Tom Coster and Brendan Glyde triumphed in the Southend Men's Open Bowls Tournament pairs competition to give Thorpe Bay their first success in the tournament for five years.

Glyding to victory - Brendan Glyde in action as he won the pairs final with Jon Coster Picture: ROBIN WOOSEY

It was back in 1999 that veteran Percy Boxall last pulled off a Southend Open victory for Thorpe, but Coster and Glyde did it in style at Priory Park on Saturday morning.

They pulled off a superb 23-16 success over the highly-fancied Essex County duo of John Warman and Kevin Watkins to make the latter the subject of a "bowling trivia" classic in years to come.

For Watkins, beaten in the singles as well as the pairs, did manage a success in the triples final.

But he didn't actually play in the final in that event, having to call in a substitute when he was called away to make a successful appearance for Essex in a Middleton Cup match at Felixstowe.

Glyde first took up bowls in 1990, but after three years decided to take a break from the sport, resuming his career nine years later in 2002.

Coster has played bowls for seven years. Both men have enjoyed County Group Six, Two-Wood and Triples successes in the past, but neither had previously enjoyed a title at the Southend Open.

Coster was the 2000 Essex unbadged champion and, in the final, he and Glyde took advantage of a rather typical slow start by Watkins. He and Warman were 17-7 down on 10 and still trailed by 10, 23-13, on 19.

The Essex County players did manage a three on the 20th to reduce the deficit to 23-16, but called it a day at this stage.

In the quarter-finals, the Eastwood pairing of father and son Cliff and Allan Summers continued their successful tournament -- they were beaten finalists in last week's triples -- when they saw off the strongly fancied duo of Bobby Barnes (Pegasus) and singles winner Jack Crawford (Carreras).

Published Monday July 19, 2004

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