UNDERDOGS Cranmore were crowned Eric Hutchinson Memorial Handicap winners after defeating top-flight Bradford League side Ladyhill 220-184 in the final at Heckmondwike.

Neil Simpson’s 21-7 helped Ladyhill get off to the perfect start, with three out of the first four winners, as they held a 16-point advantage, before Cranmore replied with Robert King’s 21-8 to reduce the deficit to just three points.

After eight jacks, the game was still in the balance as Ladyhill held a narrow one-point lead but Cranmore finished strongly, carding the last four winners, with Paul King (21-5) and Darren Cookson (21-7) seeing them home as they won the game by 36 chalks.

Scores from final (Cranmore names first): John Packer 7, Neil Simpson 21; Mark Goodhall 21, Mick Hall 13; Irene Turner 17, Adrian Brier 21; Mark King 15, Nigel Breadley 21; Robert King 21, Scott Bloodworth 8; Joanne Speight 21, Richard Bloodworth 16; Matthew Turner 21, Andy Woolner 16; Micky Rennison 13, Andrea Buckley 21; Darren Cookson 21, Sue Finnie 7; Robert Spink 21, Mally Fowler 16; Paul King 21, Peter Oliver 5; Kevin Siddle 21, Keith Hatzer 19; Cranmore 220, Ladyhill 184;

Asa Briggs A were crowned Thurston League (Division One) champions, despite going down 14-12 to already relegated Ladyhill B.

Asa went into the last round of fixtures seven points ahead of reigning champions Clayton A, who travelled to Asa Briggs B, and when news came through that Asa A had suffered a shock defeat, it was in Clayton’s hands as it came down to the last game of the match between Scott Sansom (Asa Briggs B) and David Scott (Clayton A).

This stood at 20-across, with the Clayton man leading the jack, and when he played a foot bowl, the season all came down to the last bowl. Sansom held his nerve to bowl in to take the game as Clayton A won 18-8 to finish one point behind champions Asa Briggs A, who became champions for the first time.

Crowghyll A had lead the Robert Bland League (Division Two) for weeks and went into the last round as firm favourites ahead of second-laced Wibsey A by 16 points, with Myrtle A, a further point behind.

Crowghyll travelled to basement club Tyersal A, who produced the performance of the season with a great 22-4 success, with Wendy Shimbles’ 21-9 triumph the best of six home winners.

Wibsey A travelled to Birkenshaw A and left with a 21-5 win, thanks to five away winners, with Paul Wilczynski and Nigel Wormald both carding 21-7 victories. With this they took the title by a single point. Myrtle A produced a 17-9 home win over Royd House A, thanks to a great 21-9 win for Guy Greene, but it was not enough for Myrtle as they finished third.

Eccleshill suffered a 19-7 last day defeat at Shipley Club C, but still captured the City Sports League (Division Three) title, finishing ten points ahead of runners-up West Bradford A, who themselves finished with a 19-7 home win over Peel B, helped by a superb 21-5 success by David Bottomley.

Shipley were hoping a convincing win over the champions, with Berni Criddle (21-5) and Steve West (21-9) starring, would be enough to see them promoted, but they had to settle for third place, finishing six points behind West Bradford A.

Pudsey Littlemoor finished 70 points ahead of Bowling A, to become Carter’s Sports League (Division Four) champions. Littlemoor only lost three games all season and finished with a 21-5 win over Shipley Club D, with Billy Thorpe starring with a 21-3 success.

Bowling A also finished in style with a 21-5 win at Oakenshaw B, carding five away winners, with Roy Dennison (21-8) the pick of them.

Ladyhill made it a hat-trick of titles, as they won the Allan Stubbs Pairs League (Divison One) following a 24-0 demolition of relegated Woodvale.

Ladyhill finished 47 points ahead of second-placed Tyersal, who were one of only three teams to beat the champions. Salts and Brackenhill finished level at the top of the HJ Knutton Pairs League (Division Two) but Salts were crowned champions as it came down to games won throughout the season. Peel took the President’s Pairs League (Division Three) crown, losing only one game throughout the season and finishing 18 points ahead of also promoted Shipley Club.

