PAUL SIGSWORTH claimed back a competition staged in memory of his father at the Griffin Inn.

Paul lifted the Bernard Sigsworth Memorial Trophy, sponsored by the Sigsworth family, after a 31-25 victory against Griffin stalwart Ronnie Wormald in Sunday’s final.

Last year Paul finished runner-up to Wayne Dews, who claimed his first victory at the winter bowling club, but this year, Sigsworth wasn’t going to be beaten.

The final turned out to be the outstanding game of the competition with both bowlers playing some excellent ends.

Sigsworth carved out a 30-21 lead but Wormald mounted a fightback and got to 25 before Siggy got the final chalk required to win the trophy for a second time since they began sponsoring the event in 1992. (It was previously the Stones Cup and was originally played for in 1899, known as the Crosland Moor Amateur Bowling Trophy.)

Paul added his family-backed competition to the Stuart Richardson Memorial and three Sixteen events staged at the private bowling club this season.

The presentation took place at the Junction Inn and, in president Alan Hirst’s absence, Frank Greenwood stood in and gave grateful thanks to the Sigsworth family, Sarah and Robbie for their catering and help with the raffle, also to the Junction for use of their facilities and to Eddie Haigh for preparing a superb green.

Margaret Sigsworth presented the prizemoney (pot of £650 with £250 to the winner) and after receiving the trophy Paul commented on the final saying he had a really tough match against Ronnie and referred to his county colleague as still a ‘class act.’

En-route to the final, including his intermediate round, he had beaten four previous winners of the prestigious competition.

Mrs Sigsworth was presented with a bouquet of flowers as a token of the club members’ appreciation of their sponsorship and she added that the family would continue backing the event in 2009 and was delighted that Paul had been successful again.

And to top it off, the family also won first prize in the raffle.

First round: R Brook 21 M J Sykes 31, S Hirst 16 R Wormald 31, P Sigsworth 31 T Wilson 25, E Haigh 31 C Davies 27.

Semi-finals: Sykes 23 Wormald 31, Sigsworth 31 Haigh 16.

Final: Wormald 25 Sigsworth 31.

Roy Sutton won the Saturday Sixteen, sponsored by ‘It and Miss’ on February 16, with a 21-17 victory against Paul Sigsworth in the final.

First round: R Sutton 21 B Tinker 14, R Mudd 21 M J Sykes 20, G Sigsworth 8 H Ellis 21, S McMahon 21 D Woodruff 15, P Hopkinson 6 P Sigsworth 21, E Haigh 21 P Kain 15, S Parkin 8 J D Wright 21, M Higgins 21 F Greenwood 17.

Quarter-finals: Sutton 21 Mudd 12, Ellis 19 McMahon 21, Sigsworth 21 Haigh 13, Wright 21 Higgins 16.

Semi-finals: Sutton 21 McMahon 19, Sigsworth 21 Wright 14.

Final: Sutton 21 Sigsworth 17.

Ashley Daykin starts as (9/4) favourite for Sunday’s Sixteen, sponsored by Gerald Sykes (start 11.30):

First round: (odds in brackets) R Crowther (6) v B Morley (12), M Pollard (20) v A Daykin (9/4), R Brook (8) v D Walkden (12), P Ramsden (16) v D Reeves (10), M Richardson (10) v T Holmes (20), W Dews (6) v S Pollard (33), D Scott (6) v K O’Prey (20), J Sykes (10) v R Whitwam (14).