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

He attracted little interest at first with his no-fuss approach, but it was clear from the first round that Gant was doing the business.

In the final he repeatedly beat great bowls from Sigsworth and then applied the pressure with his leading.

It was nip and tuck all the way with Gant just stringing a few ends together when it mattered.

Competition secretary Andrew Wadsworth said Bradley & Colne were deserving of the highest praise for their superb staging of the event. Those sentiments were echoed by Gant, who thanked his opponents and the organisers from the Huddersfield Bowling Association Executive – Wadsworth, Steve Tattersall and Gerald Sykes.

Ian Armitage, of sponsors Armitage Leisure Services, presented the prizes, Sigsworth collecting £100 as runner-up and the losing semi-finalists £50 apiece.

First round – G Hickey (winner of Marsh 1400) 16 L Griffin (Mirfield Merit) 21, J Brown (Hudds Junior Merit) 19 G O’Sullivan (Lib Merit) 21, P Sigsworth (Con Merit) 21 J Webster (Hudds Merit) 16, M Wood (Vic Sugden) 19 J Peacock (Yorks Junior Merit) 21, A Daykin (Yorks Handicap) 20 L Lawton (Yorks Merit) 21, D Beeby (Jack Burgin) 21 S Hirst (Spring Handicap) 10, R Crowther (Works Handicap) 14 M Martin (Dearne & Don Merit) 12, A Wike (Autumn Handicap) 6 C Gant (Summer Handicap) 21.

Second round – Griffin 18 O’Sullivan 21, Sigsworth 21 Peacock 12, Lawton 21 Beeby 8, Crowther 14 Gant 21.

Semi-finals – O’Sullivan 11 Sigsworth 21, Lawton 13 Gant 21.

Final – Sigsworth 16 Gant 21.