THE TWO local qualifiers in the Yorkshire ABA Merit were Phil Dowgill of Cross Hills and Peter Hepworth of Sutton, who defeated Robbie Ellis and Chris Wilson respectively at Steeton.

 

On the finals day at Almondbury Liberals, Hepworth was comfortably defeated in the first round by ex-Yorkshire champion Liam Griffin while Dowgill played well to reach the last eight once again, only to lose 21-20 to Josh Brown of Kirkheaton Cons in an exciting finish.

 

Dowgill goes through to the British finals on July 29 in the North Midlands area.

 

The Merit final was an all Pudsey affair won by James Hanson, who recorded his second triumph in the event by defeating Chris Mordue 21-15. It was Mordue's third defeat in the final.

 

Nearer home, Ilkley BC’s veteran Barry Turnbull, of Silsden, won the Aire-Wharfe’s Guardian Merit at Guiseley after six games in hot weather. He comfortably beat Chris Simms of Idle 21-12 after a long and tiring day.

 

It was a much shorter day in the Worth Valley Trebles at Keighley BC last Sunday where the event was played on a round-robin basis due to a shortage of entries. Last season’s winners James Jennings and William Bestwick of Sutton added Settle’s Graeme Ralph to their team to easily beat last year’s runners-up George Hutson, Nigel Hall and Peter O’Neill of the home club 16-2.

 

Sunday saw the annual Yorkshire Parks Inter-City event where the local side from the Hebden League represented the area with their usual up and down form.

 

In game one, they shared the winners with the Aire-Wharfe at Holbeck but lost the aggregate to go down 7-5. The second match was at Scholes where the team continued to show inconsistency by drawing the match on aggregate 6-6 against arguably the worst team in the event, the Heavy Woollen area.

 

Finally they met second favourites Bradford at Tadcaster and recorded six winners, only to narrowly lose the aggregate and draw once again.

 

Qualification was out of the question then as favourite Sheffield narrowly beat Bradford. Only Trevor Bannister and Paul Fisher won every game for the locals.

 

The weekend’s action begins tomorrow for the local Inter-District Veterans team who hope to continue their improved form against Huddersfield in the home leg at Cross Hills from 1.30pm. The away team travel to Milnsbridge BC. Their opponents were a strong force in this event a few years ago and another tough match is on the cards.

 

The area’s last representatives in the Yorkshire Cup, Broughton Road, meet Ossett Flying Horse in the first round at Hipperholme. They face a very difficult game while, in the mixed event for the Hutchinson Trophy, Cross Hills have a tough game, also against Hove Edge A at Crossgates. It could be the same for Settle in the other mixed event for the Radley Trophy against Brockholes at Wibsey Park.

 

Other Yorkshire events on Sunday are the county match against Greater Manchester at Ossett and the Ladies Hyman Morris Merit at Elland C&BC.

 

Full reports on all Clarkson Cup ties in Skipton will feature next week.