Division 1 v Division 10 Winter Cup Final
- Winter League
- 10 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Winter League
It is not often you see a Knock-Out competition Final contested by representatives from the top division and the bottom division but that is what helps to make the Winter League the unique and very different competition that it is.
The number of entries puts the League aside from any other local league by attracting a record 162 entries for a knock-out competition they have to pay to enter but has no financial prize for the eventual winner. That didn't detract from the quality of the competition at all but with only one Division 1 bowler reaching Finals Day they were always going to be the favourite to take the 2026 title.
Graham Hirst is a long time supporter of the Winter League playing for Lower Hopton in Division 1 and is an Inter-District bowler. That combination saw him start with a negative handicap of minus 1. All the other seven quarter-finalists came from teams from Division 5 to Division 10 bringing their bigger handicaps with them.
With a favourite round peg mark of around 20- 25 metres, Graham overcame the challenge of Paul Booth and homester Nigel Roebuck to set up a final against Skel Windmill bowler Sam Seargeant who had come out top of the closest match of the day 21-20 against Michael Wood. Both bowlers played really well with both most respectful of their opponents capability. It was nip 'n' tuck all game as first one then the other took the lead and they ended up 20-across. A handshake between the pair before playing the final end typified the spirit of not just this match but of the whole event. Sam prevailing to set up a Division 1 versus Division 10 bowler Final.
Graham didn't have matters all his own way in the Final from the outset but after seven ends he had clawed back the five points handicap difference and dropped into his 22-metres mark routine which had served him so well all day. Sam could produce the winning shots but couldn't match the consistency of Graham who ended up a 21-16 winner to claim his first Winter Cup victory.
Thanks to our hosts for the day, Huddersfield RUFC and match referee Pat Stephenson. They all contributed to a day that the participants will likely remember for a long time. One minutes silence was held in advance of the bowling starting to mark the passing last week of Tony Butterfield the joint sponsor along with Garry Senior of the Winter Cup Trophy. That was held in the clubhouse as the weather was changeable moving from sunshine spells to wet interludes just to remind everyone that this is Winter League bowling.
Scroll down for all the match results and four photographs from the day.
