FIRST-ROUND games in the Skipton League team KO event for the Clarkson Cup were completed last week with upsets including Second Division Oakworth beating top First Division team Cononley A at Steeton.

The losers received 70 start but two late victories by Paul Haigh and Nigel Graham clinched a surprise victory together with some other good scores.

Other First Division teams biting the dust include Silsden PF A and Craven A. Cross Hills A were indebted to Dave Rankin’s 21-1 victory to scramble home against Colne Legion B whilst Keighley A beat Cononley B by three points without a loser in a well-handicapped match.

Lund Park A were glad for good wins by Alan Downing and Darren Rees to see off their B team at Keighley BC. Also through to the next round on June 4 are Silsden, Sutton A and B and Cross Hills C, when all losing clubs play in the Supplementary Cup.

The likeable Stuart Wrigley of the home club won the Worth Valley’s Ogden Trophy Handicap at Craven last Sunday when he defeated Kevin Burnett of Whinfield 21-17 in a close match.

Losing in the semis were Mick Claxton of Devon and young Oliver Burnett of Craven in the all-Skipton semi-finals.

The Worth Valley’s Over-60s team got off to a mixed start in their first visit to the Federation of Bowling event at Elland C & BC. First opponents Barnsley failed to show due to illness before the team took it out on poor Doncaster A with an easy win led by Burnett and Ken Brenkley. The side had only one loser. Next matches are on June 12.

There is a big holiday weekend for local bowlers, starting with the next game in the Inter-District Vets for Skipton tomorrow (1.30pm). The locals return to Sutton Park hoping for more success as they entertain Leeds, while the away team travel to Scatchard Park, Morley in the away leg. The locals will be all out for a good win against one of the poorest teams in the event.

The local preliminaries in the Yorkshire Merit are at Broughton Road tomorrow night (6.30pm) with the qualifier heading for the finals at Spen Victoria on Monday at 11am.

The Shipley Classic continues tomorrow, while the Yorkshire Parks annual Inter-District event is on Sunday at Todmorden Park (10am) where the Hebden Royd team, aka Cross Roads, are paired with Leeds, Aire-Wharfe and Sheffield in a tough group. The winning teams from both groups meet in the final at Old Town around tea-time.

Barry Turnbull and Mick Swarbrick recorded good wins for Yorkshire Parks Vets as they beat a strong North Derbyshire team in the County Championship’s first game.