Away draw suits Elland just fine in bid to be champs
Elland WMC are poised to regain the Halifax League crown after a 6-6 draw away to title rivals Clayton Victoria on Wednesday.
They have a healthy nine point advantage over their rivals heading into the last two weeks of the season.
Elland, whose long run of success had been ended by Brighouse Sports in 2013, had beaten Clayton 9-3 at home the previous week.
They had six winners to Clayton’s four in the rematch but the home side took the two aggregate points by 192-182.
County pair Ian Booth and Robert Hitchen suffered rare defeats as Elland showed their strength in depth, edging a handful of very close contests.
Elland play Siddal and Clayton face Hove Edge in their last two games. Division One: Hove Edge 6 Siddal Park 6 (173173), Mytholmroyd A 6 Hill Crest 6 (171-175), Clayton Vics 6 Elland WMC 6 (192-182), Crossroads A 7 Asa Briggs 5 (181-150), Todmorden Park 9 Sowerby WE 3, Luddenden Foot 5 Brighouse 7. Points ( after 20 matches) Elland WMC 165, Clayton 156, Brighouse 150, Crossroads 132, Todmorden 123, Mytholmroyd 118, Hove Edge 107, Siddal P 106, Asa Briggs 104, Sowwerby WE 89, Luddenden Foot 82. Gerwyn Davies (Wrexham) and Danny Petcher (Burtonon-Trent) are the latest qualifiers in the £5,300 Brighouse Classic sponsored by Limegrove Leisure.
Davies beat Gordon Bradford (Halifax) 21-10 to qualify whilst Petcher beat Scott Fisher (Pudsey) 21-16.
The qualifying continues tonight (6.30) with previous winner Callum Wraight (Shrewsbury) facing ex-Brighouse player Chris Mordue. Full draw: Ian Haigh (Huddersfield) v Paul Gill (Bradford), Richard Goddard (Shrewsbury) v Gary Siswick (Huddersfield), Ryan Bancroft (Hyde) v Peter Clark (Skipton), Danny Radcliffe (Huddersfield) v Danny Barwise (Liverpool), Phil Dowgill (Crosshills) v Ross Mallinson (Huddersfield), Chris Barton (Wallasey) v Matthew Richardson (Huddersfield), Callum Wraight (Shrewsbury) v Chris Mordue (Pudsey), Richard Dawson (Wallasey) v Mark Atkinson (Huddersfield). Week four of the Rastrick Classic was hit by five no-shows, four of them from Derbyshire.
Sophie Massey and Paul Toon agreed to step in and plug a couple of the gaps.
Calderdale pair Robert Hitchen and Gareth Coates narrowly failed to qualify, Hitchen losing to Callum Wright and Coates to Chris Brown. Round one: Callum Wraight (Shrewsbury) w/o v Andy Milsom (Derbyshire), Graham Hirst (Lower Hopton) 21 Natalie Hughes (Crossgates) 18, Danny Radcliffe (Bradley & Colne) 21 Sophie Massey (Shrewsbury) 18, Robert Hitchen (Lower Hopton) 21 Neil Dolan (Warrington) 14, Robbie Fitzpatrick (Morton House) w/o v Mick Grafton (Derbyshire), Chris Brown (Lower Hopton) 21 Paul Toon (Bradley & Colne) 11, Gareth Coates (Halifax) w/o v Darren Smith (Derbyshire), Mark Bramall (Mirfield Old Bank) 7 Mark Hughes (Crossgates) 21. Round two: C.Wraight 21 G.Hirst 18, D.Radcliffe 13 R.Hitchen 21, R.Fitzpatrick 17 C.Brown 21, G.Coates 21 M.Hughes 20. Qualifying round: C.Wraight 21 R.Hitchen 15, C.Brown 21 G.Coates 14.
There are two qualifying rounds this weekend with the week three contest, which was washed out, rearranged for tonight (Friday). Tonight (6.30): Stuart King (ASA Briggs) v Ira Jeffers (Crossgates), Harry Seehra (Lower Hopton) v Mark Regan (Brighouse), Liam Griffin (Pudsey BC) v James Hanson (Pudsey BC), Michael Leach (Blackpool) v Barry Tinker (Longwood), Andy Hodgson (Pudsey BC) v Richard Walsh (Lockwood Cons), Darren Griffiths (Chaderton) v Jon Palmer (Birmingham), Mike Holden (Rochdale) v Darren Chatwin (Birmingham), Danny Sillitoe (Doncaster) v Rob Dunford (Canalside). Sunday (5.30): Wayne Ditchfield (Chorley) v Simon Coupe (Preston), Chris Mordue (Pudsey BC) v Josh Mordue (Brighouse), Tony Riley (Brighouse) v Reserve tbc, Paul Bowes (Pudsey BC) v Neil Simpson (Shipley), Martin Gaut (Telford) v Adrian Kenyon (Elland C & BC), Steven Gilroy (Crossgates) v Ben Harris (Great Barr W&W), Steve Freer (Boldmere St Michaels W&W) v David Gwilliam (Glossop), Gareth Gwilliam (Glossop) v Cliff Johnson (Chadsmoor). Preston’s Simon Coupe and Wirral’s Robbie Fitzpatrick are the latest players to go through in the Spen Masters at Spenborough Victoria BC.
Halifax’s Mark Regan beat Warrington’s Phil Davies 2117 but then lost 21-14 to Morecambe’s David Fisher.
Robert Hitchen, another Calderdale bowler, beat Potteries’ Jon Price 21-12 before going down 21-17 to Jason Lockett of Warrington. Tomorrow: 1 W Ditchfield (Eccleston), 2 P Chamberlain (Anglesey), 3 A Daykin (Huddersfield), 4 R Bentley (Cleckheaton), 5 G Parker (Preston), 6 S Leach (Rochdale), 7 J Lloyd (Heswall/Wirral, 8 R Nicholson (Halifax), 9 C Chamberlain (Anglesey), 10 G Nicholson (Halifax), 11 C Bray (Cleckheaton), 12 A Sykes (Mirfield), 13 D Scott (Halifax), 14 D Petcher (Burton on Trent), 15 H Hornby (Preston), 16 D Holt (Rochdale).