By Stephen Helliwell
Steve Richardson and Bev Clayton won the Sowerby Bridge Association’s Michael Telford Mixed Pairs Competition, sponsored by Brian and Madeleine Hildred at Hill Crest on Sunday with a 15-8 victory in the final against Gary Jackson and Cheryl Robinson.
In the quarter final Richardson and Clayton trailed Bob and Pam Woodhead by 6-7 but went on to win by 15-9. They were again behind, by 4-6in their semi-final against Dave Greenwood and Jean Gornall before running out to win by 15-6,
Jackson and Robinson’s quarter-final opponents were Dave Blackburn and Sue Hiley and they made a good start to lead by 6-3 before their opponents drew level at 7-7. Only one point separated the two with Jackson and Robinson ahead by 11-10 but it was they who went on to win by 15-11. In their semi-final against Shane Greaves and Becky Woodhead they led by 6-2, fell behind by 7-9 then pulled away to take the lead by 14-10. Two pairs to Greaves and Woodhead tied the scores at 14 but Jackson and Robinson won their place in the final with a single at the last end to scrape home by 15-14.
In the final Jackson, and Robinson took the first four ends with consecutive singles but Richardson and Clayton reacted strongly with a break of eight concluding with a four to take the lead by 8-4. Their opponents were unable to respond and Richardson and Clayton went on to claim the title by 15-8.
Quarter- final scores: S. Richardson/B. Clayton 15 R.& P. Woodhead 9; M. & R. Pearson 12 D, Greenwood/ J. Gornall 15; S. Greaves/B. Woodhead 15 B. Malone/C. Ness 13; D. Blackburn/S. Hiley 11 G. Jackson S. Robinson 15.