ALAN CROWTHER, of Longwood Bowling Club, begins the defence of his Colne Valley Merit title tomorrow (6.30).

Crowther, who is also the Legaue’s secretary, takes on Tony Butterfield, of Moldgreen Con, at Linthwaite Hall.

Players bowl down to one qualifier at each venue except at Meltham’s No1 and No2 greens where there are two qualifiers.

The final takes place at Golcar Lib on Sunday, September 14.

THORPE GREEN

First round: T Holmes (Longwood BC) v R Taylor (Hemplow BC), E Haigh (Lockwood Con) v S Manson (Golcar CAC), K Brown (Milnsbridge Lib) v A Fawcett (Hudds RUFC), L Peacock (Milnsbridge BC) v A Byrnes (Slaithwaite CBC).

Milnsbridge Bc

First Round: P Sunderland (Thorpe Green) v G Howe (Longwood BC), G Beaumont (Meltham BC) v S Tattersley (Moldgreen Con), J Abbott (Meltham BC) v A Wadsworth (Marsh Utd), R Dyson (Longwood BC) v P Hopkinson (Lindley Lib).

Paddock I&C

First Round: J Garside (Golcar Lib) v P Cooney (Lindley Lib), P Conneely (Cowcliffe Lib) v T Giles (Crosland Moor), I Haigh (Meltham BC) v T Berry (Hemplow BC), S Tattersall (Moldgreen Con) v M Thornton (Lindley Lib).

Lindley Lib

First Round: C Taylor (Linthwaite Hall) v J Dyson (Brockholes BC), G Siswick (Crosland Moor) v S Metcalfe (Moldgreen Con), N Hinchliffe (Marsh Utd) v M Peacock (Milns Bc), C Noble (Lockwood Con) v R Whitham (Slaithwaite CBC).

Marsh Utd

First Round:A Palmer (Slaithwaite CBC) v C Gant (Meltham BC), A Battye (Bradley & Colne) v G Bellerby (Slaithwaite CBC), S Mitchell (Golcar CAC) v P Ingleby (Longwood BC), F Wrathall (Meltham BC) V B Tinker (Longwood BC).

Slaithwaite CBC

First Round: E C Gray (Cowcliffe Lib) v B Gilbert (Milnsbridge Lib), B Gibson (Meltham BC) v J Metcalfe (Moldgreen Con), C R Squires (Longwood BC) v T Chatfield (Golcar Lib), B Walsh (Milnsbridge BC) v G O’Sullivan (Crosland Moor).

Linthwaite Hall

First Round: B Gartside (Golcar Lib) v G Whitehouse (Marsh Lib), C Walsh (Meltham BC ) v S Fisher (Moldgreen Con), T Butterfield (Moldgreen Con) v A Crowther (Longwood BC), S Gledhill (Longwood BC) v C Lloyd (Milnsbridge BC).

Milnsbridge Lib

First Round: J Sutcliffe (Golcar CAC) v B Morley (Slaithwaite CBC), P Portelli (Meltham BC) v P Sigsworth (Slaithwaite CBC), M Pogson (Meltham BC) v T Brook (Crosland Moor), S Pollard (Hemplow BC) v T Boothroyd (Crosland Moor).

Linthwaite CBC

First Round: A Wilson (Moldgreen Con) v L Sykes (Brockholes BC), A Peacock (Milnsbridge BC) v J Gant (Crosland Moor), L Mosley (Milnsbridge BC) v N Small (Golcar Lib), D Singleton (Golcar Lib) v G Senior (Moldgreen Con).

Longwood BC

First Round: S Morgan (Marsh Lib) v M Stead (Cowcliffe Lib), C Allen (Paddock I&C) v R Mallinson (Milnsbridge BC), A Redfearn (Meltham BC) v S Halsall (Cowcliffe Lib), D Wilde (Marsh Utd) v J D Wright (Milnsbridge BC).

Broad Oak Bc

First Round: A Wike (Paddock I&C) v R Morris (Milnsbridge BC), C Bradshaw (Slaithwaite CBC) v A Carter (Cowcliffe Lib), G Hallsworth (Moldgreen Con) v G McMahon (Slaithwaite CBC), A E Gray (Cowcliffe Lib) v D Pollard (Bradley and Colne).

Crosland Moor

First Round: B Starkey (Slaithwaite CBC) v P Hulley (Milnsbridge BC), C Sykes (Slaithwaite CBC) v K Bamforth (Linthwaite Hall), S Mallinson (Milnsbridge BC) v M Wood (Lockwood Con), A Chapman (Meltham BC) v T Randerson (Hemplow BC).

Meltham No2 (two qualifiers)

First Round: A Graham (Moldgreen Con) v D Peacock (Milnsbridge BC), A Bamforth (Linthwaite Hall) v M Wilde (Marsh Utd), M Branch (Golcar CAC) v N Whittaker (Milnsbridge Lib), A Daykin (Netherton Con) v D Beeby (Golcar Lib).

Meltham No 1 (two qualifiers)

First Round: D Fisher (Moldgreen Con) v C Davies (Slaithwaite CBC), J Atkinson (Slaithwaite CBC) v M Atkinson (Crosland Moor), M Sykes (Milnsbridge BC) v N Kendal (Linthwaite CBC), T Hirst (Hudds RUFC) v D Iredale (Cowcliffe Lib).