'Unusual' conditions for Wirral Winter Flyers Tournament (From Wirral Globe)

'Unusual' conditions for Wirral Winter Flyers Tournament

1:07pm Monday 21st January 2013 in Sport By Bill Atkinson

THE Winter Flyers Tournament took place in conditions that could be, at best, described as "unusual" for the game of Crown Green Bowls.

A huge thank you is due to Ritchie Marshall and Mick Andrews for their sterling work on Saturday in clearing the snow from the green to enable play to take place.

After an interesting morning of bowls the Lever Club's Dougie Briscoe, who must have been practising in the Arctic, triumphed in a close final with Jamie Fitzpatrick and in doing so prevented another win for a player from Tixalls.

Briscoe came through a 'tricky' encounter with West Kirby Vic's Bill Atkinson in the quarter finals before proving to be equally efficient in the semi-final beating Port Sunlight Village and Work's Peter McBride by a similar score.

Fitzpatrick had two close matches to qualify for the final firstly beating Queens Royal's Eddie Dutton in the quarters and he then had to come from a long way back to finally scrape through against John Harrison, another Port Sunlight player.

Briscoe took an early lead in the final and though Fitzpatrick closed the gap he could never quite catch the Lever player and Briscoe was delighted to take the first prize.

Results:

Quarter-finals: D Briscoe 21, W Atkinson 14; P McBride 21, D Alcock 15; J Fitzpatrick 21, E Dutton 18; J Harrison 21, R Griffiths 13.

Semi-finals: Briscoe 21, McBride 13; Fitzpatrick 21, Harrison 20. 

Final: Briscoe 21, Fitzpatrick 19.

Entries are now being taken for the annual McParland Williams Tixall Classic Tournament.

This is a one-day event taking place on the Spring Bank Holiday, Monday May 27, with a 10am start (9.30am practice).

The event is open to all players and is limited to the first 64 entries. The event has a total prize money of £1,630 with the winner getting £600.

Entry is only guaranteed on payment of the entry fee, which is £12, and to enter players should contact Robin May on 678 0613 or r.may267@ntlworld.com