Whitworth is the next foe for Martin
West End’s Steve Martin is still on course for a rarely achieved Halifax-Huddersfield Union strokeplay and matchplay double. Martin, winner of the PS Cockroft Trophy for a third time at Huddersfield in late July, has negotiated the first two rounds of the head-tohead contests.
He beat Elland’s Reece Wilby 3 and 1 in the last 32 at Bradley Hall on Sunday and then beat home club player Andy Hare 2 and 1.
That earned him a date with Hall’s Andy Whitworth, the record 11-times winner of the title, at Saddleworth on Saturday, September 20.
The quarter finals and semi- finals will take place that day, at the home club of president Dave Pullen, with the final of the BM Howarthsponsored event on the Sunday.
The first two rounds had been due to take place at Halifax GC on August 10 but play was washed out after around three hours of action. Martin’s match was the only one completed.
Eight of the 32 partici- pants either withdrew or did not turn up at Bradley Hall for a restart and 2012 champion Ed Battye had a particularly easy day.
His quarter-final opponent will be the 2010 and 2013 winner Matthew Colcombe.
Crow Nest Park’s Sam Town will be the underdog against experienced Uniomn side player Brad Tupman while Graham McLean and James Ward could be fairly evenly matched in final contest. Scores - first round: S Martin (West End) bt Reece Wilby (Elland) 3 & 1, S Pullen (Saddleworth) lost to A Hare (Bradley Hall), A Whitworth (Bradley Hall) walkover v A Malins (Woodsome Hall), D Hartley (Dewsbury) bt G Brady (Woodsome Hall) 2 & 1, M Colcombe (Dewsbury) bt A Colcombe (Dewsbury) 9 & 7, C Hare (Bradley Hall) walkover v J Hamilton (Huddersfield), I Powell (Hebden Bridge) and J Owen (Dewsbury) both withdrew, E Battye (Bradley Park) walkover v R Broadley (Huddersfield), B Tupman (Huddersfield) bt A Speak (Queensbury) 2 & 1, B Hardcastle (West End) bt D Stafford (Todmorden) at 24th hole, R Smillie (Hebden Bridge) bt B Crowther (Dewsbury) ( at 19th, S Town (Crow Nest) bt J Aspurn (Marsden) at the 20th, G McLean walkover v N Lodge (Bradley Hall), J Hayes (Huddersfield) walkover v N Scott (Crow Nest), J Ward (Dewsbury) bt I Nichol (Crow Nest) 5 & 4, F Greaves (Todmorden) walkover v J Hazelden (Outlane). Second round: S Martin bt A Hare 2 & 1, A Whitworth bt D Hartley 2 & 1, M Colcombe bt C Hare 5 & 4, E Battye walkover, B Tupman bt B Hardcastle 1 up, S Town bt R Smillie 2 & 1, G McLean bt J Hayes 5 & 4, J Ward bt F Greaves 3 & 2. Halifax- Huddersfield Union team boss Andy Shaw is hoping his side can finish the league programme on a winning note against East Riding at Burstwick on Sunday.
Lastyear’s runners-up in the Yorkshire Inter-District league haven’t done as well this summer and they will be lacking order of merit leader Jamie Smith on Sunday.
Sam Town is rewarded for some impressive recent results with a debut and Tom Calvert and Chris Lander return. Shaw said: “We want to finish this season with a win.
“None of our team have played the course before and at under 6,000 yards it looks a very short one with a lot of driveable par fours.
“Inevitably it will favour the home team with their course knowledge but the players we have are more than capable of playing any course and dominating their matches. That’s what we’ll be trying to do.” Team: Aaron Schnacke, Matt Colcombe, James Ward, Dan Hartley, Graham McLean, Andy Wilford, Andy Shaw, Richard Broadley, Jake Hamilton, Sam Town, Chris Lander, Tom Calvert. Meltham’s Jamie Bower was in the Yorkshire team which beat Northumberland 12.5-5.5 at Newbiggin G.C.
Bower won his singles match, after losing with Dan Wasteney in the foursomes, but victory wasn’t enough to prevent Lancashire winning the league title.