Just perfect Lucy
LUCY BEERE said her unprecedented perfect weekend – six island titles out of six – and subsequent player-of-the-year award was for partner Matt Le Ber.
‘I would dedicate that to Matt. As far as the player of the year goes it is for him and the family,’ she said after pulling off her remarkable achievement to the backdrop of Le Ber laying seriously ill at the Princes Elizabeth Hospital these past several weeks.
And with Le Ber still hospitalised but improving, Beere re-focused to win not only her 10th Island women’s singles title, but also the open singles for a third time, and the women’s pairs, triples, fours and the mixed pairs.
‘It has been a tough five weeks and Matt didn’t want me to give up on the games.
‘Every time I went out there it was for him.’
The perfect record was in the balance when, in her sixth final over two days at Delancey, she and Yvonne Le Gallic were taken to an extra end by the GBC pairing of Sophie Rabey and Jackie Nicolle.
When it came to the very last bowl, Nicolle was holding shot and with the jack greatly off centre, Beere faced the pressure of having to backhand draw her last bowl of the weekend inside Nicolle’s two feet scoring bowl.
‘As I stepped on the mat I thought “this is my last bowl until next May ... go for it”.’
That final win meant she had collected 129 Island ranking points out a maximum of 138, only missing out on the nine points available for the Island League winner, which she didn’t enter this year.
Gary Pitschou was second with 66 and Steve Williams, who had won the island men’s singles for the first time, was third with 59.
In terms of the Bowls Guernsey overall rankings, Beere is now ranked number one with 1,112 points, significantly clear of second-placed Pitschou on 783.
Lying third is Matt Le Ber on 641, fourth is Rose Ogier with 495.
The ranking system is based on performances over the last four years and Bowls Guernsey president Garry Collins, who presented the player of the year trophy to Beere, said her performance was top notch.
‘Lucy should win this award just on the courage shown in the last five weeks, but she has earned it with scoring those 129 ranking points with six wins.’
