ANDY and Billy Thornton overcame home pair Geoff Maudsley and Kenny Judge in the final to claim victory in this year’s Hawcoat Park Autumn Pairs last Sunday.

The day was threatened by an early morning downpour, but the weather quickly brightened up, with sunshine prevailing for best part of the competition.

In the earlier rounds, losing finalists Maudsley and Judge had some epic battles against some of their Hawcoat club-mates.

They included beating Roy and Tonie Moxham, Wilf Heywood and Elaine Carton, Caroline and Steve Bushell, and the in-form pair of Steve Waugh and Rohan Massey Holmes in the quarter-finals.

The semi-finals saw them up against yet another Hawcoat Park pairing, this time Mike Procter and the evergreen Jack Curphey, who at the age of 88 years made the last four of the competition for the second successive year.

In the other half of the draw, played on number one green, the Thorntons had also started their day in the prelims, defeating Alan Edwards & Keith Alexander.

Jordan McNamee and Paul Lewis were beaten in round two, and Dave Kent and Jonny Richardson were beaten in the quarter-finals.

The Police pair stepped up another gear in the semi-finals, defeating Mike Fieldhouse and Jeff Hinde to progress to the decider.

Andy continued to lead well in the final, and with Billy playing the perfect role as back man, with a combination of strikes and good length bowls, very rarely missing the land.

They had Maudsley and Judge under continuous pressure from the start in a game that was showed little sign of being anything other than a victory for the pairing from the Police club.

Hawcoat Park Bowling Club thanked sponsors Schofield Construction and A Holden’s for supporting the event.

They also thanked all of the competitors for an excellent day of bowls, the volunteers working in the kitchen for the day, and all of the markers, measurers and supporters whom without which these events could not take place.

Results

Quarter-finals: A and B Thornton 21 D Kent and J Richardson 10, M Fieldhouse and J Hinde 21 K Roebuck and S Aspinall 13, K Judge and G Maudsley 21 S Waugh and R Massey Holmes 19, J Curphey and M Procter 21 E Lowden and D Bell 17.

Semi-finals: A and B Thornton 21 M Fieldhouse and J Hinde 11, K Judge and G Maudsley 21 J Curphey & M Procter 13.

Final: A and B Thornton 21 K Judge and G Maudsley 13.