Bradford were crowned Yorkshire ABA Inter-District champions as they beat seven-times winners West Riding 185-175 after a closely contested final.

A marathon day of bowling lasting nearly 12 hours culminated in an intriguing showdown at Sowerby Bridge West End, with Bradford making a great start by carding four winners in the opening five jacks to hold a 21-point advantage.

West Riding responded with winning cards of 21-17 and 21-11 to reduce the margin to just seven points, with the outcome of the final three games left to decide the champions.

Paul Gill trailed 14-7 at number eight, while Neil Mylan was 15-9 adrift at nine, with only number ten Stuart King ahead for Bradford at 15-8. But all three players upped their game in the latter stages and when King won to 13, it was all over.

Gill also managed to get over the line 21-20, with Mylan fighting back to get 15 useful points to ensure a Bradford victory for only the second time since the event started in 1984.

Bradford had opened the day with group matches against Halifax and Castleford at Halifax BC, Thrum Hall.

The Bradford team managed six out of ten winners against the hosts for a 187-164 aggregate success, before Halifax bounced back to beat Castleford 185-171.

Bradford now knew that a win against Castleford in the final Pool C match would be enough to reach the semi-finals and they duly gained seven winners and an aggregate verdict of 194-150.

In the last four they faced Wakefield, who had edged out 2009 champions Huddersfield in Pool B, as the venue switched to Kingston BC.

Bradford had only two winners in the first five jacks and found themselves trailing by 14 points at the halfway stage but produced four winners in the last five jacks and a 30-point swing to win the game 185-169.

Group matches – Bradford 187, Halifax 164 (Bradford names first): I Shaw 21, M Regan 15; AW Riley 19, S Haynes 21; R Whitfield 13, P Demetriades 21; M Fowler 21, S Leeming 6; P Hillam 11, A Brear 21; N Mylan 21, P Chalkley 13; P Rooks 18, R Holmes 21; C Mordue 21, D Stansfield 14; P Gill 21, B Megson 13; S King 21, R Hobson 19. Bradford 194, Castleford 150: M Fowler 21, M Brain 14; P Hillam 18, D Thomas 21; C Mordue 21, R Robbins 10; I Shaw 21, D Revell 9; AW Riley 21, R Lewis 15; P Rooks 21, S Williams 11; R Whitfield 21, G Portman 12; N Mylan 15, R Lloyd 21; S King 21, R Thomas 16; P Gill 14, S Thompson 21.

Semi-final – Bradford 185, Wakefield 169: C Mordue 21, J Normanton 14; AW Riley 14, D Cowsill 21, R Whitfield 21, R Dunford 20; P Hillam 13, J Spinks 21; I Shaw 14, D Atkinson 21; M Fowler 21, J Davison 17; P Rooks 21, K Shuttleworth 7; P Gill 21, J Whiteley 15; N Mylan 21, P Blackburn 12; S King 18, T Flecther 21.

Final – Bradford 185, West Riding 175: AW Riley 21, G Higgins 15; I Shaw 16, C Newton 21; R Whitfield 21, R Brook 14; P Hillam 21, J Hopkinson 15; C Mordue 21, M Bramall 14; P Rooks 17, C Austin 21; M Fowler 11, S Pinfield 21; P Gill 21, M Sweeney 20; N Mylan 15, R Mozley 21; S King 21, M Fulton 13.