By Stephen Helliwell
Dale Holdsworth and Danny Barker won the Sowerby Bridge Association’s Alan and Betty Brown Memorial pairs competition at Akroydon Victoria on Sunday. They defeated former winners Gary Murphy and Scott Haynes by 15-12 in the final of the event sponsored by Phillip Brown and his sister, Susan.
In the round of sixteen Holdsworth and Barker were tied at 7-7 against Simon and Mick Page before finishing with a break of eight to win by 15-7. They enjoyed a comfortable 15-2 quarter-final victory against Bob Coates and Andy Hurcombe before cruising into the final with a 15-4 win against Peter O’Callaghan and Mark O’Loughlin.
Murphy and Haynes, who won in 2015 eased through their last sixteen game, winning by 15-4 against Terry and Peter Jackson but trailed by 4-8 in the quarter – final against Julian and Bailie Dawson before going on to win by 15-9. In the semi-final, they faced Ian and Heather Smith, converting an early 7-3 lead into a 15-7 victory.
In a keenly contested final it was Murphy and Haynes who made the better start to lead by 7-4 but Holdsworth and Barker fought back to lead by 11-7. Murphy and Haynes responded to draw level before Holdsworth and Barker edged ahead to lead by 14-11 and after a further single to their opponents, won the final end to win by 15-12.
Quarter-final scores: D. Holdsworth/ D, Barker 15 R. Coates/A. Hurcomb 2; P. O’Callaghan/M. O’Loughlin 4 B. Malone/C. Ness 8; I. & H, Smith 15 C. Robinson/G, Jazkelski 6; G. Murphy/S, Haynes 15 J. & B. Dawson 9.