Merit title No 5 for Wilson

Graeme Wilson ended an eight-year wait for his fifth Yorkshire Merit title when victorious at Spen Victoria yesterday.
By The Newsroom
Published 26th May 2015, 12:34 BST
Bowls. 23rd May. C.Round. Sport. Action from Graeme Wilson at the Sowerby Super 32 Invitation Bowls. -swils1-4cr-Bowls. 23rd May. C.Round. Sport. Action from Graeme Wilson at the Sowerby Super 32 Invitation Bowls. -swils1-4cr-
Bowls. 23rd May. C.Round. Sport. Action from Graeme Wilson at the Sowerby Super 32 Invitation Bowls. -swils1-4cr-

The Elland-raised player, who now lives across the Pennines at Audenshaw, beat Scott Fisher (Denby Grange) 21-11 in the final.

Wilson, previously successful in 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2007, was in a class of his own in the Bank Holiday Monday sunshine.

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His toughest match was his first. Drawn at the bottom of the card in a 32-man field, he overcame a tricky hurdle when beating county colleague and former winner James Davison 21-16.

Wilson then swept past Mark Hughes 21-13, Andy Cairns 21-5 and Nathan Webster 21-12 in the semi-finals.

Fisher, another Yorkshire player, suffered a similar fate in the final as Wilson bowled a mark across the centre of the green very well.

The winner, who had come through the Halifax area qualifier at Sowerby West End on Saturday, had won the Yorkshire crown more than anyone else before yesterday.

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Wilson, twice the All England champion, had been fancied to win the Merit at his local Elland C & BC green 12 months ago but lost 21-18 to Pudsey BC’s Liam Griffin - a quarter finalist yesterday - in the final.

Results, first round: R Dunford (Morton House) 20 A Douglas (Canalside) 21, S King (Asa Briggs) 21 J Dyson(Netherton Con) 18, J Barker (Hove Edge WMC) 18 C Newton (Lower Hopton) 21, L Peacock (Milnsbridge BC) 6 J Wilcox (Crossgates) 21, P Kain (Lockwood Con) 21 P Demetriades (Elland WMC) 20, A Tattersley (Lower Hopton) 21 A Marsden (Eccleshill) 10, B Walker (Wayside) 21 W Dews (Netherton Con) 18, S Wilkinson (Clayton BC) 11 S Fisher (Denby Grange) 21, M Goodall (Cranmore) 6 L Griffin (Pudsey BC) 21, C Mordue (Pudsey BC) 21 A Webb (Glasshoughton Welfare) 5, R Cox (Lockwood Con) 20 N Webster (Smirthwaite) 21, C Rigby (Wayside) 12 R Crowther (Longwood BC) 21, G Coates (Akroydon Victoria) 21 L Fallas (Crosland Moor) 9, A Cairns (Thongsbridge BC) 21 A Sykes (Mirfield Old Bank) 13, M Hughes (Crossgates) 21 R Ellis (Skipton Craven) 8, J Davison (Thongsbridge BC) 16 G.I Wilson (Elland WMC) 21.

Second round: Douglas 19 King 21, Newton 21 Ja Wilcox 19, Kain 2 Tattersley 21, Walker 4 Fisher 21, Griffin 21 Mordue 18, Webster 21 Crowther 13, Goates 9 Cairns 21, Hughes 13 Wilson 21.

Quarter finals: King 21 Newton 11, Tattersley 18 Fisher 21, Griffin 19 Webster 21, Cairns 5 Wilson 21.

Semi-finals: King 17 Fisher 21, Webster 12 Wilson 21.