22 Jun Longwood are 2024 Team Knock Out Champions – Full results and picture gallery.

 

Another finals day and another afternoon of blue skies to welcome bowlers and spectators to Kirkheaton Con for the 2024 team Knock Out final.

Both finalists, Longwood BC and Cowcliffe BC, were no strangers to team finals. Longwood were hoping to add the Team Knock Out to their 2023 Bistro title, and Cowcliffe were aiming to go one better than their runners up spot in this competition last year. Both teams are currently riding high and just two points apart in Division 1, and with a handicap offset of just four in Longwoods favour, the stage was set for a classic final with no clear favourite.

Pairs were first on the green and the teams were looking equally matched after four ends as bowlers cautiously gained their feel for the green. But it was Longwood bowlers who seemed to settle just that little quicker and by the halfway stage had pulled out an eight point collective lead. This was a lead they would build on and simply go from strength to strength, eventually running out winners with all three games and a very solid 36 point advantage. With a deficit such as this, big but not impossible to overturn, both team’s singles players were no doubt feeling the weight of expectation upon their shoulders, be it for different reasons. Could Cowcliffe climb the mountain they’d been handed and snatch victory? And for Longwood, they knew they would struggle to live it down if they threw it all away now. So it was game on and the stage set for a fascinating finish.

The Cowcliffe bowlers were clearly up for it and it was soon evident Longwood would not be having it all their own way – if they wanted to seal the victory they’d have to bowl at their very best. For the spectators it simply made for some first class bowling to watch from both teams. As the ends unfolded points were being decided by the finest of margins, but slowly and surely Longwood started to take control. Despite the spirited resistance Longwood managed to run out with three wins from the four singles games, though only adding a single point to the aggregate for a final win by 145 to 108 points.

Congratulations to Longwood on a well deserved victory, and commiserations to Cowcliffe after such a spirited and hard fought final. And thank you to both teams for putting on such a brilliant display of bowling for everyone who turned up in the sunshine. Thanks also to Ray Tunnacliffe our esteemed referee, to everyone at Kirkheaton Con for providing their excellent facilities and much appreciated support for the day and finally a big thank you to our competition sponsor Mr Tony Butterfield.