Golf: Bradford produced a stunning afternoon performance to finish runners-up to defending champions Sheffield at Bingley St Ives yesterday.

But it was a case of what might have been as they saw the chance of becoming Yorkshire team champions slip through their hands on home territory.

One blemish in an otherwise faultless showing cost them dear, but team captain Tim Wade was more interested in emphasising the positive points as they finished six strokes behind Sheffield.

With Darryl Berry ripping up the St Ives course with two rounds of 66 to walk the best gross score prize by four shots, Bradford could well have taken the title for the first time in three years.

But West Bradford team-mate Paul Thomas shot an uncharacteristic 14-over-par 85 in the first round to leave Bradford with a near-impossible task of recovering from fourth place - nine shots adrift of leaders Sheffield - in the afternoon.

The fact that they recorded the lowest six-man total of any team in the afternoon spoke volumes for their determination.

"It would have been easy for them to let their heads drop after what happened to Paul in the morning," said Wade. "But they showed tremendous character to come back as well as they did, and deserve a lot of credit."

Baildon's Ian Martin and West Bradford's Mark Evans both improved on morning 71s with 69s and Keighley's Bradford Open champion Phil Wood was also two strokes better in the afternoon, following a 72 with 70.

Only Gareth Evans from Cleckheaton failed to better his first 18 score with 76 to follow a 71, but it was an excellent fightback that saw them overhaul Leeds and Halifax-Huddersfield to take the runners-up spot.

Scores

853 Sheffield (M Haddock 144 - 72, 72; O Whiteley 147 - 71, 76; S Tarplett 146 - 76, 70; G Davies 137 - 69, 68; R Jones 139 - 70, 69; G Clark 140 - 69, 71).

859 Bradford (G Evans 147 - 71, 76; D Berry 132 - 66, 66; I Martin 140 - 71, 69; M Evans 140 - 71, 69; P Thomas 158 - 85, 73; P Wood 142 - 72, 70).

862 Leeds (N Sweet 144 - 71, 73; S Betteridge 144 - 73, 71; P Wardle 138 - 67, 71; R Fearby 153 - 78, 75; A King 144 - 73, 71; A Wainwright 139 - 71, 68).

870 Halifax-Huddersfield (S Martin 146 - 73, 73; A Hollingworth 136 - 68, 68; N Williams 150 - 73, 77; C Dyson 149 - 73, 76; R Holt 143 - 70, 73; A Whitworth 146 - 71, 75).

884 Teesside (J Jones 140 - 67, 73; A Gray 140 - 72, 68; G Cousins 153 - 77, 76; J Snell 153 - 78, 75; G Border 156 - 80, 76; R Roper 142 - 67, 75).

891 East Riding (S Brattan 147 - 72, 75; S Berhitz 151 - 78, 73; M Lamb 155 - 75, 80; F Kelley 157 - 80, 77; R Coulson 140 - 71, 69; A Wright 141- 76, 65).

905 York (N Smith 141 - 71, 70; P Collier 151 - 77, 74; J Ellison 150 - 78, 72; A Holmes 155 - 80, 75; J Plaxton 153 - 80, 73; J Duckett 155 - 76, 79).

911 Harrogate (J McVicar 155 - 80, 75; I Richardson 152 - 77, 75; G Cuthbert 149 - 75, 74; C Simpkin 149 - 76, 73; S Whitwham 154 - 77, 77; T Barley 152 - 78, 74).

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