Royle back from brink

Bowls

REIGNING champions Royle came back from the dead to beat fellow title hopefuls Hopwood in the Inbev Winter Bowling League’s ‘A’ Division at Chadderton Cot.

Royle looked to have a mountain to climb when Hopwood had three of the first four winners to lead by 18 chalks.

But, inspired by Alan Rushton’s 21-8 win, Royle pulled the game out of the fire to win the aggregate by a single chalk and register a 7-4 success.

Lees/Springhead beat Springbank 8-3 to leave their rivals in relegation trouble, while Radcliffe defeated New Street 7-4 and are in line to climb off the bottom next weekend when Springbank have an open date.

In the ‘B’ Division, Vixens and North Chadderton fought out the first draw of the season, Tonge stayed unbeaten with a 9-2 demolition of Lower Failsworth and Prestwich upset the form book by beating Dogwood 9-2.

‘A’ DIVISION

Hopwood Rec (140) 4 Royle (141) 7: P Wakeling 15 P Fielding 21, N Greenhalgh 21 M Clough 14, K McHugh 21 D Murray 16, C Chapman 21 T Hedderman 9, M Heselwood 8 A Rushton 21, S McHugh 15 M Gillies 21, R Goodman 18 G Coverdale 21, G Gwilliam 21 M Connolly 18.

New Street (124) 4 Radcliffe (134) 7: M Holden 21 K Newbury 14, T Holt 11 L Toth 21, D Moulton 21 M Middleton 16, A Cairns 21 T Taylor 14, J Lorimer 8 T Lytham 21, J Taylor 3 A Weekes 21, R J Lorimer 21 C Weekes 6, A Shackleton 18 I Turrell 21.

Springbank (129) 3 Lees/Springhead (148) 8: L Roberts 20 A Tupman 21, Martin Hodson 13 S Wild 21, J Hynes 21 M McClean 13, Michael Hodson 4 A Cooke 21, W McDermott 11 J Ashton 21, B Stapleton 18 B Reddyoff 21, A Hodson 21 T Rogers 18, D Crabtree 21 W Roberts 12.

‘B’ DIVISION

Vixens (121) 5.5 N. Chadderton (121) 5.5: M Harrington 13 J Mountford 21, B Flanagan 21 J Irons Jnr 19, A Burgess 11 D Mountford 21, S Winterburn 7 J Ashton 21, J Rayner 21 D Hoyle 5, C Apps 6 J Irons Snr 21, A Woolley 21 W Holland 8, B Cooper 21 J Rudkin 5.

Lower Failsworth (97) 2 Tonge (161) 9: P Gleaves 9 G Gardner 21, B Yates 16 P Byrom 21, G Goldrick 21 M Hargreaves 19, K Cromwell 3 A Gardner 21, J Melia 21 A Jackson 16, J Fox 6 P Butler 21, B Carr 16 M Baguley 21, A Farrer 5 C Bennett 21.

Prestwich (151) 9 Dogwood (144) 2: S Dixon 12 D Brierley 21, S Morley 21 P Heighway 16, S Cameron 21 G Hallsor 18, A Davenport 21 R Collier 19, M Davenport 13 W Flanagan 21, A Conchie 21 C Breakell 20, G Martin 21 A Bonter 15, S Blaymire 21 D Dawson 14.