Bowls: Harrington fights back to take title

A LATE but decisive flurry of scoring by Gary Harrington, of the Summertown club in Oxford, earned him the Sanatogen/EBA Champion of Champions title at Worthing's Beach House Park yesterday with a 21-15 win over Swindon's Barney Fernandes, writes Alan West.

Harrington, an England international, had earlier been forced to battle his way out of trouble against fellow England player David Holt, from Lancashire, in the quarter-finals, recovering from 19-11 down to win 21-19.

Against Fernandes, a phlegmatic performer who has hovered on the fringe of international honours for some years, Harrington had an early narrow lead wiped out in a purple patch by his opponent. Harrington, to his credit, persisted with a smoothly operating draw shot and was rewarded with three singles which put him back in the game.

Fernandes responded with a single but that proved his swan- song as Harrington, scenting victory, added the six shots he needed over the final three ends to take the title.