By Stephen Helliwell
Brian Hildred and Julie Marsden won the Sowerby Bridge Association’s Michael Telford Mixed Pairs on Sunday at Hill Crest winning by 15-12 against Clive and Trish Austin in the final.
Hildred, who, together with his wife Madeleine, also sponsored the event, and Marsden, reached the quarter- final after safely negotiating two earlier rounds to meet Danny Barker and Abby Burke. They took an early 4-0 lead but
Barker and Burke responded and were only one point adrift at 9-8 before Hildred and Marsden ran out to win by 15-8. Their semi-final, against Tony Clissitt and Marie Lodge was closely contested throughout. Homesters Clissitt and Lodge were conceding two start to their opponents but were level after the first two ends. The scores were level at 6 before Clissitt and Lodge eased ahead by 12-9. They still led at 14-11 but the former champions claimed the last two ends to snatch victory by 15-14.
Facing the Austin’s in their quarter-final were Homesters Bob Woodhead and Annise Copley who also started with a two-point deficit but recovered to draw level at 6-6 and edged ahead by 7-6. The Austin’s regained the lead with a three at the next end and went on to win by15-8. They went on to reach the final, leading from the start against Linden Harris and June Gaukroger to win by 15-8.
In the final Hildred and Marsden raced into 7-0 lead and increased the gap to nine at 13-4. They had to withstand a determined fight-back by the Austin’s whose break of eight reduced the gap to a single chalk at 12-13 but Hildred and Marsden scored singles at the last two ends to clinch victory by 15-12 and regain the trophy they last won in 2007.