THE Halifax, Huddersfield Alliance has now reached the halfway stage in the season, with Gareth Evans looking to turn the tables on Rob Booth, who was last year’s winner in the Professional Order of Merit.

Crow Nest Park professional Evans has three wins and one second place from the four Alliance meetings he has competed in so far this year, while Bradley Hall’s Booth has so far chalked up two first places and one second among his five starts.

Booth, who was last year’s Alliance president, had to settle for just five points in the latest run-out at Hebden Bridge, where shocking conditions led to a large proportion of the late starters walking in without completing their round.

Although the course was not deemed unplayable until later on, many opted to call it a day in the fierce winds and driving rain, which left Longley Park’s John Ambler the winner, with Dave Astin just a point behind.

Evans missed the meeting, while Booth’s fourth-play finish denied him the opportunity to leapfrog his absent rival.

Although there are six meetings to come in the New Year, starting with Crosland Heath in February, and ending with the Page Trophy at Bradley Hall in May, it is already starting to look like a two-man race, assuming of course the two front-runners don’t miss a handful of events in the second half of the Alliance season.

The top five are:

1 Gareth Evans (Crow Nest Park) 38pts; 2 Rob Booth (Bradley Hall) 37pts; 3 Robert Stansfield (Crosland Heath) 29pts; 4 David Astin (Hebden Bridge) 20pts; 5 John Ambler (Longley Park) 17pts

With Evans’ help, Crow Nest Park are also heading the Clubs’ Order of Merit with a total of 236 points, just five ahead of Bradley Hall (last year’s Club champions) on 231.

The remaining Alliance meetings in 2012 are:

Crosland Heath, February 21; Ogden, March 6; Meltham, March 20; Bradley Park, April 3; Ryburn (Ronnie Parkinson Trophy), April 17 and the Page Trophy at Bradley Hall, May 1.