Gant has dream

Robert Taylor 21 R M Halliwell 6, S Pollard 21 A Johnson 14, Stephen Butters 18 Robert Lees 21, Stuart A Wood 13 David Kaye 21, Denis Fuller 13 Richard Brook 21, S Hall 8 M Cooney 21, David Wagner 18 D Machen 21, K Hopper 19 A Emerson 21, Martin Berry 7 Don Crowther 21, A Wilkinson 17 Michael Shackleton 21, Terry Shaw 21 Thomas Kaye 15, Lloyd Armitage 21 M Shaw 18.

Stuart Johnson 21 T Bolton 9, Richard Firth 12 D Singleton 21, Greg Hutchinson 16 L Singleton 21, Dave Marshall 5 P S Manson 21, Josh Walker 21 E Thompson 20, Jack Glazzard 21 I M Brogden 9, John Barraclough 20 J Baker 21, Andrew Page 21 F Greenwood 20, Geoff Thornton 21 D Hirst 19, Andy Robinson 7 I Singleton 21, John Dyson 18 T Liversidge 21, Chris Bray 10 M D Jennings 21.

Aidy Brown 18 A Farrier 21, D Curran 18 P Conneely 21, N Hirst 11 C Ball 21, G Armitage 21 M Fisher 14, Alec I Brown 21 C Noble 16, K Curran 7 N Thornton 21, Darren Hinchcliffe 12 H Ellis 21, P Morgan 18 D Cooling 21, S Morgan 21 C Walker 16, S Curran 9 D Duck 21, K Morris 12 P Thornton 21, D Sykes 19 A Read 21.

Darren Hickey 21 N Raper 20, John Leach 17 M Gilbert 21, Martin Fox 21 S Pears 9, Aiden Fox 21 R Taylor 15, David Griffiths 5 C J Wadsworth 21, David Laycock 21 J Taylor 15, Clive Hirst 19 D Monaghan-Jones 21, Tom Hirst 21 R Oldham 8, Wayne Hirst 21 Russell Gilbert 10, Gary Mountain 13 G Clegg 21, Daniel Clarke 21 C Newsome 13, Ben Sweeney 21 J A Kaye 14.

D Allen 15 A Bamforth 21, R Taylor 15 G Hanson 21, F Turton 11 R Singleton 21, R Whitcombe 21 DJ Thornton 14, C S Allen 16 K Bamforth 21, P Fuller 21 B Hanson 11, Richard Turton 21 S Given 15, Cash Brook 21 R Whitehead 10, L Turton 10 Rob Snr Spencer 21, S Haigh 21 A Cross 15, G Turton 21 A Singleton 11, S Anderson 21 P Haigh 15. CRAIG GANT is the happiest man in Yorkshire bowling!

The 33-year-old Thongsbridge star won the Yorkshire Merit at Cleckheaton, beating James Wilcox of Crossgates 21-14 in the showpiece.

Gant – a crew commander in the fire service, based at Illingworth – picked up £550 as champion, but it’s the title which means so much more to the popular player from Meltham.

“The Yorkshire Merit is the competition that every bowler in the county wants to win and it’s something you dream of doing,” said Gant, who’ll be in the Thongsbridge team starting the defence of the Yorkshire Cup on Saturday against Crosland Moor, who they defeated in last year’s final.

“I’ve watched the Yorkshire Merit final day so many times and I’ve been in it a couple of times before without ever getting past the first round.

“So to go all the way and win it, I was really chuffed and I think I must be the happiest man in Yorkshire!”

It wasn’t all plain sailing, however, for Gant, who is in the Yorkshire away team against Derbyshire on Sunday at Buxton.

“I was 8-0 down in the final,” said Gant, who then drew of some previous knowledge.

“I had played across the middle of the green all day and played it well, and I remember I played James on that green in an Inter-district match for Huddersfield against Leeds a few years ago and beat him 21-3, off that same mark.

“I just thought if I could get him back on that mark I might get back into it, and I went to 10-8 before we scrapped a few chalks.

“Then, from 13 across, I virtually ran out, going 20-13 up and, while James got another one back, I was able to see it through.”

The win provided consolation, too, as Gant – who was Huddersfield Champion of Champions as far back as 2009 – lost to Wilcox in the June Festival final on the Isle of Man last year, missing out on a £3,000 prize.

“I have won bits and bats outside Huddersfield, but that would have been the biggest – so to take the Yorkshire Merit now just feels fantastic and it was nice to get one over on James after last year,” added Gant, a previous Summer Handicap winner who was beaten in the final of the Huddersfield Merit by clubmate and county colleague Jack Dyson two years ago.

“I wasn’t overly impressed with my form at all last year, so with working shifts with my job I’ve been able to put in a lot of practice and it’s obviously paid off because my results have improved.

“I’m unbeaten for Thongsbridge on a Tuesday so far in the Mirfield League and I haven’t lost either in the Subscription on a Saturday, so the season is going pretty well.”