JACK DYSON and Nathan Haigh won the £100 first prize in the Thongsbridge Bowling Club Adult-Junior Floodlit Competition.
In the event sponsored by Kirklees Business Conference, the Netherton duo emerged victorious 21-20 from a thrilling showpiece against Cory McLeod and Joseph Cranston.
It seemed that a more competitive semi-final was paying dividends for McLeod and Cranston as they started grinding out a lead in the final, earning a six-point gap which was then pegged back to 12-9.
At each opportunity Haigh led into the corners while Cranston led really accurately on shorter marks along the green edge.
The tussle continued with McLeod and Cranston stretching their lead up to 19-13, but then they were again hauled back for the scoreboard to stand at 19-16.
McLeod and Cranston then scored a single to go all-but, but Dyson and Haigh, the pre-tournament favourites, weren’t going to settle for second place.
They clawed their way back to 20-18 down, at which stage Dyson took command and told Haigh to bowl a shorter mark over the crown.
This enabled them to close off the final with a three to make it 21-20.
The quarter-finals were all quite one-sided affairs, two of them going to 21-6 and the other two 21-5 – which didn’t auger well for the competitiveness of what was the 10th anniversary final.
The semi-finals looked to be going the same with Dyson and Haigh dispatching Marcus and Jack Hill 21-9.
The other semi proved more competitive with Rob and Joe Wiltshire taking what seemed to be a winning lead, but McLeod and Cranston staged a spirited recovery and overcame them 21-16.
With three of the nation’s top six bowlers in action this Sunday at Rastrick, it promises to be an exciting evening of bowling with a high class field in the Rastrick Classic.
Recent Champion of Champions winner Gary Ellis (ranked No1), who chalked up his 14th title of the season last weekend, is in the field, as are Simon Coupe (No3), who recently became only the fourth player in history to retain the Waterloo crown, and multiple winner Chris Brown (No6).
The final line-up is (practice 4.30, start 5.30): Nick White (Thongsbridge), Michael Leach (Preston), Kevin Nicholas (Wrexham), Nigel Cranston (Crossgates), Duncan Watkins (Bolton), Dave Fox (Kirkheaton Con), Ian Booth (Lower Hopton), Gary Ellis (Whitefield), Mick Robinson (Morton House), Simon Coupe (Preston), Scott Fisher (Morton House), David Jackson (Macclesfield), Steven Hirst (Netherton Con), Chris Brown (Lower Hopton), Barry Tinker (Longwood), Dave Fisher (D Dale).
