners Cambridgeshire who were the only team on the day to win all their games.

SINGLES - Sam Runnacles

Sam was off to a good start with an 11-4 win over Hertfordshire and was leading the way. Unfortunately he was to just miss out against Cambridgeshire in his second game, losing 10-9.

Against Essex it was a different story, an emphatic 20-2 win which kept him in the running as Cambridgeshire won their third. He needed to keep winning and for the leader to slip up and that is just what happened. Sam took a comfortable 11-2 win over Bedfordshire while Cambridgeshire lost by exactly the same score.

That result put Sam top, tied on points but with a 21 shot advantage. All he needed was a win and yet again he did so in some style with a 13-3 victory over Norfolk and with Cambridgeshire losing again Sam took the title by a clear 2 point margin.

TEAM
Right from the very start Cambridgeshire were the team to beat and 3 sessions in they already has a 7 point gap over closest rivals Hertfordshire with Suffolk one point further back. However Suffolk cut that gap to 4 points in the next set of games, rising to second, which was where they finished, on 24 points with Cambridgeshire taking the title with 26 points.

Full Set of Results