Bell tolls for ’Bank

COLIN LANE: Semi-final defeat.

ROCHDALE side Church Inn caused a big upset in the final of the Saddleworth League’s Law Swallow Cup when they defeated hot favourites Springbank ‘A’ at Hollinwood Cricket Club.

Church booked their ticket to the final with a defeat of Nimble Nook, while Springbank went through at the expense of Waterloo and Taunton when Michael Clough defeated Alan Critchlow in a play-off after the sides had finished level.

Springbank, fielding a strong side and conceding only five chalks, looked sure to lift the trophy, but Church, for whom Steve Mullington and Ben Stapleton were outstanding, clinched victory by 11 chalks.

Semi-finals:
Church Inn (8) 201, Nimble Nook (16) 184: K Bottomley 21 J Apps 12; D C Ashton 19 A Comer 21; B Stapleton 15 B Seville 21; R Taylor 15 G Law 21; B Sowerby 21 M Doherty 19; B Clark 19 S Mellor 21; S Mullington 21 R Price 10; M Dwyer 21 E Worthington 11; J Davenport 21 F Cassidy 11; P Quinn 20 J Wild 21.

Waterloo & Taunton ‘A’ (1) 175, Springbank ‘A’ (3) 175: A Critchlow 21 G Woolley 17; C Heyes 21 A Bidwell 10; D Hibbert 15 A Buckley 21; A Walker 19 M Clough 21; C Haynes 21 Mt Hodson 11; L Greenhough 11 W McDermott 21; W Munro 21 M O’Donnell 10; P Leah 16 A Hodson 21; L Turner 21 S P Heap 19; J Blezard 8 J Hynes Snr 21. Play-off: A Critchlow 15, M Clough 21.

Final:

Church Inn (8) 183, Springbank ‘A’ (3) 172: P Quinn 20 C Lane 21; J Davenport 9 G Woolley 21; M Dwyer 16 A Buckley 21; B Clark 21 W McDermott 11; S Mullington 21 Mt Hodson 11; B Sowerby 21 M Clough 15; D C Ashton 13 M O’Donnell 21; B Stapleton 21 A Hodson 12; K Bottomley 21 S P Heap 15; R Taylor 20 J Hynes Snr 21.
o TONGE’S Colin Lane reached the semi-finals of the Smithy Manor Classic in St Helens, at which stage he went down 21-12 to Warrington’s Larry Wells.

Wells was beaten 21-17 in the final by St Helens player Kevin Kearns.

Failsworth’s Lee Lawton lost in the last 16, while Lane’s Tonge team-mate Gary Ellis was a quarter-final casualty.

o TONGE’S Mark Dwayre and Thomas Dobson were beaten 21-18 by Ian Holden and David Wood (Todmorden) in the final of the Thwaites men’s pairs at Norden BC.