WITH the season only just underway the Welcome Inn Pairs has already reached its final stages on the Highfield green.

The competition, which is sponsored by the Welcome Inn, has reached the last sixteen staged. Organiser Graeme Parker has put a lot of work into the event and is looking for bumper support when matches start at 11.30 on Sunday.

The draw is (first member of each pair only): D Hallsworth v Colin Wailes, M Hall v Chris Slater, R Brook v Paul Kaye, Mick Walsh v Tony Finn, Andy Utley v Richard Lewis, Tom Haeney v Ron Bowdin, Edna Thornton v Garry Bowdin, Ted Hall v Len Buxton.

Cross Roads A, their C team and Whins A are early qualifiers in the Hebden Royd Sunday Morning knockout event which continues this weekend.

Keighley Bowling Club make the long trip to Irlam, Manchester, where they face Woodplumpton in the first round of the British Club Championship. They qualified for the competition by winning the Skipton League last season, and if successful this weekend they will probably meet top Sheffield side Millhouses.

The Skipton League's Ellis and Lambert Cups start next weekend with clubs playing in qualifying groups before reaching the knockout finals on June 19. All teams meet in preliminary rounds of the handicap events named after former league stalwarts Alan Ellis and Dick Lambert of Devon and Settle respectively.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.