Darren is lord of the Manor

DARREN GRIFFITHS: Second major title of the season after beating Nimble Nook and Tonge team-mate Gary Ellis 21-19 in the Smithy Manor final.

BOWLS: NIMBLE Nook and Tonge star Darren Griffiths is £1,000 better off after winning the Smithy Manor Classic in St Helens.

Griffiths held his nerve in the final and semi-final to clinch his big pay-day on a night of top-class bowling.

Griffiths looked to be heading out of the competition in the last four against local ace Kevin Kearns, a past winner of the competition.

But he beat a close bowl at 20-18 down and then produced two beauties at the next end to book a place in the final against team-mate Gary Ellis.

This was another game which could have gone either way, but Griffiths kept cool to win with two singles from 19-across.

Earlier, Griffiths had beaten Paul Bailey (Sheffield) 21-16 in the last 16, and Michael McDonnell (Chorlton) 21-9 in the last eight.

Other local players involved were Chadderton’s Jonathan Copeland, who reached the quarter-finals before losing 21-20 to John Bailey of Wales, and Springbank’s Matt O’Neill, who went down 21-15 in the last 16.

Oldham Evening Chronicle Handicap runner-up Griffiths, following up his victory in the Hopwood Unionist Classic earlier in the season, was delighted with his success.

He said: “I played well all night. It was a good field and I managed to just shade those two close games.”


A CHADDERTON League delegates meeting will be held at West End Bowling Club next Tuesday, August 16 (8pm). All trophies should be returned at this meeting while entries will be collected for the league’s merit and pairs competitions.