Phil Todd homes in on Over-60s Merit victory, Hutchinson Cup success for Hunmanby and Borough
The Over-60s Singles Merit at Hunmanby started out being played in almost wintry conditions and finished up in sunshine, not full summer but certainly more summery.
With 36 local entrants, eight bowlers had to play a preliminary round in which Hunmanby’s Glyn Goodyear squeezed past Ian Richardson (North Cliff) 21-20 and Dave Clarke (Dukes Park) played out a marathon 21-17 win against Bernie Overfield (Hunmanby).
In the first round home bowler Melvyn Aldred pulled off an unexpected win against Borough’s Ronnie Noble and David Muir (Eastfield) came back from 1-14 down to beat Dave Hensby (Brid Bay) 21-20.
Neither winner survived the second round in which the outstanding game was Gary Thornton (Borough) edging through 21-20 against Sue Green.
The first two quarter-finals saw Chris Dobson (Dukes Park) go through against Ed McCormack (North Cliff) 21-15 while another North Cliff bowler, Dave Moment, went out 21-7 to home player Phil Todd.
Home ace Geoff Oldham beat Robert Child (North Cliff) while Hunmanby’s Alan Horton beat Gary Thornton 21-11.
In the first semi Todd beat Dobson 21-20 to set up an all Hunmanby final with Oldham who beat Horton 21-14.
After a fairly even start, 7-6 after 6 ends, Todd dominated the final going to 18-8 after 15 ends. Oldham did make something of a comeback but Todd picked up the 3 he needed to win and came home 21-14.
In the Yorkshire Merit played at The Harold Club, Bradford in heavy rain the East Coast qualifier Paul Morgan won his first game against Mark Harrap (Castleford) 21-15.
But the Whitby ace then came up against Gareth Coates (Halifax), a former Gambart Baines winner, and went down 21-12.
Coates went on to win the competition and so for two years in succession Paul has lost to the ultimate winner.
Saturday saw four of our clubs engaged in Yorkshire’s Eric Hutchinson Cup with two, Hunmanby and Whitby, facing each other at Borough and thus ensuring at least one East Coast of Yorkshire representative in the third round.
Hunmanby got off to a good start with Phil Todd and Billy Holdsworth having big wins to build a 68-52 lead after four games, Ian Hadden and Emmo Emmerson replied for Whitby.
Two more big wins by Jennie Allen and Harry Old built this lead to 140-104 with wins by Sue Green and Jo Leeman giving Whitby a faint hope.
Whitby staged a late comeback with wins for Tim Purcell, Peter Harvey and Kenny Wale was only enough to reduce the margin to 212-183, Peter Van de Gevel being Hunmanby’s winner.
North Cliff took on Hillcrest (West Riding) at Magnet Sports, Tadcaster and were level at 73-73 after four games with wins for Robert Child and Callum Malone.
Unfortunately the middle of the match was not good for Cliff who lost three of the four games to trail 134-146 the main consolation being a 21-10 win for Pat Germaine although Ed McCormack only lost 21-20.
Wins for Danny Cooper and Alan Lee in the final four were not enough to pull back the deficit and Cliff eventually lost 202-209.
Borough faced Almondbury Libs (Huddersfield) at Colton (Leeds District) and got off to a great start leading 76-55 after wins by Steve Lonnia, Steve Taylor and Andy Adamson.
Borough just shaded the middle four games to lead 143-120 with wins for Ronnie Noble and Steve Price. Almondbury made a good fight in the last four games but wins for Sue Wilkinson and Dave Pryce were enough to give Borough a comfortable 215-194 win
Hunmanby now face the winner of Denby Grange (Wakefield) and Rufford (Airedale & Wharfedale) while Borough take on the winners of Gildersome (Leeds) and Wayside (Harrogate).
Sunday was truly a sunny day for Whitby’s Bedlington Shield Singles Merit.
Forty-five bowlers entered meaning 26 had to play a preliminary round.
The outstanding result was North Cliff’s Dave Moment beating clubmate Alan Landers 21-20.
In the first round Katie Gates put up a creditable performance against Dukes Park clubmate Chris Dobson only losing 21-17 and in a “Battle of Watsons” Caroline (Borough) beat Lisa (Hunmanby) 21-20.
Moment continued his good form by beating Jim Norris (Barnsley) 21-15 and Kevin Gates (Dukes Park) had a decisive 21-6 win over Whitby’s Paul Morgan while Danny Cooper (North Cliff) just made it through 21-20 against Borough’s Ronnie Noble.
In the second round Gates ended Moment’s run 21-10. Outstanding games were Geoff Coleman (Whitby) beating Billy Holdsworth (Hunmanby) 21-20 and Andy Webb (Alverthorpe) beating Copper by the same score.
In the quarter-finals Dobson beat Alan Lee (North Cliff) 21-12 while his wife Denise lost to another Cliff bowler, Robert Child, by the same score. Gates had a comfortable 21-10 win over Coleman while Webb won 21-15 against Pam Watson (Hunmanby).
Child then had a comfortable 21-7 win against Dobson while Webb had an almost as comfortable 21-13 win against Gates.
Unfortunately the final, played with 4 on the card, was a rather one sided affair with Child racing into a 11-4 lead after 8 ends.
Webb did get back in then and trailed 14-10 after 12 ends only for Child to race to 20-10 in the next 4 ends. Webb did pull one more back but Child then scored again to win 21-11.
The trophy and prizes were presented by Whitby President Betty Sewell.
On Friday 7 June there is an Over-60 Singles Merit at North Cliff and on Sunday there is an Open Doubles at Eastfield.
Start times are 9.30am and anyone wanting to play must register beforehand as the draw will be made in advance.