YET again the Winter Flyers Bowls Tournament was won by a player making his first appearance this year.

John Hignett Jnr made it worthwhile taking the journey across from Manchester as he showed brilliant form to come through the field to beat New Brighton Quarry Viking's John Cosgrove in the final.

Hignett was far too good for John Pritchard in his quarter final match before he beat Tixall's Ian Hazlehurst in the semis.

Meanwhile Cosgrove, also in excellent form, got the better of a previous winner, Tixall's Matthew Gilmore, in the quarters and then in his semi final match he beat Hawksbury's John Jones, who had also reached the same stage last week.

The final was reasonably close but Hignett edged it for a 21-17 win and he returned to Manchester with the first prize.

Results:

Quarter Finals: J. Jones (Hawksbury) 21, J. Harrison (New Brighton Quarry Vikings) 12; J. Cosgrove (New Brighton Quarry Vikings) 21, M. Gilmore (Tixall) 18, I. Hazlehurst (Tixall) 21, R. Lynch (Gladstone) 16; J. Hignett Jnr (Manchester) 21, J. Pritchard (Port Sunlight V&W) 06.

Semi Finals: Cosgrove 21, Jones 13; Hignett 21, Hazlehurst 14. Final: Hignett 21, Cosgrove 17.

There are just two more Sundays for players to try and get enough points to qualify for the final 16 play off on December 21.

Currently the top five in the points table are: Mick Andrews 48; Ray Lynch 43; Colin Portis 25,