Bowls: Craig Gant wins Huddersfield bowling’s Champion of Champions title

Oct 8 2009 by Mel Booth, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Craig Gant wins Huddersfield bowling’s Champion of Champions title

CRAIG GANT is Huddersfield bowling’s Champion of Champions.

He won the title at Bradley and Colnebridge WMC with a fine 21-16 success against defending champion and three-times winner Paul Sigsworth in the final.

It was the culmination of an excellent exhibition from Gant, winner of the Summer Handicap earlier in the season which was his debut ‘major’ success.

Now he’s won the biggest prize of the lot – and the £200 prize – he’s delighted and hoping it will provide the springboard to further success.

“It was a massive thrill to win and it’s probably the most consistently well I’ve played in any competition I can remember,” said Gant, a Garforth-based firefighter who lives in Meltham and who is celebrating his 25th birthday today.

“The green was a lot quicker than any other time I’ve played on it and I seemed to go really well in every game.

“I think that win in the Summer Handicap took a lot of pressure off me and maybe I was able to just go out and play my game.

“Just getting to the Champion of Champions is hard enough and there were a lot of people in the field who have won some big stuff in the past, so I don’t think there was much pressure on me in terms of thinking I could win it.

“I just played really well on the day and, obviously, I was chuffed to bits to win the title.”

Now, Gant – who was 16 across with his Netherton Con teammate Sigsworth before running out for the win – is looking forward to playing in some Griffin events this winter, although he can’t start until later this month because of work commitments.

In the Champion of Champions, the quality field produced some tremendous bowling throughout on a fast-running green and Gant was a 12/1 shot at the outset.