Bowls City of Ely booked their place in the final of the Egham Trophy with victory over Hartlepool on Sunday.
Seeking to lift the prize they last won in 2010, and having defeated holders Desborough in the quarter final, Ely approached the match, held in Nottingham, high in confidence.
The early exchanges saw Ely exert their authority and take a commanding 33-6 lead after five ends, with Andy Easy 11-2 ahead, Nicky Brett 6-0 up, Stuart Popple leading 7-1 and Greg Harlow 6-3.
At this stage Hartlepool and their supporters were fearing the worst and their mood darkened further as Ely built on their advantage to extend their lead to 41 shots after 10 ends. With the match virtually won Ely then managed to score only seven shots over the next five ends to allow Hartlepool to reduce the deficit to 21 shots.
However, as the match moved into the closing stages, Ely re-established their command and Hartlepool conceded with 11 ends still to play and the score standing at 77-46. The final will be held at Egham Indoor Bowls Club on March 30 when Ely will face either Torquay or Swale.
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