Nook have one hand on trophy

FOUR-times Chronicle Bowls Handicap winner Peter Craig is one of a number of leading players at Syke.

BOWLS: NIMBLE Nook are hot favourites for Inbev Winter Bowling League ‘B’ Division title silverware after hammering nearest rivals Chadderton Cot 11-0.

But the race for the ‘A’ Division title remains wide open following defeats for the top two.

Leaders Springbank lost 7-4 to Hopwood, while second-place Waterloo and Taunton were beaten 8-3 by Royle.

North Chadderton look doomed to relegation to the ‘B’ Division after losing 10-1 to fellow strugglers Springhead.

Jack Ashton, Colin Bradbury, Terry Rogers and Wayne Roberts were single-figure winners for Springhead, while J Rudkin was North Chadderton’s only successful player.


Syke back on track
LEADING Chadderton Bowling League ‘A’ Division outfit Syke have performed a u-turn by announcing they will play in the league in 2011 after all.

Earlier this month, the Rochdale club - winners of the title on several occasions and containing several county players - announced they were pulling out because of a lack of players.

But spokesman Peter Craig said: “The circumstances of the Rochdale League, whereby there are now an odd number of teams in the top two divisions, have changed.

“This means we will have the opportunity to use other players from our club for Chadderton League games, so we contacted the league and they said we could retain our place in the ‘A’ Division.”

George and Dragon will not be in the league this season, having withdrawn at the league’s annual meeting.