Springbank strengthen grip at top of the table

BOWLS: SPRINGBANK strengthened their position at the top of the Inbev Winter Bowling League’s ‘A’ Division when they swept aside Nimble Nook 10-1.

Nook’s only winner on Chadderton Cot’s artificial surface was Steve Mellor, while Colin Lane led the way for Springbank with a 21-2 success.

Royle bounced back from recent setbacks with a 7-4 victory over New Street, while Waterloo and Taunton look the biggest dangers to Springbank after beating Hopwood 8-3.

Lees/Springhead maintained their 100 per cent record in the ‘B’ Division thanks to a 9-2 defeat of Vixens, but the misery goes on for Dogwood and Stalybridge. The division’s bottom two clubs lost 10-1 and 8-3 respectively.

‘A’ Division

Nimble Nook (94) 1 Springbank (164) 10: B Seville 8 P Heap 21, S Mellor 21 Martin Hodson 17, B Nisbet 9 A Hodson 21, E Worthington 2 C Lane 21, R Price 9 B Stapleton 21, A Comer 13 D Crabtree 21, J Apps 16 M ONeil 21, S Schofield 16 J Hynes 21.

New Street (140) 4 Royle (146) 7: D Moulton 8 D Murray 21, R J Lorimer 21 M Gillies 15, M Holden 15 P Fielding 21, K Newbury 21 G Coverdale 12, M Prosser 20 E Davies 21, L Toth 13 T Hedderman 21, A Shackleton 21 M Clough 15, A Cairns 21 A Rushton 20.

Hopwood (103) 3 Waterloo and Taunton (148) 8: R Goodman 21 L Lawton 11, K McHugh 21 C Roberts 20, S McHugh 6 G I Wilson 21, B Cosgrove 9 A Walker 21, C Chapman 6 L Turner 21, A Mellor 4 D Walker 21, T Mellor 15 C Heyes 21, M Heselwood 21 A Critchlow 12.

‘B’ Division

Vixens (118) 2 Lees/Springhead (161) 9: P Norton 4 A Cooke 21, A Burgess 21 B Reddyoff 17, B Flanagan 15 M McLean 21, B Cooper 14 C Bradbury 21, C Kewley 11 J Ashton 21, A Woolley 19 P Roberts 21, D Fish 13 W Roberts 21, M Harrington 21 T Rogers 18.

Dogwood (104) 1 Prestwich (165) 10: G Hallsor 7 S Dixon 21, B Naylor 6 S Blaymire 21, R Crossley 5 J Davies 21, P Heighway 15 S Morley 21, A Simpson 16 G Martin 21, C Breakell 21 D Palmer 18, D Brierley 18 J Austin 21, A Bonter 16 A Conchie 21.

Stalybridge (112) 3 Failsworth (154) 8: D Roberts 18 P Gleave 21, D Winder 7 N Colley 21, P McGuiness 10 G Goldrick 21, J Pajak 11 M Burgess 21, D McGuiness 21 J Melia 17, S Vincent 3 J Grey 21, T Wood 21 J Halliwell 15, B Garside 21 B Corr 17.