ALAN CROWTHER didn’t know where his next win was coming from – now he’s in the Griffin Champion of Champions!

Big Al, as he is known, had entered eight previous competitions at the Colne Valley venue this winter without winning a single game.

But he put that right with four straight victories in the latest Sixteen, toppling Craig Gant 21-12 in the final sponsored by Lockwood & Salford Conservative Club.

Crowther, who will contest the Champions’ event in April, said he was amazed by the win, thanked the sponsors and paid tribute to Eddie Haigh for maintaining the green in tip-top order.

First round – D Walkden 17 D Rae 21, J Abbott 21 S Parkin 17, R Mozley 9 JD Wright 21, A Wadsworth 10 A Crowther 21, B Tinker 15 R Whitwam 21, R Sutton 21 S Rigby 13, P Kain 10 M Bramall 21, D Fisher 20 C Gant 21.

Quarter-finals – Rae 20 Abbott 21, Wright 9 Crowther 21, Whitwam 21 Sutton 15, Bramall 11 Gant 21.

Semi-finals – Abbott 8 Crowther 21, Whitwam 17 Gant 21.

Final – Crowther 21 Gant 12.

In the first qualifier for the Bernard Sigsworth Memorial competition, it could have been four through from Netherton Con, but Paul Sigsworth played an inspired David Scott, who performed exceptionally to go into the re-drawn final on March 14.

Preliminary round – S Pollard 19 D Tattersley 31, R Taylor 21 R Brook 31, C Gant 31 M Hinchliffe 18, B Gibson 22 T Wilson 31, C Allen 29 R Whitwam 31, R Wormald 31 D Fisher 24, P Sigsworth 31 A Hirst 15, M Richardson 30 S Rigby 31, D Scott 31, JD Wright 18.

First round – T Holmes 21 S Hirst 31, P Kain 31 J Ineson 28, M Wood 19 A Daykin 31, G Fellows 31 Tattersley 25, Brook 28 Gant 31, Wilson 28 Whitwam 31, Wormald 24 Sigsworth 31, Rigby 25 Scott 31.

Four qualifers round – Hirst 31 Kain 28, Daykin 31 Fellows 23, Gant 31 Whitwam 25, Sigsworth 25 Scott 31.

Draw for the second qualifying round on Sunday February 28 (10.00, odds in brackets):

Preliminary round – P Hopkinson (66) v D Reeves (14), J Ollerenshaw (50) v E Haigh (14), J Hatzer (66) v R Crowther (12), P Ingleby (20) v D Walkden (16), F Greenwood (16) v B Tinker (100), A Crowther (50) v P Read (50), G Sykes (100) v J Abbott (66), P Ramsden (60) v D Beeby (20), B Morley (33) v R Sutton (33), J Dyson (8) v W Dews (40).

First round – M Bramall (20) v S Fisher (8), A Wadsworth (66) v R Mozley (33), S Parkin (100) v D Rae (40).

This Sunday’s Sixteen is sponsored by Peter Read and will start at 11.00am.

Draw (odds in brackets) – M Hinchliffe (33) v S Fisher (6), B Morley (16) v J Dyson (5), C Davies (25) v R Wormald (9/2), G Sigsworth (50) v B Walsh (40), B Gibson (33) v R Brook (10), M Wood (20) v S Hirst (4), D Reeves (10) v P Read (25), T Holmes (20) v A Daykin (9/2).