CROSSHILLS A have won the Walker Foster Division One title after pipping long-time leaders Cononley A in the final round of fixtures.

The two teams were level going into the last two matches and Cononley A looked to have seized the initiative when they defeated Sutton A 11-1 at home.

Rob Scarr 21-3 and Mick Higson 21-4 led the way while Jenny Whitaker produced a 21-9 win for Sutton.

Crosshills A had a testing fixture at Silsden A for their penultimate game.

Phil Dowgill got them off to a good start with a 21-6 win which was countered by Alan Pennington’s 21-12 victory for the home side.

The closeness of the match was summed up by the last two matches.

David Brown got home 21-20 for Crosshills, but Vince Cleary had a similar win for Playing Fields over the previously unbeaten Andrew Tate.

Crosshills A won the aggregate for a 7-5 victory. It meant Cononley led by four points going into the final fixtures.

Cononley visited Broughton Road B who had scored a confidence-boosting 8-4 win over third-placed Keighley A in their previous match.

Crosshills knew they needed a big win over and when Cath Rushton recorded a 21-12 victory for their opponents Gargrave A, it looked like they were on the back foot.

But Cononley were finding the going tough. They had two losers in the first four and the 21-9 win secured by Road’s Dave Precious put the aggregate in danger.

Cononley got things back on track with three winners in the middle four including a 21-10 success for Stuart Myers.

Crosshills were now in full swing with big wins throughout the team. Paul Gill 21-2 and Paul Kay 21-3 helped them to an 11-1 win.

It meant Cononley needed to win the last two games and the aggregate to clinch the title.

Broughton Road did not ease off, as Steve Richardson 21-13 and skipper Daryl Gore 21-15 helped their side to a 7-5 win. It meant Crosshills were champions by two points.

Phil Dowgill of Crosshills won the aggregate with 21.0. He also won the average with +11.74, John Parkin of Cononley A + 9.54 was second.

Division Two’s sponsor Andrew Town produced a good all round performance at Gargrave Bowling Club in the Dick Keighley Cup Final.

A field of eight lined up after qualifying at Broughton Road and Whinfield.

Quarter-finals: A Town 21 D Wyn Jones 12, P Shaw 21 N Twist 9, F Ellis 21 R Stephenson 13, G Hodge 21 P Metcalfe 18.

Town got a good start in his semi-final against Peter Shaw, taking a 9-1 lead after eight ends.

Shaw pulled back to level at 12-12, then Town found three good ends which saw him score five points on his way to a 21-14 win Faye Ellis of Craven is following in the family tradition of producing good bowlers and she saw off Whinfield’s Gary Hodge 21-18 in a tight match.

Ellis was the clear crowd favourite for the final but Town took charge by establishing a 12-0 lead.

Ellis stopped the run and pulled back to 16-9 but Town was not to be denied as he ran out a 21-9 winner.

The Skipton Inter District Senior team travelled to the Airedale & Wharfedale for the 2014 Yorkshire district competition where they started with a match against the host team at Otley Grove Hill.

The early games where close but Skipton got the wins needed, with Peter Clark winning 21-12, and just one defeat.

The second five games again saw Skipton going well with Les Foster winning 21-8, but the last game was lost with a final score of 202-161.

Aire/Wharfe then lost to Wakefield 189-164, which left Skipton with a 13 point start against Wakefield.

The Wakefield side was full of quality players and when James Hanson got first the win for Wakefield by 21-7, the size of the task was clear.

David Cadwallader was on top form to reply for Skipton with a 21-8 win. Two more games went to Wakefield but Peter Clark 21-12 kept Skipton in touch at 82-81 after five jacks.

The match then swung to Wakefield only David Scott 21-13 got home for Skipton and points were desperately needed.

Andrew Tate and Neil Hargreaves had to get good scores and they both obliged with 19 each which was enough to send Skipton through by two points, despite Wakefield taking the match 179-168.

The semi-final was at Rawdon against West Riding. The start was important and Phil Dowgill 21-11 and Richard Hargreaves 21-17 gained wins to give their side a 93-91 lead after five jacks.

The second five saw Skipton in control as Andrew Tate 21-9, David Scott 21-16 and Les Foster 21-19 sent Skipton through to the final 190-177.

The final was held at Rufford Bowling Club, last year’s winners Huddersfield were the opposition.

The early exchanges were level until Martin Griffiths beat Dave Smith 21-7.

David Cadwallader bowled well to get 16 against British Merit winner Ashley Daykin while Richard Hargreaves and Peter Clark both got 19.

The only success in the first five jacks came from Phil Dowgill 21-19, so Skipton already trailed 103-82.

Wins for Les Foster 21-19 and Andrew Tate 21-15 pulled some points back, while Neil Hargreaves and Steve Wood both bowled well despite losing 21-15 and 21-17 respectively.

It was left to David Scott to finish the day with a 21-16 win, his fourth of the day, as Skipton lost 195-177.

With the league season finished, bowlers now have three competitions to get involved in, the draw for greens is as follows.

Crown Paints Norman Johnston Trophy qualifying round tonight scratch 6.45pm two to qualify from each green.

Keighley: R Stephenson, Mick Cox, P Drinkall, F Ellis, D Metcalfe, P Clark, J Ellis, C Walsh, D Precious, W R Burnett, C Smith, P Haworth, V Abell, M Walsh.

Steeton: M Loftus, P Shaw, R Hargreaves, G Hodge, M Duke, S Gadd, K Mackie, R Perry, Martyn Cox, D Leeming, D Jacques, G Bailey, M Simpson, S Wood, J Parkin.

Crosshills: M Higson, K Moore, K Burnett, D Seed, M Bastow, M Spencer, C Harrison, S Myers, J Chambers, A Ripley, T Wray, O Burnett, J Jubb, D Cadwallader, R Sanderson.

Cononley: S MacDonald, D Burgess, M Claxton, C Wilson, D Scott, G Perry, A Phillips, A Keighley, T Hargreaves, Mrs J Whitaker, W G Burnett, D Hemsley, C Wortley, A Tate.

Veterans Handicap qualifying round supported by Roy Sanderson, tomorrow scratch 1.30 pm.

Addingham: C Wortley 4, L Buxton 4, J Parkin scr, A Keighley 3, D Seed 1, M Higson 1, C Uttley 6, M Claxton 4, T Langstroth 6, A Phillips 5, C Harrison 7, M Bastow 2, D Wyn Jones 7, J Whitaker 4, D Radcliffe 7, B Humphreys 5, R Stephenson 5.

Sutton: S Owen 4, Mick Cox 4, M Simmons 9, B Uttley 6, M Spencer 6, M Demain 4, J Chambers 4, D Jacques 1, J Jubb 8, D Burgess 6, M Duke 2, W R Burnett 5, T Wray 7, K Burnett 2, K Coppen 5, D Precious 2.

Oakley’s Mixed Doubles Sunday, August 24 scratch 1.30pm.

Devonshire: J Chambers & J Farrage, M & A Longden, N & J Whitaker, C Wilson & S Gadd, D & M Hemsley, M Spencer & W Ward, K & A Coppen, A Phillips & Partner, T Langstroth & B Heslop, G Bailey & J Kane, W Duckworth & H Cartwright, C Harrison & D Burgess, K Whitaker & W Burnett.

Places in all still available contact Peter Haworth