Hunmanby's Sue and Billy Holdsworth win Dukes Park Over-60s Doubles Merit

The weather was perfect with wall to wall sunshine offset by a bit of breeze.

The two preliminary round games were a total contrast with the Borough pairing of Brian Dalby & Ronnie Noble having a hard tussle with the strong Hunmanby pairing of Geoff Oldham & Phil Todd, finally going through 21-20 while in the other another Hunmanby pair, Peter van de Gevel & Alan Horton had a comfortable, if prolonged, 21-8 win against Tony Bland (Borough) & Larry Dixon (Westgate).

In the first round Whitby’s Steve Dover & Geoff Watson eliminated the fancied pairing of Paul Morgan (Whitby) & Nigel Trotter (North Cliff) 21-16 while a Sheffield pair, Graham & Roz Bland won 21-18 against North Cliff’s Robert Child & Ian Richardson.

The first quarter-final pitted Dave Pryce & Barrie Watson (both Borough) against Chris Dobson (Dukes Park) & Gary Thornton (Borough) with the Borough duo winning 21-14 to face the Blands who won 21-16 against Dover & Watson. Billy & Sue Holdsworth (Hunmanby) also won 21-16 against the home pairing of Geoff Price & Phil Rippingale while Whitby’s Jo & Ray Leeman won 21-19 against van de Gevel & Horton.

In the first semi-final Pryce & Watson won 21-18 against the Blands while the Holdsworths had a slightly more comfortable, 21-14, win against the Leemans.

The final was a very one-sided affair. After Pryce & Watson won the first end the Holdsworths took command winning the next 5 ends to lead 9-1 before conceding a single.

After this Pryce & Watson failed to score leaving the Holdsworths 21-2 winners.

In the Saturday League North Cliff A head the Division 1 table, 6 points ahead of Borough A. after winning 8-4 (179-147) at home to Hunmanby A.

But Borough did close the gap, winning 10-2 (208-105) at home to Eastfield.

Whitby are level on points with Borough A but have an inferior total of points scored after winning 11-1 (207-129) at home to Borough B.

In Division 2 Bridlington Bay A are well clear of the field after a 9-3 (188-135) home win against North Cliff B who are in second, 17 points adrift.

In third are Westgate A who lost 9-3 (195-173) at fourth-placed Robin Hood’s Bay.