Champions go out of Pairs KO qualifier

Winter League

Seven pairs of Division 1 bowlers met at Thorpe Green on Friday to sort out the two qualifiers that would progress to the Round of the Last 20 which will be played on 20 February next year. The early casualties included last year's winners of the title, the Golcar Lib pair of Peter Hopkinson and Rob Senior when they were eliminated by theor own team colleagues.

The sunshine was welcome and not welcome, at the same time, for the 14 bowlers involved. Welcome for the warmth it brought with it and not welcome because of the low position in the sky it brought with it that made bowling towards the sun a really difficult exercise. However this was more welcome than the alternative and with stew and Bovril readiily available an all male line-up enjoyed a true and revitalised bowling green as well as the hospitality.

The first Preliminary Round game placed the two Golcar Lib pairs against each other but it was the reigning Pairs KO Champions of Peter Hopknison and Rob Senior that struggled to make their mark on the scoreboard. They did win the last three ends but the match was over by then as the pairing of Steve Lowther and Nigel Mitchell had forged a 16-4 lead by then to eventually run out as 16-9 winners.

The format for these matches is that pairs play 15-ends or 21-up, whichever come first. The Kirkheaton Con pairing of Garry Senior and Andy Lumb almost used up both of those parameters as they ran out 20-4 victors after 15 ends. With the Thorpe Green pairing of Ian Briggs and Andy Wike having an opening round bye it was left to the two scratch pairings to complete the Preliminary Round ties. It was the Lindley BC A pair of Barry Tinker and Ken Ellis that took the honours by 18-13 and progress through to the next stage.

It was there that they met a dead-end as they started brightly and built a 10-2 lead after 8 ends but that was as good as it got as the formidable pairing of Ian Briggs and Andy Wike fought back to run out 14-10 winners. In the other Round 1 match there was a pairing of Steve Lowther and Nigel Mitchell who ran their opponents ragged with a consistent corner-to-corner application that they played very well in a 17-1 win to put their names into the hat for the Round of the Last 20.

So Golcar Lib and Thorpe Green are represented in the next stage and they will be joined by others before next February. The full list of the six pairs that have already qualified are below along with all the details of the Division 1 qualifying round.

Preliminary Round Steve Lowther & Nigel Mitchell (Golcar Lib) (-2) 16

Peter Hopkinson & Robert Senior (Golcar Lib) (-2) 9

Garry Senior & Andy Lumb (Kirkheaton Con) (-2) 20

Dave Pollard & Derek Hewitt (Cowcliffe) (-2) 4

Barry Tinker & Ken Ellis (Lindley BC A) 18

Gordon Walker & Jeff Jacklin (Kirkheaton Con) 13

Ian Briggs & Andy Wike (Thorpe Green) (-3) BYE

Round 1

Steve Lowther & Nigel Mitchell (Golcar Lib) (-2) 17

Garry Senior & Andy Lumb (Kirkheaton Con) (-2) 1

Barry Tinker & Ken Ellis (Lindley BC A) 10

Ian Briggs & Andy Wike (Thorpe Green) (-3) 14

Use the side arrows to scroll through all 8 photographs taken by John Pix

Next up it is the turn of the Division 4 pairs who play their qualifying round again at Thorpe Green and that will be staged on Friday 2 January. There are 10 entries already in the frame and more can enter before the New Years Eve deadline. The Online Entry Form is below along with all the dates you need to know.

The qualifying round dates by Division are:

Division 1 (Milnsbridge): Friday 19 December    

Division 2 (Cowcliffe): Friday 9 January

Division 3 (Springwood) Friday 5 December (Completed)

Division 4 (Primrose Hill Lib) Friday 2 January

Division 5 (Lindley Lib) Friday 23 January

Division 6 (Netherton Con) Friday 16 January

Division 7 (Huddersfield RUBC) Friday 12 December (Completed)

Division 8 (Lockwood Con) Friday 30 January

Division 9 (Paddock I&C) Friday 6 February

Division 10 (Netherton Con) Friday 13 February

ONLINE ENTRY FORM

The closing date for Division 4 entries is 3.00pm on New Year's Eve with the Qualifying Round being played at Thorpe Green on Friday 2 January starting at 11.00am. Bowling down to the last two pairs who will progress through to the Rounds of the Last 20 and the Last 16 on Friday 20 February. Then Finals Day is Friday 27 February.