Civil Servants Ken Adams and Mike Bowyer enjoyed a great day at the office to clinch pairs glory at the Midland Bank-sponsored Southend Men's Open Bowls Tournament.

The Prittlewell duo, playing on their home Priory Park green, took on the Basildon partnership of Murrayfield's Harry Waller and Dino Capaldi in the final and pulled off a thrilling 20-19 triumph.

The scores were locked at 7-7 after six ends, but seven shots over the next four saw Adams pull away.

He and Bowyer only came under threat at the last end where the Murrayfield duo needed four to level things off. Waller and his partner - the latter attempting to complete an "Italian Job" came to grief when they could only manage three!

In the semi-finals, Shoebury's John Telling and Kevin Watkins seemed set for the final when they were 12 up on the seventh, but they lost control from this point on and won only one more end in a 23-13 defeat.

Following his defeat by Peter Rouse in last week's singles final, it meant Watkins ended a fortnight of outstanding bowling without a title.

Waller and Capaldi were outplayed by the short jack tactics of Dunstable visitor Greg Fountain in their early stages of their semi-final.

However, they won an end to put up a series of full length jacks and never looked back, scoring a three, four, five and four to win 28-14.

The mixed fours final saw Houdini finally fail to escape from his chains in time.

Rochford's John Horrex earned the nickname of the famous escapologist during the fortnight by so often snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.

He was at it again in the semis when his line-up of wife Beryl, Mick Spackman and Doreen Wood beat T Fakely's Prittlewell team 18-17 on a measure.

Triples champion of the past two years, Thorpe Bay's Percy Boxall, went out at the semi-final stages when he lost 19-15 to Lionmede's Joe Stamper.

The final proved to be incredibly tight with 15 of the ends being won by a single shot.

It eventually all went down to a measure with Horrex missing out on the crown by a quarter of an inch as Stamper stamped his class with a 16-15 success.

At the end of the tournament, played in the main in warm and sunny weather conditions, trophies were presented by Midland Bank area representative Bob Kelly.

Bowled over - pairs finalists (left to right) Mike Bowyer, Ken Adams, Dino Capaldi and Harry Waller

Picture: STEPHEN LLOYD

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.