THE Skipton and District Doubles might have a new title the Graham (Ben) Ridding Doubles, but the story remains the same.

Trevor and Richard Hargreaves continued to farm the doubles titles, this was Trevor’s 15th and Richard’s 11th league doubles win.

Trevor took his first win in the graded doubles with H Wilson in 1972, and they where pushed all the way to take this latest win.

The competition took place on the most perfect bowling surface at Colne Alkincoates PWA on Sunday with 16 pairs taking on the challenge.

The first round matches saw Trevor and son Richard Hargreaves play Settle pair Derek Seed and John Chambers, and although 21-13 looked comfortable it was just two bad ends which cost the Settle pair.

The other close match saw Cononley pair of Jim Calvert and Graham Sharp get the better of Rolls player Steven and Paul Naylor 21-15.

The quarter-finals saw the Hargreaves pairing getting the better of Craven’s Peter Shaw and Warren Burnett Jnr, but again the Craven pair did well after a poor start, going down 21-14.

The all Colne match saw David Clamp and Adrian Heyhirst get the better of Glynn Dawson and Neil Parker 21-14, Calvert and Sharp got the better of scratch pairing Kath Boddy (Rolls) and Len Buxton (Keighley) 21-12, although they made a real go of it.

The last quarter-final put Cononley’s Rob Scarr and Patrick Hayton against Alden Phillips (Steeton) and Peter Haworth (Devon).

The Cononley pair got the better start, but where hauled back with some good pairs play to give an eventual 21-15 win to the mixed club pair.

Two very good semi-finals went right to the wire, although Phillips and Haworth had a nightmare start as the Hargreaves scored eight in the first three ends to lead 11-3.

The game then changed as good leading from Phillips, had the Keighley pair digging deep with Trevor firing out end winning bowls on three occasions.

The game was all square at 17-17 when a connection with the jack gave three to the Hargreaves’s, the next end saw them through 21-17.

The other semi saw the Cononley pair of Sharp and Calvert take on Colne’s Clamp and Heyhirst, the Cononley pair got the better start to lead 11-6, the Colne pair struck back with some very good woods to lead 15-13.

A run stopping end came from Calvert and Sharp with a good three, the Colne pair were not finished rallying to lead 18-17, but the last two ends went to the Cononley lads for a 21-18 win.

In the final, Trevor and Richard led Calvert and Sharp 14-7 after 11 ends, but the Cononley pair clawed back to lead 19-18 before Trevor and Richard Hargreaves finished strong to win 21-19, and were crowned the 2019 doubles champions.

It is with great sadness that I have to report that Steven Pickles passed away after battling bravely against illness.

For many years, Steve was one of the best bowlers in the area, winning many competitions both local and nationally.

Steve made his final appearance on the green at Highfield a week last Sunday, and even though it was a struggle he battled on saying at the end: "Well at least I've managed a game."

Steve will be missed from the local bowling and by all family and friends.