Home blues costly for Manchester

Greater Manchester’s home team at Springbank, from left to right: David Walker, Colin Lane, Peter Craig, Andrew Buckley (capt), Jack Hargreaves, Darren Griffiths, Peter Fielding, Anthony Walker, Mark Dwayre, Mike Holden, Chris Heyes, John Wade, Tony Mellor.

BOWLS: GREATER Manchester’s home team failed to deliver the goods when it mattered most.

Sunday’s Endsleigh County Championship final against Warwick and Worcester always promised to be a close affair, but only five winners from 12 games at home is the damning statistic for a Manchester team seeking to win the Crosfield Cup they last lifted two years ago,

Springbank was in superb condition for the home leg, but for some reason it seemed to suit the visitors more.

And there will be a couple of Manchester players regretting the loss of sizeable leads on their way to individual defeat.

Others, for whatever reason, did not produce the form of which they are clearly capable.

Full marks to Warwick and Worcester, however.

They played and shouted on their team-mates as though their lives depended on the result.

Gareth Herbert was particularly impressive in his 21-9 defeat of David Walker, while last man Steve Darling – needing 17 against Peter Craig – stood up to the most severe pressure to guide his county over the winning line.

Home man-of-the-match Colin Lane led the way for Manchester at Springbank with a 21-6 dismissal of John Evans, although Darren Griffiths (21-9) and Mike Holden (21-11) were equally impressive, and Craig and Mark Dwayre showed battling qualities.

As for the away side, they must have been deeply disappointed to see the final result after winning at Forget Me Not BC, Birmingham.

Gareth Gwilliam was the biggest winner with a 21-6 success, but man-of-the-match Nigel Greenhalgh (21-11), Chris Haynes (21-14), Andy Cairns (21-16), Steve Copeland (21-16) and Gary Ellis (21-18) also take great credit along with the rest of an away team which scrapped for every point.