Sponsored by
Bowls - Survival is in sight after plucky display
CALDERDALE produced a superb backs-to-the-wall performance against National League champions Doncaster on Sunday to virtually guarantee their place in the top flight for next season.
They collected 23 points to Doncaster's nine from a 440-405 win and after looking favourites for the drop they have surged to the top of the five-team table.
Although they sit out the final round of fixtures on Sunday, August 24, only freak results could push them into the two relegation spots.
Calderdale had eight of the 12 winners in the home leg at Kingston Social Club and came out on top by 222-188.
At Armthorpe No 1, they had seven winners to Doncaster's five and crucially won by just one chalk - 218-217 - to collect the two aggregate points and help guarantee the extra four points for the overall win.
Although homester Pasquale Cestrone was beaten on a sluggish green at Kinsgton, Calderdale won the other three games in the top four with Bernard Megson's 21-9 success, bowling his short, straight marks, the highlight.
The next four jacks produced another three wins, David Stansfield limiting his opponent to seven chalks to make it four wins out of four in his debut season with an average of plus 7.75.
Honours in the final four matches were even with Adrian Kenyon matching the earlier efforts of Mel Gilbert and Philip Holroyd in beating decent opponents.
Calderdale had two winners from the first four jacks on the difficult Armthorpe top green. Paul Smythe trailed 11-12 but then allowed his opponent just one more chalk and Richard Hobson (Hill Crest), on the brink of defeat at 16-20, ran out with two pairs and a single for an all important 21-20 result.
The second set of four jacks brought three more wins and saw Calderdale establish a 149-143 lead. Leading the way was Philip Chalkley with a 21-14 result, followed closely by debutant Brian Harrison's 21-16 win. Then Gary Whelan beat the Doncaster captain Brian Booth 21-17.
Hopes were growing that Calderdale could pull of an improbable away win but after two more defeats and with just two players left on the green Doncaster had gone in front by nine chalks.
Martin Griffiths had an 18-8 lead but his opponent Brian Barras fought back well to reach 14 and maintain Doncaster's lead which was now just two chalks.
Anchor man Paul Gill was in a neck and neck battle with Paul Morgan, which went on for 32 ends, and ended with a break of five ends for Calderdale's Gill which yielded six chalks to bring one more individual point and the two aggregate points by the narrowest of margins.
South Derbyshire had an amazing performance to win 10 of the 12 games away at Atherstone Grove against Nuneaton. They took 25 points to Nuneaton's seven from the whole match to make themselves favourites for the title. They took 25 points to Nuneaton’s seven from the whole match to make themselves favourites for the title.
SCORES (Calderdale names first) - At Kingston SC: P.Cestrone (Kingston) 11 J.Richardson 21, B.Megson (Hill Crest) 21 J.Sneddon 9, P.Holroyd (Hill Crest) 21 M.Tonge 13, A.Brier (Elland WM) 21 G.Potter 12, M.Barnett (Hill Crest) 15 J.Garbutt 21, G.Bradford (Greetland) 21 T.Hill 18, D.Stansfield (Akroydon Vics) 21 M.O’Brien 7, M.Gilbert (Elland WM) 21 S.Hallas 11, A.Bray (Akroydon Vics) 21 D.Hunt 17, A.Kenyon (Elland C & BC) 21 C.Rice 17, J.Scott (Greetland) 11 D.Hallas 21, B.Hennnessy (Elland C & BC) 17 M.Axe 21.
At Armthorpe No 1: S.Wilkinson (Clayton Vics) 12 K.Ryde 21, R.Hobson (Hill Crest) 21 C.Brown 20, C.Austin (Mytholmroyd BC) 14 M.Reilly 21, P.Smyth (Hill Crest) 21 T.Boyd jnr 13, F.Griffin (Elland WM) 18 A.Jones 21, G.Whelan (Asa Briggs) 21 B.Booth 14, P.Chalkley (Hill Crest) 21 P.Richardson 16, B.Harrison (Clayton Vics) 21 T.Boyd snr 16, J.Barlow (Elland WM) 13 T.Jones 21, B.Holroyd (Hill Crest) 14 D.Stevenson 21, M.Griffiths (Elland WM) 21 B.Barras 14, P.Gill (Clayton Vics) 21 P.Morgan 18.
POINTS TOTALS (games played in brackets): Calderdale (4) 64, South Derbyshire (3) 62, Fylde (3) 59, Nuneaton (3) 39, Doncaster (3) 39.
AUGUST 24 FIXTURES: South Derbyshire v Doncaster, Fylde v Nuneaton.
Email to a friend
Print this page- A58 crash UPDATE: road now re-open after man hit by car earlier this morning
- Crash on the A58 in Halifax this morning UPDATE: Man in hospital with several broken bones
- Taxi worker dies aged 35 after finishing his shift
- Man suffers serious injuries in accident on M62
- How the new Halifax Central Library will look
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Halifax
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Fog
Temperature: -6 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: -1 C to -1 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
