18 Sep Home stars take title at their House

LOWERHOUSES duo Graham Hirst and Les Holmes are the Huddersfield Veterans Bowling Association’s 2025 Over 70s  Pairs champions taking the title on home soil.

The quarter-finals saw Hirst and Holmes with a -1 start due to plying on their home green against Cowcliffe duo Derrick Hewitt and David Pollard. The Cowcliffe pair won the first two ends to have a 6-point advantage and kept scoring regular points to lead 19-10 after 19 ends. But six of the next seven ends went to the Lowerhouse bowlers who finished 21-20 winners of the final quarter-final ties to leave the green.

Golcar Lib duo Stuart Manson and Tim Bolton were given a lesson by Clayton West pair Tim Poulter and Edwin Haigh who racked up a 21-4 success.

Keith Hilton and Tony Stokes from Brockholes held a 19-7 lead against Lindley Libs Rob Taylor and Martin Holt who closed the gap to four points before losing out.

In the final quarter-final Jeff Jacklin and Gordon Walker from Kirkheaton Con were always in control against Dennis Lomax and David Thorpe of New Mill WMC, winning 21-13.

The Kirkheaton pair raced into an early 8-2 lead against Poulter and Haigh in their semi’ but once the Clayton West pair hit top gear they raced to a 21-13 success.

Holmes and Hirst were down 10-13 to Hilton and Stokes in their semi, but they won six of the last seven ends to reach the final 21-14.

The home stars were back on their official HVBA handicap for the final but were soon 8-1 down. However,  when they got on their “bunny run” in front of the clubhouse they shot into a 12-8 lead. That was extended to 18-14 as the rain tried to spoil an excellent afternoon of pairs bowling but a three on the 20th end saw Hirst and Holmes take the trophy.