Gant delighted to win the Champion title a second time
Winter season ready for Pairs starter
CRAIG Gant is Huddersfield bowling’s Champion of Champions for the second time.
The firefighter from Meltham, who is the Yorkshire Merit title holder, took the Champion crown with a 21-15 success against pre-final favourite Steve Gilroy at Golcar Liberal Club.
Gilroy, the Leeds Merit winner, had powered through to the showpiece as a 4/1 chance whereas Gant (9/2) – who previously took the title against Paul Sigsworth in 2009 – had been pushed all the way.
But when it came to the showdown for a £200 first prize, Gant came up with the goods.
The Thongsbridge and Yorkshire county ace explained: “Well, I’m over the moon to win the Huddersfield Champion of Champions again, nine years after winning it for the first time!
“My form over the last five or six weeks has had me doubting my ability and love for the game.
“So to come back from a relaxing week in the sun, scab through a couple of early-round games and go on to win, having for the first time both my mum and dad there to witness me win something, just tops off a brilliant season for me personally. “Roll on the Griffin!” Gant had a titanic battle with Huddersfield Merit winner Josh Brown in the first round, going through by the narrowest margin 21-20.
Vic Sugden winner Ian Briggs was next up in the second round, with Gant making it into the semi-finals with a 21-18 margin.
In the last four, Gant faced Marsh £2,000 champion Ashley Tattersley, one of the fancied starters at 5/1, but he went through 21-15.
Gilroy had a much easier route, taking out West Riding Merit winner Duncan Reeves to 12 in the first round and then THE winter season at the Griffin Bowling Club starts with Sunday’s Pairs preliminary. It’s a 10am start at the Colne Valley venue.
Draw: Howard Jones and Andy Smith v Paul Ingleby John Ollernshaw, Mark Wood and Robert Mudd v Billy Smyth and Barry Gibson.
First round: Jock Baillie and Bryan Dyson v Geoff Price and Gareth Metcalf, Ashley Daykin and Liam Fallas v Craig Gant and Mark Allman, George Fellows and John Abbott v Gary Siswick and Mark Richardson, Roy Sutton and Ronnie Wormald v Ady Palmer and Peter Kain, Adam Wider and Ray Whitwam v Frank Greenwood and Mark Bramall, Kieran O’Prey and Graham Sigsworth v Graham Stokes and Denis Tattersley, John D Wright and Terry Brook v Jordan Fernyhough and Mick Higgins. 2nd Sixteen; 9th Sixteen; 16th Sixteen; 23rd Sixteen; 26th Boxing Day Competition; 30th Sixteen. 1st New Year’s Day Competition; 6th Sixteen; 13th Sixteen; 20th Sixteen; 26th Sixteen, 27th Sixteen. 3rd Sixteen; 10th Sixteen; 17th Sixteen; 23rd Sixteen; 24th Clifford Armitage Memorial. 3rd Jacko’s Memorial; 10th Bernard Sigsworth; 17th Bernard Sigsworth; 24th Bernard Sigsworth Final; 30th Sixteen; 31st Classic. 7th Geoff Memorial; 14th Non-winners; 21st Champion of Champions.