York's Joan Parker produced the shock of York Open Bowls tournament week when she seized the ladies' singles title by defeating South Shields-based opponent Maureen Cook 21-13.

Shields was by far the more experienced player, but right from the outset the York woman put pressure on her rival to grace the Clarence Gardens greens with a deserved championship-winning performance.

The longer the game went on the more the York player's confidence grew. She kept stretching her lead and left her opponent trailing 20-10 before a bad end cost her three shots and with it the prospect of a comeback from Cook.

But two down at the next end, Parker then produced the shot she wanted, the measurer declaring that the York player had prevailed tio give her a 21-13 triumph and a crown she had earlier forcast she had no chance of winning.

York Railway Amateur club-mates Arthur Dunbar and Eric Wilkinson contested the men's singles final.

Initially, both players had difficulty mastering a tricky rink, which resulted in some scrappy play.

However, the final result was always in doubt. Wilkinson led 16-14 when he grabbed what he believed to a major advantage winning three shots. However, Dunbar countered in similar fashion with three shots of his own.

The destiny of the title was not determined until the last end when Wilkinson notched the two shots he required for glory.

Before the ladies' pairs final got underway there was the matter of a semi-final to be resolved after it had been postponed from Friday because of Gill Clark's unavailability.

She must have been glad of the delay. Clark and Margaret Moss, the 2001 winners, saw off Kath Hardcastle and Carol Pink 24-13 after the latter rallied from a 22-4 deficit.

That put Clark and Moss into the final showdown against last year's champions, Maureen Cook and Audrey Swann, both of South Shields.

But there was to be no consolation for Cook, who had earlier lost the ladies' singles to Joan Parker.

She proved the bridesmaid once more as Clark and Moss took a half-way lead of 10-9.

That was the point for the York pair to pull away. Over the next six ends they notched eight shots for an unassailable advantage en route to a final 22-14 triumph.

An all-York encounter graced the mixed pairs final.

Husband and wife Pat and Gordon Storey were up against Shirley Stacey and Tex Stevens.

After ten ends the Stacey and Stevens partnership was 12-6 to the good, with Stevens producing the decisive shots. It was a lead they were not to yield as first-time finalists the Storeys lost 20-11 and were left to reflect on what might have been.

Another all-York affair featured in the men's pairs showdown, where Stevens claimed a second success, this time in tandem with Gary Bunce.

They dominated the opening exchanges to roar into a 14-0 lead over Eddie Howcroft and Frank Turner after just seven ends.

Howcroft and Turner countered briefly to trim the deficit to 14-5, but the game was as good as over when Stevens and Bunce prevailed in five of the next six ends to finally run out 24-12 winners.

For the first time in York Open history a junior competition was staged.

And the debut winner of the inaugural Under-18s' crown proved to be Pickering's Paul Humphrey after a duel with Steven Long from York.

The opening five ends were fairly even, though Humphrey held a slight 7-4 advantage.

But then fortune turned away from Long, who lost 14 shots over nine ends to eventually perish 21-8.

HONOURS BOARD

Ladies singles: Joan Parker 21 Maureen Cook 13.

Men's singles: Eric Wilkinson 21 Arthur Dunbar 17.

Mixed pairs: Shirley Stacey/Tex Stevens 20 Pat and Gordon Storey 11.

Men's pairs: Tex Stevens/Gary Bunce 24 Eddie Howcroft/Frank Turner 12.

Ladies pairs: Gill Clark/Margaret Moss 22 Maureen Cook/Audrey Swann 14.

Junior singles: Paul Humphrey 21 Steven Long 8.

Updated: 11:24 Monday, August 04, 2003