Ashley Tattersley isn’t knocking on the door any more – because he’s smashed it down!

The 34-year-old who bowls for Lower Hopton and Kirkheaton Con was a delighted winner of the county’s EE Cockcroft Trophy final at Thornhill CBC.

It was another close call for the man who lost to Mark Atkinson in last year’s Huddersfield Merit final, but he came out on the right side of a 21-20 showpiece against Glasshoughton Welfare’s Stuart Thompson.

It’s a biggest singles win for the popular Tattersley, a former winner of the Mirfield Old Bank Pairs, and it came in a competition second only to the Yorkshire Merit.

“I’ve been knocking on the door in Huddersfield and Yorkshire for a long time and just falling short in finals, so it was really nice to finally get one under my belt,” said Tattersley, who has been bowling since the age of six.

“There were four or five county players in the field, so it was really nice to come through and especially so in such a close final.

“It was probably my worst game of the whole day - I don’t think either of us played that well - and I was all-but 18 down.

“I then got two on and had a side toucher at all-but apiece, when Stuart struck and missed and that sewed up the victory.”

Tattersley has a big weekend on the agenda, with the Cleckheaton Classic final on Saturday night at Cleckheaton Sports followed by county duty for Yorkshire against Warwick & Worcester at Rastrick on Sunday (2pm).

“I played well in qualifying for the Cleckheaton and I’ve been playing well recently, so I’m confident at the moment,” said Tattersley, whose brother Scott also plays Saturdays for Kirkheaton Con (their mother Elaine and late father Clifford were both bowlers).

“I’m back in the Yorkshire team, which is great, and we definitely owe Warwick & Worcester after they beat us two years ago up at Marsh.

“We’ve both won our opening two games in the County Championship, so it’s all on this who goes through to the semi-finals.

“Warwick & Worcester have won it the last two years, we are both probably the best two sides in the country and whoever wins this one should probably go on to win the title. Hopefully we will get a big crowd to support us.”

Tattersley has already been up to Rastrick for a practice - it’s where his Huddersfield Merit defeat occurred – and equally coincidentally he came up against Crosland Moor’s Atkinson in the first round of the Cockcroft.

“I was really determined to try and gain some revenge for the Huddersfield Merit and was very happy to beat Mark 21-16, and then I beat his fellow clubman to 13.

“Then I knew I had a really tough semi-final against John Spinks, who I play with for Yorkshire, but I played really well against him – definitely my best match – and won it 21-6 to take me into the final.”

First round: C Rigby Wayside, 3) 15 R Battye (Almondbury Lib, 4) 21, D Pollard (Cowcliffe Lib, 3) 10 S Thompson (Glasshoughton, 2) 21, J Mordue (Brighouse, scr) 21 M Sweeney (Canalside, 2) 18, D Thomas (Glasshoughton, 2) 13 S Longley (Gargrave, 6) 21, W Moseley (Lockwood Con, scr) 12 J Spinks (Pudsey BC, scr) 21, A Byrnes (West End, 4) 21 M Martin (Canalside, scr) 18, M Atkinson (Crosland Moor, 2) 16 A Tattersley (Lower Hopton, scr) 21, M Cox (Gargrave, 5) 16, R Mallinson (Crosland Moor, 3) 21.

Second round: Battye 12 Thompson 21, Mordue 15 Longley 21, Spinks 21 Byrnes 17, Tattersley 21 Mallinson 13.

Semi-finals: Thompson 21 Longley 13, Spinks 6 Tattersley 21.

Final: Thompson 20 Tattersley 21.

Click here to take you back to more Sports news.

Want to read, watch and hear more? You can download the FREE Examiner Apple App here, the FREE Examiner Android App here or you can view the paper as an e-edition on your Apple, Android or Kindle device by clicking here

To follow us on Twitter click here