Back-in-the-groove Graham wins Over-80s KO

Veterans League

Graham Illingworth is the new Over-80's Champion after Finals Day yesterday at Golcar Lib. Graham beat another stalwart club bowler in Dennis Garner from Netherton Con in the semi-final when they had an epic encounter with contrasting short and long mark preferences. In the end it was Graham's short game that came out on top 21-20.

In the other semi-final there were two rookie bowlers in Peter Clay from Almondbury BC and Ken Whitaker from Thongsbridge. Neither had won a knock-out competition before. Peter has only been bowling 6 years and Ken even less than that. After two great early round wins for Peter, eliminating two local stalwart bowlers in Frank Greenwood and Trevor Sykes, he met his match with Ken winning his way to the Final with a 21-18 scoreline.

The Final saw Graham taking a short mark over the crown with Ken struggling to get hold of the jack. When he did he sought out a longer mark but a couple of gutter ending attempts presented the jack back to Graham who showed his experience to run out a 21-15 winner. Ken will have benefited from that experience and will come back a wiser bowler as a result.

This was the first competition Graham, who now plays for David Brown Sports, had entered since the COVID epidemic and he showed he still has the hunger for the big occasions that has served him so well in the past. He probably won't have a +6 handicap ever again and it can only higher the level of competition when Graham is involved.

Competition Secretary Paul English manning the scoreboard in the Final