SIMON Perry took the honours as he swept through the field to win the Grand Masters at Askam.

The Lindal bowler defeated club-mate Darren Naylor 21-16 in the final of the 42nd annual John Sharples Lettings-sponsored competition, played before a large crowd.

Perry, playing a round peg mark from the middle of the clubhouse to the rugby field end, opened up a 9-1 lead over Naylor.

Naylor, preferring the full corners, closed the gap to 9-8, before levelling the game at 11-across.

He was then lying two to take the lead for the first time when Perry hit his own yard-short lead enough to claim the end.

Two more singles gave Perry a 14-11 advantage, which became 18-14 five ends later. Naylor managed two singles, before three singles for Perry gave him his first masters title.

The competition was open to bowlers who had won any of the Grand Masters qualifying competitions, the £500 handicap or Lawson Trophy, or were a merit or play-off winner in either the Furness, Ulverston, Walney, Ladies or Senior Citizens leagues.

In his first game, Perry trailed Dave Turnough 10-3 before eventually winning 21-17.

He then trailed Roy Moxham 10-6, but won the next 10 ends, all of which were singles, to lead 16-10. Five ends later the advantage was 20-14 before Moxham reduced the arrears to 20-17, when Perry found the winning wood.

This set up a semi-final with the in-form Andy Thornton.

It was Thornton who started the better, leading 11-6. Perry then played his favoured round peg mark down the middle of the green to go 14-11 up, and although Thornton levelled at 14-across, he had no answer to Perry’s immaculate length bowling, as the Lindal star ran out.

Naylor’s opening game was against Glenis McDonald, and it was the ladies division one play-off winner who produced some fine bowling to lead 13-5.

Naylor managed to level the match at 14-across, before McDonald got a single which the King Alfred player could not add to as Naylor took the match.

Against his next round opponent Steve Hunter, Naylor led 13-9 before Hunter rallied to level at 15-all. Naylor moved to within a point of game at 20-15, then three singles for Hunter made it 20-18. Naylor bowled a super wood for game.

In the semi-final, Naylor found himself 9-2 down to Ann France after only six ends. The three-time Masters champion levelled at 9-9 and after some excellent corner bowling led 18-14 before eventually winning 21-16.

France had bowled well all day, particularly in her opening match, when she led Kevin Toal 13-4, found herself 18-17 down, and won a thriller 21-19.

The comeback of the day was produced by Mark Coulter, who ran out from 19-9 down to beat Chris Atkinson in the preliminary round.

RESULTS

Preliminary Round : Roy Moxham 21 Maureen Ratcliffe 1, Julie Creighton 12 Alan Haines 21, Daniel Edmonds 16 Dave Turnough 21, Katy Wright 5 Glenis McDonald 21, Chris Atkinson 19 Mark Coulter 21, Steve Hunter 21 Mike Hool 7.

Round One: Callum Sharples 8 Barry Lowden 21, Andy Thornton 21 Stuart Price 10, Moxham 21 Haines 8, Turnough 17 Simon Perry 21, McDonald 15 Darren Naylor 21, Coulter 19 Hunter 21, Helen Clark w/o, Kevin Toal 19 Ann France 21.

Quarter-finals: Lowden 12 Thornton 21, Moxham 17 Perry 21, Naylor 21 Hunter 18, Clark 13 France 21.

Semi-finals: Thornton 14 Perry 21, Naylor 21 France 18.

Final: Perry 21 Naylor 16.