By Stephen Helliwell
Tony and Katrina Bannister, of Mytholmroyd BC won the Halifax Association’s Mixed Pairs at Luddendenfoot on Sunday. They defeated Mark Holden and Ruth Whitworth, of Elland C.A. & B.C. bye 15-8 in the final of the event, sponsored by Well Bowled
The Bannisters were level on 4-4 in their quarter-final against Peter O’Callaghan and Sheridon Patterson before surging ahead with break of eight and going on to win 15-5. In their semi-final, they took an early 6-1 lead against Gareth Coates and Chloe Hirst, who responded to reduce the gap to two at 4-6. The Bannisters pulled away again to lead by 12-4 and restricted their opponents only two more singles on their way to a 15-6 victory.
Holden and Whitworth faced Kevin Mullin and Sue Martin in their first game and were level at 3-3 before gradually pulling away to lead by 7-4. The remaining ends were shared but Holden and Whitworth‘s string of pairs out-scored their opponents to claim victory by 15-8. They secured their place in the final by converting an early 6-1 lead into a 15-6 result against Mark Regan and Lorraine Hirst.
In the finals, Holden and Whitworth made the better start to lead by 8-3 but were then stopped in their tracks as the Bannisters, mastering a corner-to-corner mark immaculately, ran out with a break of twelve to lift the Trophy by 15-8.
Quarter-final scores: T. & K. Bannister 15 P. O’Callaghan 5; G. Coates/C. Hirst 15 B. Malone/C. Ness 7; K. Mullin/S. Martin 8 M. Holden/R. Whitworth 15; P. & P. Holroyd 8 L. Hirst/M. Regan 15.