Robbie Ellis (Craven) capped another fine season with victory in the Norman Johnston Trophy at Colne Legion, which included a quarter-final win against six-times champion Richard Hargreaves (Keighley BC).

This was a good test for rising Yorkshire junior Robbie. Hargreaves went 7-4 up, but Ellis soon settled and found a mark to trouble the holder, poaching a 10-7 lead.

It was nip and tuck to 16-16 before Robbie scored four points.

Hargreaves was not finished, however, taking three singles, but one for Ellis finished the job at 21-19.

John Parkin (Cononley) looked in excellent form in getting the better of Derek Seed 21-15, and met Ellis in the semi- final.

In the other half of the draw, Keighley’s Chris Wil-son was finding it tough going against Derrick Metcalfe (Silsden Playing Fields), trailing 13-6.

Wilson pulled back points but could not get the lead as Metcalfe continued to pick up scores and moved into the semi-finals 21-16.

The last quarter-final pitted Cononley’s Stuart Myers against Barry Turnbull (Silsden).

Like all the games on the night, it was crucial to have the jack. At 14-14, Turnbull got the break with the jack and found the points needed to win 21-15.

In the semi-finals there was good bowling from all the players.

Metcalfe made a good start against Barry Turnbull to lead 9-4 but Turnbull then got the jack and set up a substantial run to go 17-13 in front.

Metcalfe was still bowling well, however, and retrieved the lead with some good woods.

It was 20-19 to Metcalfe, and another good wood was all that was needed, but it was not to be as Turnbull found two singles, and a place in the final at 21-20.

The other semi-final started with an exchange of singles up to 5-5.

Ellis then bowled three good doubles and two singles to leap 13-5 in front, and that proved to be very im-portant as Parkin never really got back into the match.

He narrowed the advantage to 18-16 but that was as good as it got as Ellis closed out the game at 21-16.

Would an old head be too much for exuberant youth in the final?

Ellis began well to lead 10-5, but Turnbull was not flustered as he quietly pulled back the points to go in front 14-12.

It was very tight thereafter, with good woods needed to get the points.

But from 17-17, two good doubles meant that youth prevailed, Ellis taking his first Skipton and District title.

Chris Hasselby, next year’s British Crown Green president, was on hand to present the trophy and prizes.

The Worth Valley divisional Saturday finals are at Broughton Road on Saturday, with matches between Glen B and Steeton B at 11am in League Three, Bradshaw A v Keighley A in Division Two at 1pm and the Division One final at 3pm between holders Cross Roads A and Cross Hills A.

The Valley end-of-season doubles are on Sunday at Keighley BC.

There is sad news from Keighley Bowling Club – Colin Jeffrey passed away on Sunday.

A well-known bowler far many years in the Skipton and District League, he first played for Devonshire Park, then moved with the team to Keighley Bowling Club around 1980.

He was a major member of the all-conquering Keigh-ley A team who won the First Division 22 times in 23 years.

Colin, like all the Keighley team, had a very positive winning attitude, which seemed to upset many opponents.

He was a very difficult person to play, being left- handed with a swinging action that was hard to follow, as well as always telling you where you were going wrong!

He won many local competitions, including the John Rycroft Trophy and many of the local doubles events with Trevor Hargreaves.

But he never got a call for the county team which his quality deserved.

Off the green, he always had good stories to tell about past exploits, about bowling and his favourite passion of horse racing, when he would let you know how he emptied the bookies’ satchels.