By Stephen Helliwell
Nineteen-year-old Ben Halliday, of Luddenden Foot won the Halifax League’s, Berry - Hey Handicap, sponsored by Mr Mike Berry at Hove Edge on Sunday. He defe
ated Julian Dawson, of Akroydon Victoria by 21-8 to win the eightieth staging of the competition.
Halliday signalled his intentions from the start, scoring a blistering 16 break on his way to 21-8 victory over Sam Oldfield, His progress was slowed in his second game against Jason Watters of Asa Briggs who was ahead by12-8 before Halliday recovered to draw level at17 and went on to reach the quarter-final with a 21-18 result.
His quarter-final against Fred Rothwell, of Oxenhope was just as close. In a game where the lead changed regularly, Rothwell took an early 9-6 lead but Halliday responded to lead by 12-9. Rothwell was ahead again by 13-12 before Halliday reacted once more to, lead by7 17-13.
A break of five to reach 18 was Rothwell’s last sally as Halliday then ran out to win 21-18. From 4-7down to Simon Page of Kingston Halliday’s break of seven helped him to a 17-9 lead and, although Page reduced the gap to three chalks at 14-17 Halliday confirmed his place in the final by 21-14.
Dawson began with a 21-9 result against defending champion, John Hamer and opened with a break of six in his second game against King Cross’s Bob Coates. Coates drew level at eight but Dawson pulled ahead again with a second six break and went on to win by 21-17. He cruised through his quarter-final against Glenn McCafferty of Asa Briggs with a 21-10 result and reached the final with a 21-6 result against Mike Berry.
In the final Halliday made a good start to lead by 8-2. Dawson drew level with three pairs, but failed to score again s Halliday ran out with a break of thirteen to become the eightieth holder of the Berry-Hey Trophy.
The subsidiary Plate Competition, open to the first-round losers was won by Peter O’Callaghan of King Cross winning by 21-11 against the 2021Berry Hey winner, John Hamer.