PHIL Dowgill got off to a winning start when the Skipton and District Bowling League launched the new season with the Jeffrey Clark Spring Floodlight competition.

A good-quality entry played qualifying rounds on Tuesday at the four Skipton greens, producing eight finalists for Thursday at Lund Park top green.

The quarter-finals saw favourite Crosshills A team skipper Dowgill off to a flyer with a 21-7 win over Silsden’s Dennis Henderson.

Silsden Playing Field’s Arthur Woollacott looked to be going through with a 19-14 lead, until Ian Bernard produced a big recovery to win 21-19.

Devon’s Richard Baker produced the best qualifying result at Whinfield, beating Richard Hargreaves 21-19. He put up another good effort to get the better of Cononley’s Stuart Myers 21-18 to move into the semi-final.

The last semi-finalist was Cononley's Steve Wood. He won a tough match with David Jacques 21-17.

Dowgill led 9-3 against Baker but his opponent pulled back to 12-12. Dowgill then found the marks to win 21-15 win.

Bernard looked to be heading for defeat when he trailed 20-13 to Wood before a great recovery saw him snatch a 21-20 win.

The final lived up to expectations. Dowgill got the first four chalks to lead 7-3 and they would prove important.

Bernard got some points but could not get the lead although he did close the gap to 16-15. Dowgill got away to lead 20-16 but Bernard again pulled back and was lying two for the game when Dowgill’s last wood picked up the jack to give him the point and a 21-19 win.

Craven Bowling Club have withdrawn their A team from the Skipton League Division One. Their demise has seen Robbie Ellis move to Devon.

He picked up a big prize before playing for his new club with victory in the Blackpool Waterloo Spring Doubles.

Playing with long-time bowling friend Ben Gloag of Holdsworth BC, they played five games. They beat Yorkshire County bowlers Robert Hitchin and James Hanson 21-14 in the semi-finals before defeating Simon Coupe and Owen Jackson 21-12 to take the title.

The local leagues have all got under way this week, and the Worth Valley are holding their first competition on Sunday, April 24 the Foster Cup. You can enter via the league website or by getting in touch with Mick Demain.