Denny Cup Inter-Club All England Knockout Championship

Each team is made up of four rinks of four players. Two rinks play four and the other two rinks play on the oppositions green. In total, 84 ends taking up more than four hours of intensive play are contested with the team aggregate score being the only statistic that matters.

Being a demanding knockout, the winners go through to the next challenge with the losers going out hoping they can do better next year.

Every shot counts, every end matters, every bowl is important. Skill, application, individual and team discipline, rink togetherness and playing to the teams' strengths are vital throughout the contest.

Northern indoor bowls clubs including Cumbria (4 wins), Hartlepool (3), Teesside (1) have distinguished records over the years going back to 1935 when Crystal Palace beat Cambridge in the first national final.

Tomorrow sees the following regional clubs in the round draw: Cumbria v The Parks (North Shields), Copleland (Cleaton Moor) v Sunderland, Blackpool Newton Hall v Selby (Yorks), York v Ryedale of Malton, South Forest (Mansfield) v Scunthorpe.

In the All-England Egham Trophy Championship involving four rinks of men and lady bowlers Darlington, who beat Hartlepool recently, meet Teesside this weekend.

The Quakers have made some team changes intending to strengthen all rinks for this derby knockout clash.

Joyce Stephenson and Alan Stephenson are included to play at Thornaby. The four Darlington players who have the responsibility for skipping in this important clash include Allen Moore, Ken Lamb, Mark Jones and John Lynch.

In the Ladies Durham County Inter-Club fixture against South Shields Darlington had mixed fortunes but finished in front by 10 shots over 6 rinks - a job well done.

Citty Robinson, Audrey Cairns, Marjorie Nelson and skip Joyce Stephenson picked up a valuable six with two ends to go and beat M. Charlton, F. Emmerson, S Hall and L Barnes by 21-9.

Eileen Mitchell, Margaret White, Edith Dunn and skip Ann Anderson managed only seven singles and a two over their 21 ends whilst conceding two fours, two threes and two twos to lose by 9-22 against Tynesiders M. Reay, H. Swann, D. Warwick and skip J. Grocott.

At South Shields Tracey Fairless, Barbara Watson, Sadie Lynch, and skip Dulcie Harbin (captain) played determinedly and led for the whole of the game to finish 20-14 to the good. A purple patch over five ends onwards from the tenth end yielded them nine shots including four consecutive doubles without losing a single shot. The Quakers girls did well and finished with a handsome 6-shot victory away from home.

The home rinks blended well on all three greens with Peggy Clark, Doris Rewcastle, Rene Gordon and skip Olive Harris conceded an early five going into the fifth end. Admirably the Quaker girls scored 15 shots to nil over the next eight ends to lead by 16-10. They finished strongly to beat the Joan Watson four by 19-11.

Team captain and skip Marjorie Bousfield alongside Kath Tinkler, Audrey Shepherd and Mary Armstrong played really well in the middle of their battle against Anne Stidolph. Darlington led 15-9 at the 12th end before losing three twos. Marjorie won the last end but missed out, sharing the spoils by a shot.

Dorothy Donald, Vi Johnson and Maureen Whitton and skip Ann Simpson had to call on the umpire to decide their game with the score on 19-20 at the finish. Painting the picture of an even game throughout against P. Curtis and her four.

In the All England Yetton Trophy championship Darlington have a tough match against their local rivals at Thornaby hoping to stay in the national limelight.