Rigney starts defence of Green Final crown

MINE TO DEFEND . . . reigning Green Final Bowling Handicap winner Sophie Rigney

SOPHIE Rigney created history last year when she become the first female to win the Green Final Bowling Handicap.

Tonight, she starts out on her quest to successfully defend the title.

The Springbank player is in action at Shaw Comrades Club, which is one of four venues staging heats. Eight players will take part at each green and players will make their own draw by pulling a number out of a bag.

Play starts at 6.30pm and there is no practice.

The venues and players involved -

Nimble Nook: J Lewis (3); P O'Brien (4); D Clayton (3); B Carr (3); C Bradbury (3); M Warhurst (3); B Gledhill (2); A Jackson (4).

Moorside Cricket BC: S Edwards (2); M Hodson (2); P Gartside (4); J Halliwell (3); P Guilfoyle (3); D McGuiness (2); D Rae (3); C Lane (2).

Shaw Comrades BC: L Chappell (4), S Mellor (2); A Whiteley (3); M Gillies (2); C Wright (5); M Garbett (2); D Robinson (2); S Rigney (3).

Hollinwood Cricket BC: P Edwards (3); P Kostyk (3); J Dearden (3); A Hodson (2); D Mountford (3); D Griffiths (2); K McHugh (2); B Higginbottom (4).

Finals night is on Friday, July 7, at North Chadderton Bowling Club (6pm practice, 6.30pm start).

NORTH Chadderton stages the finals of its £3,400 Coors Molson Classic at North Chadderton Social and Bowling Club on Sunday (12.30pm).

Carrying the local flag in their bid for the £1,000 top prize are Nimble Nook pair Andy Murray and Matt Gillies, and Moorside's Darren Mountford.

There is a strong Yorkshire contingent involved, and the top match between Tykes Graeme Wilson and Ashley Daykin is a particularly-intriguing clash.

The rest of the draw is:

P Mottram v G Beeley; M Sweeney v S Gilroy; J Mordue v R Hitchen; B Gloag v S Mort; P Dudley v Murray; S Brown v Gillies; J Brown v Mountford.

AFTER four games during which he won the Greater Manchester Merit in the afternoon sunshine at Royton, Gary Ellis showed his fitness and mental strength as well as his class by qualifying for the finals of the prestigious Hill Crest Classic on Saturday evening.

The Nimble Nook and Tonge maestro defeated Richard Jackson (Thongsbridge) in his first sub-final match, and followed up with a 31-16 defeat of Kendal's Ian Nicholson.

n?DEFENDING champions Greater Manchester suffered a disastrous 23-8 defeat to their Yorkshire counterparts in the British Parks Championship.

Unless results go emphatically their way in the final group matches, GM will be eliminated from this year's competition.

n?SPRINGBANK'S Paul Heap won the Failsworth Bowling League's President's Handicap, the finals for which were played at Hollinwood Cricket Club.

Heap defeated Mike Coleman (Phoenix) 21-16 in the final.

Finals day results -

Quarter-finals: Colin Brooks 21, Wilf McDermott 11; Maurice Foskett 17, Coleman 21; Martin Hodson 21, Dale Crossley 20; Heap 21, Barry Sevile 16.

Semi-finals: Brooks 16, Coleman 21; Hodson 20, Heap 21.