*The Farsley Winter Pairs gets under way at the end of September, with eight qualifying dates. Entry is fee is £12 per pair, with 12 pairs on each qualifying date. The Grand Final will be played on Sunday, November 16. Anyone interested should contact David Beardsworth on 0113-257 3086 or by email to pickwick@talktalk.net.

*The Quarter-finals of the Pairs Knockout, sponsored by Leeming & Peel, will take place tomorrow evening, with the draw as follows: At Cleckheaton Sports (back green), Asa Briggs A v Clayton A; Asa Briggs B v Brackenhill; At Cleckheaton Sports (front green), Wibsey v Bradford Moor; Birkenshaw v Shipley Club; There will be two jacks played from each match simultaneously. The semi-finals and final will be played on Sunday, September 28, with venues still to be confirmed.

*Simon Coupe (Preston) and Dave Cowsill (Alverthorpe) were week five qualifiers in the AD Sports Supplies-sponsored Pudsey Classic. Previous champion Coupe qualified with ease, with wins over Marc Armitage (Pudsey Littlemoor) 21-10, Wayne Moseley (Lockwood) 21-11 and Andy Milson (Burton-on-Trent) 21-13, drawing number eight on finals night. Cowsill came through a tougher half, with wins over Mick Hobson (Meersbrook) 21-20, Graham Hickey (Lower Hopton) 21-14 and Darren Smith (Rolls Royce) 21-18, drawing number two on finals night. Qualifying continues on Saturday, with Eccleshill’s Paul Rooks in action.

Scores from Week 5 of Qualifying ( Round One): Simon Coupe (Preston) 21, Marc Armitage (Pudsey Littlemoor) 10; Wayne Moseley (Lockwood) 21, Steven Gilroy (Crossgates) 15; Mel Hobson (Meersbrook) 9, Andy Milson (Burton-on-Trent) 21; Chris Hill (Bradfield) 18, Rob Wiltshire (Netherton Cons) 21; Darren Smith (Rolls Royce) 21, Ernie Wearing (Dearne Sports) 4; Andy Smith (Pudsey Littlemoor) 21, Danny Walker (Denby Grange) 17; Graham Hickey (Lower Hopton) 21, Phil Hill (Whitkirk) 17; Mick Hobson (Meersbrook) 20, Dave Cowsill (Alverthorpe) 21; (Round Two), Coupe 21, Moseley 11; Milsom 21, Wiltshire 20; D Smith 21, A Smith 16; Hickey 14, Cowsill 21; (Round Three), Coupe 21, Milsom 13; Smith 18, Cowsill 21.

Draw for week six of qualifying – Carl Upton (Barnsley BC) v Tommy Johnstone (Poynton); James Fitzpatrick (Tixall) v Matt Jones (Hyde); Ashley Tattersley (Lower Hopton) v Jane Bowler (Deganwy); John Lloyd (Heswall BC) v Glen Smith (Pudsey Littlemoor); Gary Ellis (Whitefield) v Daniel Jones (North Wales); Tom Roden (Sir John Bayley) v Mark Johnson (Crookesmoor); Kevan Shaw (Westhoughton) v Robbie Fitzpatrick (Morton House); Andy Jones (Hyde) v Paul Rooks (Eccleshill).

Phil Dowgill (Cross Hills) and Richard Goddard (Shrewsbury) were the latest qualifiers in the £5,300 Brighouse Classic sponsored by Limegrove Leisure. Dowgill beat Liam Fallas (Huddersfield) 21-18 to qualify whilst Goddard beat Peter Clark (Skipton) 21-13. The qualifying tomorrow evening sees previous winner Gary Ellis (Whitefield) facing a tough opener against Kieren Clark (Barrow) in a line-up including the last two All England champions, Ashley Daykin and Greg Smith.

Full draw, tomorrow 6.30pm: Elliott McGuiness (West Bromwich) v Richard Stockdale (Bradford), Kieren Clark (Barrow) v Gary Ellis (Whitefield), Keiren Smith (Leeds) v Mike Leach (Preston), Ashley Daykin (Huddersfield) v Daniel Jones (Gwynedd), Danny Sillitoe (Doncaster) v Mick Angus (Bradford), Jack Dyson (Huddersfield) v John Bailey (Gwynedd), Greg Smith (West Bromwich) v James Ball (Preston), Paul Clark (Barrow) v Paul Bowes (Pudsey).