Griffiths sweeps through
Reporter: Bowls by KEITH McHUGH
Date published: 15 June 2009
DARREN Griffiths has won many major competitions during his bowling career but, surprisingly, the Oldham Evening Chronicle Handicap title has always eluded him.
But perhaps this is the year when the Nimble Nook and Tonge star finally has his name engraved on the prestigious trophy.
Having competed in several Chronicle finals nights, Griffiths is through to the closing stages once again after a convincing performance at Delph on Friday.
Griffiths opened with a 21-13 defeat of Stuart Crabtree (Crompton) and followed up with a 21-12 victory over Brian Raynor (Chadderton Cot).
Those victories set up a last-16 clash with Barry Sowerby (Church Inn), who had earlier beaten Colin Lane (Tonge) 21-13 and Colin Bradbury (Springhead) 21-17.
Sowerby had played well to progress, but Griffiths was in superb form and recorded a 21-8 victory to book his place in the finals at North Chadderton Social and Bowling Club on Saturday, July 11.
The other qualifier at Delph was Springbank’s Paul Heap, who defeated his Greater Manchester team-mate Matt Gillies (Nimble Nook).
Heap registered a 21-17 win to complement earlier victories over Anthony Holden and Dave Rae. Gillies had progressed with a 21-19 defeat of Paul Wakeling (Hopwood) and 21-12 defeat of former champion Neil Armstrong (St Paul’s).
At Crompton, three-times champion Peter Craig (Syke) stayed on course for a fourth title with a solid display.
He was stretched all the way by Barry Seville (Nimble Nook), who lost a second-round encounter 21-19, before booking his finals place with a 21-15 success against Dave Crabtree (Tonge).
Crabtree had beaten Nimble Nook’s Steve Mellor 21-16 before receiving a second-round walk-over.
Craig’s Syke team-mate Nicky Brooks was the other qualifier at Crompton.
Opening with a 21-13 over Nimble Nook teenager Jonathon Copeland, Brooks went on to beat Peter Guilfoyle (Delph) 21-18 and Ian Gorbutt (Royton) 21-12.
CROMPTON
First round: J Cunningham 4, P Guilfoyle 21; J Copeland 13, N Brooks 21; I Gorbutt 21, M Fisher 10; M Allingan 15, P Kostyk 21; B Seville 21, P Biram 19; P Clough 8, P Craig 21; D Crabtree 21, S Mellor 16; M Percival, M Hodson abs.
Second round: Guilfoyle 18, Brooks 21; Gorbutt 21, Kostyk 17; Seville 19, Craig 21; Crabtree w/o.
Third round: Brooks 21, Gorbutt 12; Craig 21, Crabtree 15.
DELPH
First round: C Brooks 16, D Rae 21; A Holden 14, P Heap 21; N Armstrong 21, P G Brooks 17; M Gillies 21, P Wakeling 19; D Griffiths 21, S Crabtree 13; B Raynor 21, M Hargreaves 13; C Lane 13, B Sowerby 21; A Rowbotham 10, C Bradbury 21.
Second round: Rae 12, Heap 21; Armstrong 12, Gillies 21; Griffiths 21, Raynor 12; Sowerby 21, Bradbury 17.
Third round: Heap 21, Gillies 17; Griffiths 21, Sowerby 8.
