North Cliff crown green bowlers win hat-trick of league titles
Now that the East Coast of Yorkshire Crown Green Bowling Association league season is complete it is maybe appropriate to look back on the highlights and reflect on other events.
In the leagues North Cliff deserve particular mention for their treble in the singles competitions with their A teams winning the Saturday League, the Evening Singles League and the Knockout Cup.
The Evening Doubles League was won by Borough A and Hunmanby A maintained their stranglehold on the Over-60s Doubles League.
Looking further afield to the various Yorkshire competitions our clubs had a tough season in the Eric Hutchinson and Derrick Radley Cups with Whitby being eliminated in the second round of the Hutchinson, all other clubs having fallen in the preliminary or first rounds, and Bridlington Bay and North both losing in the second round of the Radley.
In the Inter-District competitions our Ladies’ team put up a fine performance to reach the final against Huddersfield in their own District.
Sadly poor organisation led to the final being delayed until early evening when heavy rain made the green unsafe for play and the match was conceded.
Our Men’s team had hopes of reaching at least the semi-finals after beating Halifax but a defeat by Skipton ended those hopes.
In the Over-60s Hickson Trophy, played in Sheffield, our team reached the semi-finals after having a bye and then beating Bradford but Leeds proved to be a tougher proposition winning 227-201.
On the Singles front we had enough interest with players putting their names forward this year to be awarded two places in the Yorkshire Merit.
The qualifiers from the games played at Eastfield and Hunmanby (neutral greens) were David Birch (Hunmanby) and Chris Dobson (Dukes Park).
Both had tough draws in the finals at Guiseley (Leeds) with Birch being beaten by Kez Smith (Crossgates, Leeds) and Dobson by Stuart King (Pudsey) in their first games.
Also Barrie Watson (Borough) received an invitation to the Pudsey Senior Classic.
He was unfortunate enough to draw a home bowler. Nicky Dewhirst, and lost 21-19 in the first round.
The good side to all of this is that as arguably the most “remote” District in Yorkshire, and certainly the smallest with only nine member clubs, we are making something of a mark in our sport.