Merit double

M Anderson 21 B Gibson 13, A Cairns 21 T Marsland 16, R Clarke 21 R Walker 18, K Damms 21 D Talbot 10, Ashley Daykin 21 S Bramall 12, Jack Dyson 19 B Holland 21, M Farmer 15 N Haigh 21, Craig Gant 21 J Abbott 6, C Hill 21 D Robinson 2, C Kelly 21 J Wareing 12, K Reilly 19 D Emsell 21, A Sykes 21 P Harburn 17.

G Foulkes 13 J McMahon 21, J A Brown 21 W Moseley 16, D Teale 21 R Jnr Walsh 16, Shaun Fox 21 B O’Prey 10, P Berry 21 R Cox 13, E Wareing 8 Peter Kain 21, T Butterfield 21 R Snr Walsh 8, A Lumb 19 M Cox 21, J Shaw 21 Michael Snr Higgins 15, B Holt 21 D Slattery 18, J Helliwell 21 E Haigh 19, A Wolfenden 21 M Wood 15.

M Atkinson 19 M Richardson 21, N Webster 21 Kieron SpencerHalsall 18, B Shaw 8 D Ripley 21, J Greenhalgh 10 A R Heaume 21, R Whitwam 21 C Allert 16, R Mallinson 13 N Gomersall 21, M Giles 14 D Beeby 21, L Fallas 21 M Martin 13, G Siswick 21 Kyle Spencer-Halsall 3, T Boothroyd 21 J Bray 15, T Brook 21 I P Haigh 17, N Fowler 12 M Hollingworth 21.

Stephen Pinfield 21 R Dickinson 19, Ashley Tattersley 21 D Smith 3, Robert Hitchen 21 R Morgan 17, Paul Ingleby 21 A Forrest 11, Neil Slattery 16 R L Senior 21, Graham Hirst 20 D Bousfield 21, Graham Higgins 21 P Hopkinson 5, Richard Brook 17 P Senior 21, Allan Thompson 13 M Barron 21, Ian Newby 17 G N Jaskolski 21, Scott Tattersley 10 G Swain 21, Harry Seerha 21 S Greaves 19.

MH Bramall 21 Wayne Hirst 20, G Brook 12 Ross Ingham 21, W Dews 21 Alan Broad 18, M Griffiiths 13 Clive Hirst 21, S Hirst 21 Aiden Fox 13, J Pejica 21 Martin Murphy 13, M Regan 21 Darren Hickey 14, G Smith 21 Ryan Mitchell 19, M Sweeney 21 Martin Fox 9, Joe Wiltshire 21 Ian Pountney 18, R Wiltshire 21 Gary Mountain 18, P Winterburn 21 Ian Smith 10. MARK ATKINSON of Crosland Moor won the Huddersfield Merit title for a second time.

Having won in 2013, the 28-year-old landed the silverware again with a 21-16 win over clubmate Ray Whitwam at Farnley Tyas.

Atkinson, who works for Kirklees Council, is delighted on a number of fronts and hopes the victory will keep him on Yorkshire’s radar for next season.

“I’m chuffed to bits to win it again,” said Atkinson, who picked up £200 from sponsors Debriar Foodservice as well as the famous old trophy.

“For me personally it’s a bit of history, because it’s the most prestigious competition we have in Huddersfield, which has been running for well over 100 years, and to the best of my knowledge there aren’t too many players who have won it more than once.

“So it’s nice to join that little club, so to speak, and I feel it’s a great achievement.”

Atkinson beat Kieron Spencer-Halsall of Canalside in the first round, before knocking out Andrew Wike of Moldgreen in the last eight.

Canalside’s Andrew Heaume gave him a real fright in the semi-finals before the victory over his clubmate in the showpiece.

“Farnley Tyas is a bit of a neutral venue for everybody, but I had a bit of an advantage because they played the Champion of Champions there last year,” explained Atkinson, who is hoping to help Crosland Moor beat Lower Hopton in the Yorkshire Cup this coming weekend.

“I was disappointed to lose in the Champion of Champions final but, obviously, it meant I’d had five matches on the green and I think that worked a bit in my favour.

“That was probably most so in the semi-final, when Andrew Heaume played really well and pulled right back after I’d been all-but seven up.

“It shaved a few years off my life because he fought all the way back to 17, after I had found a mark on a good short bit to build up my lead.

“It was one of those days, because the green was like glass, that you were happy with a yard bowl, but Andrew played the corners really well and made it very difficult.”

So what now for the rest of the season?

“The Yorkshire Cup is a bit of an ambition for us at Crosland Moor this season because we’ve got the best team we’ve had in my time playing for the club,” he answered.

“We play Lower Hopton in the fourth round this weekend which is a massive game for us, but if we can manage to beat them it will be a big breakthrough for the club.

“We are also hoping to get promoted in the Mirfield League, because we are up there in Division II and hoping to get to Division I.

“And on a personal note, having been picked for Yorkshire this year as a reserve, I’m hoping that winning something like the Huddersfield Merit again has proved my credentials to stay involved with the county and, hopefully, to maybe get a match next summer.

“That’s something I’m hoping to achieve and, at the end of this season, there is the Champion of Champions