Hopton lift trophy at Hill Crest

They won the event for the seventh time in 16 years with an emphatic 239-198 success against the favourites.

The Huddersfield side had objected to the choice of final green because of the Elland WMC players in the Hopton ranks.

Robert Hitchen and Graham Hickey lost their contests narrowly while another local player, Ian Booth, was also beaten.

However, Asa Briggs’s Stuart King got Hopton off to a great start with a 21-9 win against this year’s Yorkshire Merit champion Craig Gant.

After the first four jacks Hopton led 79-61.

Thongsbridge skipper Chris Kelly looked to be narrowing the gap when leading Liam Griffin 18-10, only to see his opponent run out.

Hopton had three winners out of the middle four with only Ashley Daykin successful for Bridge by 21-19 against James Martin. Daykin was 12-18 and 15-19 down before stealing the spoils with a six break.

At this point Hopton had stretched their lead to 161-130.

With the last four going on Hopton’s confidence was sky high and captain Ash Tattersley led by example to thrash James Davison 21-5.

Thongsbridge had the last three winners but only by narrow margins and it was too little too late.

Hill Crest’s Martin Holt said appalling weather hadn’t done the host club any favours but sponsorship from Yorkshire Timber & Builders Merchants of Halifax had covered their costs and they had made money on the catering, bar and raffle.

Scores (Lower Hopton names first): S King 21 C Gant 9, W Ditchfield 21 M Booth 17, I Booth 16 J Dyson 21, G Higgins 21 R Jackson 14, L Griffin 21 C Kelly 18, J Brown 21 R Clark 12, S Mort 21 A Cairns 18, J Martin 19 A Daykin 21, D Scott 19 N White 21, A Tattersley 21 J Davison 5, R Hitchen 20 A Sorsby 21, G Hickey 18 J Sneddon 21.