Hove Edge blaze trail in first division
Hove Edge are the pacesetters after two rounds of fixtures in the Halifax League’s Wednesday evening competition.
They followed up their 10-2 home win over Greetland with an 8-4 success over their promoted rivals in the rematch this week.
Keith Hatzer and Alan Bray were their best winners (21-12 and 21-13), helping them to the two aggregate points by a 195182 margin.
Hill Crest have had backto- back successes against Todmordenbut champions Elland WMC were held 6-6 on the tricky Crossroads green after an 11-1 home win.
Elland had six of the 10 winners but lost the aggregate by 12 points. Wednesday’s results - Division One : Asa Briggs 8 Mytholmroyd 4 (179-176), Crossroads A 6 Elland WMC 6 (188-176), Brighouse 10 Siddal 2 (204-133), Greetland 4 Hove Edge 8 (182-195), Hill Crest 9 Todmorden Park 3 (180-157), Akroydon Vics 7 Clayton 5. Division Two: Sowerby WE 10 Laurel Crescent 2 (197-126), Rippponden 8 Luddenden Foot 4 (183-167), Stainland Park 10 Hill Crest B 2 (208-125), Elland C & BC 7 Crossroads B 5 (173-153). The Halifax Association’s Brian Varley Pairs competition, sponsored by Springhead Funeral Directors, West Vale, is on Sunday April 26 (10.30).
There are 14 entries so four venues will be used with three or four teams at each venue. The winner from each green goes forward to the semi-final and finals evening on May 31 (6.00) at a venue to be decided. At Kingston: Hill Crest v Clayton, Luddenden Foot v Siddal. At Elland C&B: Sowerby West End v Akroydon Victoria A, Greenroyd v Sowerby T & BC. At Siddal: Akroydon Victoria B v Elland C&B, Asa Briggs ‘A’. At Sowerby T & B: Asa Briggs B v Kingston, Ripponden. Halifax A and B start their campaigns in the Yorkshire Junior Inter-District League on Saturday.
The league is sponsored by the Mortimer family in memory of Keith, a long-standing patron of Yorkshire bowling.
Halifax A play West Riding at Akroydon Victoria and the B team play Skipton & Worth Valley at Lund Park, Keighley (7.0). Spectators welcome.
Any clubs with juniors interested in playing should ring Keith Hatzer on 07775 965696 Halifax A: Ben Atkinson, Joel Steele, Nicola Greenwood, Sam Holmes, Bailey Dawson, Jade Little wood, Chris Moore, Matthew Moore. Halifax B: Louis Barker, Mathew Holden, Samuel Gee, Imogen Gee, Amy Marsden, Dominic Crowther. Meet Lund Park 6.45. The draw for the preliminary round of the Rose Bowl/ Ewart Lord competition, sponsored by The Tower House Hotel, has taken place.
Winners will be given entry to the Rose Bowl alongside last year’s four finalists Hill Crest A (23), Hove Edge A (30), Mytholmroyd (18) and Siddal (25).
Losers go into the Ewart Lord competition. A draw will be made for the first round proper in each competition. Thursday, April 30 ( 6.45): Greenroyd (55) v Greetland (35) at Kingston, Sowerby T&BC (80) v Elland WMC (50) at Pellon, Halifax (80) v Hill Crest B (50) at Bradshaw, Hove Edge B (55) v Todmorden (25) at Greenroyd, Heptonstall (55) v Akroydon Vics B (55) at Sowerby West End, Elland C&B (40) v Hipperholme (50) at Akroydon Victoria, Asa Briggs (30) v Bradshaw (60) at Elland WMC, King Cross (70) v Brighouse Sports (5) at Siddal, Kingston A (45) v Kingston B (80) at Hove Edge, Akroydon Victoria A (30) v Luddenden Foot (40) at Elland C&B, Pellon (50) v Ripponden (50) at Mytholmroyd, Sowerby West End A (35) v Sowerby West End B (75) at Luddenden Foot. Yorkshire Ladies start their season with a pre season fixture against the Civil Service at Almondbury Liberal Club on Sunday (2.0).
Yorkshire were winners of the Waterloo Cup last year and are aiming for the county championship title this year. Draw EllandC & BC has spare slots in its big open competition on Friday, April 24, Sunday April 26, Friday May 1, Sunday May 3, Friday May 8, Sunday May 10, Friday May 15and Sunday, May 17. Halifax Senior Ladies warmed up for the season starting today with a pairs competition last Friday at Sowerby Tennis and Bowling Club. Thirty players took part and they brought food to share on a lovely sunny day with the action lasting almost six hours. There were many very good games but none closer than the final. In the first semi-final, Joan Payne (Spring Hall) and Rose Hooson (Holmfield) beat Dian Hayward (Sowerby) and Pat Grant (Spring Hall) by 15-13. Sue Griffiths (Ripponden) and Anita McIlroy (Bradshaw) beat Joyce Asquith (Siddal) and Sally Harrison (Spring Hall) 15-2 in the second semi-final. In a nail-biting final, Joan Payne and Rose Hooson were ahead at the 12th end by 12-5. However, Sue Griffiths and Anita McIlroy slowly clawed their way back to 14 across at the 22nd end. Joan Payne and Rose Hooson clinched victory at the next end.