Milnsbridge duo beat Holmes and Hitchen
Gary Siswick and Liam Fallas ( Milnsbridge BC ) won the Elland Association’s Open Pairs, sponsored by Briggs Priestley Ltd, at Kingston BC on Sunday.
They had a comprehensive 15-6 victoryover Les Holmes and Robert Hitchen of Akroydon Victoria at Kingston BC.
The final produced some excellent bowling, with Siswick leading superbly on his favoured pegging mark across the crown.
It was 9-0 before Holmes and Hitchen had a sniff. Up to then there had been six scoring ends but excellent striking from Hitchen and Fallas had killed off another five ends.
At the next end the eventual losers scored a pair before Siswick and Fallas combined to score singles and a pair at the next four ends to reach all butt.
The next end saw Holmes and Hitchen double their score with another pair and with Holmes leading on a straight mark on the top edge, another two singles kept them in the hunt.
Holmes again led two excellent woods and assisted by Hitchen, they were lying three before Fallas blasted the end to finish off thechallenge and end the game 15-6.
Fallas and Siswick had began the day by beating Linda Stewart and Deborah Sturman (Laurel Crescent) by 156, having conceeded a three at the first end and trailed 5-3 before getting their act together.
Their next opponents were fatherand daughter, Ian and Rachel Smith ( Akroydon Vics ) who were 8-0 behind before putting up a spirited fightback.
Rachel led superbly to score nine points before the victors closed out the game with a 15-9 success.
In their semi-final against John Halliday and Philip Holroyd ( Luddenden Foot ), the eventual winners were behind early in the game, having conceeded two pairs and a three to some excellent bowls.
From that point they gradually asserted to trail 9-8 withSiswick having found his form on his favoured mark across the middle of the green. They took the last three ends to reach the final 15-11.
Holmes and Hitchen began against Julie Marsden and Heather Smith( Akroyd Vics), who started off well to lead 5-2 but were unable to added to their tally.
Akroydon Vics juniors Joel Steele and Bailey Dawson led them 3-0 before the experience of Holmes and Hitchen told and resulted in a 15-6 scoreline.
Quarter-final opponents Brian Hildred and Cathy Ness ( Siddal ) were madeof sterner stuff and the lead changed hands regular before Holmes and Hitchen went from 9-13 to 15-13.
The semi- final against Brendon Malone and Julian Dawson ( Siddal ) was nip and tuck with the scores peeling at 3, 5 and 7 before Hitchen, leading well on a short pegging mark, took a 12-7 lead.
Malone and Dawson replied with two pairs but were beaten 15-11. Quarter- finals: I. and R. Smith 9, G.Siswick/L. Fallas 15, M. Steele/G. Coates 13 J. Halliday/P. Holroyd 15, T. Atkinson/M. Greenwood 4 B. Malone/J. Dawson 15, B. Hildred/C. Ness 13 L. Holmes/ R. Hitchen 15