05 Jul Over 80s champ blown away

UNSEASONAL windy weather greeted the ten bowlers in the preliminary round of the Over 80’s Knock-out competition at an otherwise glorious Ravensknowle Park.

It was a case of holding onto your hat as Marsh United’s Trevor Sykes defeated Baldwin Walsh of Linthwaite Hall 21-10, the competition secretary Paul English having to scamper down Ravensknowle Road to retrieve Walsh’s hat midway through the encounter.

Gordon Walker of Kirkheaton Con was the second winner back to the Pavilion thanks to a 21-15 success over Kevin McCluskey of Huddersfield Rec. His elder brother, Waterloo’s Mick McCluskey, ran out a 21-16 winner over the reigning champ, Lockwood Cons’ Eddie Haigh who rallied from 15-8 down but who had left himself with too much to do.

Peter Clay from Almondbury BC defeated Les Chadwick of Brockholes 21-14 with the final encounter of the afternoon seeing Netherton Cons’ Ray Clayton succeed in a tight finish with Barry Hinchliffe of Marsh Utd 21-18. That last match was so tight that it feature two dead ends where the bowl closest to the jack couldn’t be ascertained, Clayton winning four of the last five ends to gain his success.

The five winners progress to the quarter-finals on 19 July at a venue still to be confirmed, they will be joined by Norman Hall and Mike Wood of Brockholes together with Milnsbridge’s Roy Sutton who all had byes in the preliminary round.