ANDREW HEAUME hopes his Summer Handicap victory can be the springboard to senior honours with Yorkshire.

Now 24, the Canalside bowler’s 21-18 success against Steven Haigh, of Netherton Con, at Linthwaite Hall marked a first open competition victory for him.

A member of the Yorkshire Junior side which won five consecutive county titles – they have just won it again – he now hopes he can win further big competitions and catch the eye of the senior county selectors.

First on the agenda, however, is the Huddersfield Champion of Champions in just over two weeks and Almondbury-based Heaume, who works as a recruitment consultant in Wakefield, admits he’s looking forward to the challenge.

“Over the last three years I must have been in six or seven final days each time and got through to the last eight or the semis, so it’s nice to finally get there and win one,” said Heaume.

“It’s my first open win so, obviously, it’s a significant breakthrough and hopefully I can now build on this.

“The Champion of Champions is a day to really look forward to because, apart from the Yorkshire Merit, it’s as big as it gets with all the best from Huddersfield – all the cup winners – in a strong competition.

“I don’t play in the winter, when I like to take a break, so it would be nice to win promotion with Canalside to the Subscription and then, next year, hopefully add to the Summer Handicap front from an individual point of view.

“You have to win competitions to get in the Yorkshire side and, after five titles with the juniors, it would be nice to add a senior one to those.”

Work has put paid to his passion for watching NBA basketball from America – he used to play the sport at Almondbury High – but he’ll spend the winter watching Manchester United (“I’ve been a fan all my life, I’m not just a glory hunter!”) andreflecting on another productive summer on the greens of Huddersfield.

“My strategy all the way through the Summer Handicap was to take people into the corners and it worked out pretty well,” he explained.

“Against Haighy in the final it was tough, but I eventually got into the corners and then started leading well.”

In the semi-finals he beat his lifelong pal Michael Martin (also Canalside) 21-12, after surviving a tough test against young Joel Abdy from Rastrick, who showed his terrific promise by defeating pre-tournament favourite Ashley Daykin (Netherton) 21-16 in the first round.

“I was getting battered and staring defeat in the face against Joel, but I managed to get in the corners and started playing tight to get through 21-20,” said Heaume (inset).

“Against Michael we were both playing the corners because we know each other so well having grown up together playing the game, but I managed to get away in the end.”

First round – J Abdy (Rastrick) 21 A Daykin (Netherton) 16, A Tattersley (Moldgreen) 11 A Heaume (Canalside) 21, N Jones (Almondbury Lib) 10 J Martin (Canalside) 21, J Rushworth (Lindley Lib) 7 M Martin (Canalside) 21, A Wadsworth (Canalside) 21 L Schofield (Slaithwaite) 10, D Jones (Moldgreen) 21 B Shaw (Milnsbridge Lib) 9, P Ingleby (Lockwood Con) 21 D Pollard (Cowcliffe) 17, S Haigh (Netherton) 21 A Bamforth (Linthwaite Hall) 8.

Quarter-finals – Abdy 20 Heaume 21, J Martin 12 M Martin 21, Wadsworth 20 Jones 21, Ingleby 15 Haigh 21.

Semi-finals – Heaume 21 Martin 12, Jones 19 Haigh 21.

Final – Heaume 21 Haigh 18.