SKIPTON League secretary Peter Haworth produced his best form to win the Skipton and District Veterans Handicap Final at Gargrave.

It was his first league competition triumph and came after he had emerged as one of eight qualifiers from Crosshills.

In the quarter-finals he found himself facing David Jacques with the advantage of a three-point start.

The handicap was soon erased as Jacques established an 11-7 lead, but Haworth found his form and went 18-13 up.

Again, Jacques hit back, but Haworth found the points he needed to secure a 21-18 triumph.

In the semi-finals he met Trevor Hargreaves who raced into a 10-1 lead against David Hemsley.

A recovery to 14-9 by Hemsley produced a strong response from Hargreaves. He only allowed his opponent one more points as he closed out a 21-10 win.

Hargreaves, like his Keighley team mate, had to give Haworth three start and this time he made a better start to lead 7-0.

Hargreaves has seen it all before was soon back in the game at 13-12 down. Haworth then found the form which won him the previous match to open a 20-12 lead.

Still it was not over as Hargreaves got in and started to pull it back. Haworth got his big chance, to take the match but fluffed his lines at 20-18.

Hargreaves miss placed the jack and Haworth took his chance this time to secure a place in the final with a 21-18 win.

In the other half of the draw Brian Farrage, who stood in at Crosshills to make the numbers, faced David Garnett, and the Devon B team man received three points start.

Farrage was straight off the blocks to lead 11-7, Garnett then got a grip and put together a great run that got him in sight of the line leading 18-13.

It was so close yet so far, as Farrage recovered his composure and put in the match-winning run, getting home 21-19.

Another Settle player, A team skipper John Chambers, was in the last match against Steven Lloyd from Lund Park.

With Lloyd off six and Chambers off three it was amazing that the game lasted one hour. Lloyd led 9-3, before Chambers went 12-9 in front.

Next Lloyd led 18-14 before Chambers found what was required to win the match. Six winning ends gave him a 21-18 victory a place in the semi-final against team mate Brian Farrage.

The Settle pair where both off three handicap and Farrage got the better of the early game to lead 11-6, Chambers then found what was needed to turn it round and lead 15-13.

Farrage had to stop his skipper’s run, and that he did to make the final with a good finish to win 21-16.

Both finalists were off a three handicap, it was nip and tuck early and a bit untidy, Farrage found some better woods and got a 13-9 lead, Haworth got in with a good wood.

The comeback was on again as Haworth started to find his form while Farrage started to struggle. Just one more went to the Settle man as Haworth ran out a 21-14 winner.

Now his name will go into the handbook as a winner and not just a secretary.

The competition is supported yearly by ex-president Roy Sanderson and he was on hand to present the prizes and trophy.

The two Skipton Hire Centre Clarkson Cup semi-finals were both one-sided affairs, as the two losing teams managed just one winner out of 20 games.

Broughton Road A’s Gary Bottomley won 21-9 in the match against Keighley A at Colne Cricket Club, which saw nine winners for Keighley.

Richard Dunhill 21-4, David Jacques 21-5 and Phil Anderson 21-8 were the best victors in a 203 (5) – 169 (50) win.

The other semi-final at Steeton saw Lund Park A (70) take on Devon A (15) and it was just as one sided, as Devon produced ten winners with Robbie Ellis 21-5, Kevin Burnett 21-8 and Stephen Lofthouse, Danny Moore and Les Foster all winning 21-10 giving their side a 225-184 win.

The Supplementary Cup semi-finals proved to be much closer, but favourites Settle A claimed a place in the final.

Settle A travelled to Colne Alkincoates to take on Silsden PF A, it would be no easy task as the Silsden side received a healthy 35 points.

It was Silsden who started the match well increasing their advantage with three winners in the first four, as Margaret Slater 21-13, Bob Scott 21-17 and David Jefferson 21-16 got them off to a flyer.

Things then started to go wrong for Playing Fields, as David Leeming 21-4 and Derek Seed 21-6 reduced the lead, but things where still in the balance, it took a good finish from Graham Ralph 21-11 and David Ayrey 21-4 to get Settle through with a 248-226 win.

The other semi-final saw Whinfield A take on Sutton B at Keighley Bowling Club, the Sutton B side had 15 start.

Although Whinfield A had seven winners the match went down to a tight finish, Idris Wade 21-8 got Whinfield of to a good start, only for Peter Finnie to get it back for Sutton with a 21-10 win.

Three wins for Whinfield where cancelled out by Irene Stones 21-9 win for Sutton, the win for Sutton looked on till, Phil Dunderdale trailing 18-7 turned it round to win 21-19.

Whinfield number ten Gary Hodge had still to find a big win and he came up with the goods a 21-5 victory to send Whinfield A to another club final 255-244.

At the top of the Walker Foster 54321 League, Keighley A had a narrow 38-37 win over Broughton Road, that increased their advantage to 50 points.

Second-placed Devon A went down 42-31 at Cononley A who are30 points behind them, in third place.

The bottom two teams met at Alkincoates PWA and the home team moved above their opponents Silsden Playing Fields A with a 45-27 win.

The Division Two fixtures saw all the home sides in command. Leaders Colne Legion A won 46-28 against Oakworth, second-placed Lund Park A beat Steeton A 46-5, while Devon B moved up to third with a 46-15 win over Cononley B.

Skipton Building Society division three leaders Rolls Royce picked up another away win, with a 40-26 result at Whinfield B. Silsden P F B moved into second with a 44-27 win over Colne Legion B, while Keighley B slip to third, although they also won 40-32 against Broughton Road.

In Division Four, leaders Craven had no game, so Gargrave C closed the gap with two good wins, 37-21 at home to Keighley C, then 38-20 away at Steeton C.