Jonathan graduates to the elite league

BREAKTHROUGH... Jonathan Copeland on his way to victory at Elton Liberal Club.

BOWLS: JONATHAN Copeland won his first major open handicap title when collecting the £400 top prize in the Elton Liberal Club Classic in Bury.

The 19-year-old Chadderton player dominated the junior game throughout his teenage years and had mixed it with crown green bowling’s senior stars without the ultimate success of a tournament victory.

However, his 21-16 final success over Steve McHugh (Hopwood) at Elton provided him with his big breakthrough and will surely provide the launchpad to more big-competition glory.

He said: “My striking probably won it for me. I must have struck 10 or 11 times during finals day and didn’t miss once.

“And against Steve in the final, I was 9-5 behind and lying one down when I struck his bowl off to stay in the game

“Then he lay to go 15-16 and I was able to shift them again.

“If you can hit with your strikes, it can make all the difference.”

Copeland had a tough route to the final, overcoming the game’s number one Gary Ellis 21-15 in the last eight and recent Isle Of Man tournament winner Jack Hargreaves by the same score in the semis.

McHugh went through with impressive 21-12 and 21-8 victories over Tonge stars Simon Coupe and Andrew Cairns.



GARY Ellis made it an astonishing nine open handicap wins this season when he secured the £500 winner’s cheque in the Hilltops Sports and Social Club open at Blackrod.

Ellis defeated Simon Coupe 31-24 in the final after overcoming Mark Richardson 31-26 in the last eight and Lee Heaton 31-23 in the semi-finals.



Coupe reached the final courtesy of a 31-27 quarter-final victory over Peter Consterdine and 31-20 semi-final verdict against another Tonge player, Jimmy Derby.



GREATER Manchester champion Gareth Gwilliam lost 21-9 to Wayne Ditchfield in the first round of the All-England Merit in Shrewsbury.

Ditchfield, the North Lancs and Fylde champion, went on to reach the final in which he was beaten 21-19 by Mike Riley of Wales.



THIRD-round results in the Moorside Classic:

Graham Hickey 16, Chris Mordue 21; Daniel ferris 11, Paul Dudley 21; Paul Firth 21, Neil Kirkman 5; Wayne Usher 7, Steve Copeland 21.

Thursday (6.30pm): Paul Leah v Chris Kearns; Clay Flatley v Jason Whitel Darren Griffiths v Carl Whittaker; Ashley Daykin v Neil Slater; Craig Gant v Andrew Buckley; Gareth Gwilliam v Danny Beeby; Dave Moulton v Mike Flitcroft; John Hanson v Mike Holden.



QUARTER-finals of the Oldham Women’s League’s Peter Wild Cup will be held tonight when the draw is:

Fitton Park ‘A’ v Moorside ‘A’ at Dobcross; Werneth Cricket ‘A’ v Hollinwood Cricket ‘B’ at Springbank; Dunwood v Delph at Shaw Comrades; Shaw Comrades ‘B’ v Dobcross ‘A’ at St George’s.