Hessle take the honours in the East Riding Alliance at York
24/03/2012
SCARBOROUGH North Cliff snatched the Hull Daily Mail Championship Bowl, pipping Heworth on a dramatic last day at York.
At the start of the 10th match of the series, Heworth held a two-point lead at the top over Scarborough, with Ganton, Driffield and holders Hessle in with a shout, being only five, six and eight points adrift.
Early starters Heworth, looking to end their centenary celebrations in style, set the pace.
Their two better-ball counting pairs posted a combined nine under total of 131 for an overall total of 1,355.
All they could do was sit and wait for the other teams in contention to try and shoot them down with an anxious Heworth team captain Jim Batt (3) feeling his three putt on the last could prove costly.
Team scores of 127 from Driffield and 129 from Ganton saw both clubs come up short of the Heworth target on 1,357 and 1,358.
Holders Hessle, although eight off the pace at the start of the day, made a tremendous charge in an effort to retain the bowl with club captain David Liversedge and Bryan Calam shooting the low round of the day, a 61, that contributed to a team score of 125, 15-under-par, to finish just two shots short of Heworth's total.
Only Scarborough North Cliff could now deny Heworth and with the seasiders' last pair of Steve Pybus (1) and Paul Kitson (10) coming up the par four 18th a birdie would give them the title.
Pybus, who was just off the green in two, was up to the task as he rolled in a 30ft putt, much to the elation of his team members and club officials gathered around the green.
North Cliff were the champions by one shot (1,354), taking the bowl they had last won in 1991.
The 18th hole had been the deciding factor between the two front runners.
It had cost Heworth 10 shots as against North Cliff's five with the seasider's former assistant professional Simon Boddy (3) adding an eagle two to the birdie by Pybus when, after hitting a huge drive down the 383-yard hole, Boddy's 54 degree lob wedge second shot pitched ten foot past the hole and then spun back into the cup.
It was a fitting climax to what has been the closest contested season in many years.
The best better-ball score of the day was returned by Hessle's Liversedge (6) and Calam (9), who even had the luxury of a three-putt bogey on the 18th in their nine-under-par 61 to take the tankards and edge out Driffield's Geoff Drewery (6) and Brian Muir (10) by one shot.
North Cliff's proud club captain Alan Richardson said: "This is just tremendous for the club.
"It has been 21 years since we last won the bowl and huge credit must go to our small squad of players who have consistently produced the scores and kept us up at the top in contention."
The next East Riding Alliance is at Bridlington (Belvedere) on March 28 when the current Alliance president Anthony Howarth will host his President's Salver.
Leading Better-ball scores: 61 D. Liversedge (6) & B. Calam (9) Hessle; 62 G. Drewery (6) & B. Muir (10) Driffield: 63 S. Pybus (1) & P. Kitson (10) Scarborough North Cliff; 64 P. Rutterford (9) & S. Fairbank (11) Hessle, N. Mallender (3) & R. Johnson (5) Ganton; 65 J. Batt (3) & A. Wright (10) Heworth, L. Gall (12) & G. Butcher (12) Pike Hills, D. Green (11) & M. Atkinson (14) Springhead Park, S. Boddy (3) & G. Johnson (6) Scarborough North Cliff, N.R.A. Bristowe (5) & D. Hornshaw (14) Driffield, J. Robinson (5) & S. Lawrence (6) Driffield, P. Huddlestone (4) & G. Stericker (5) Fulford, J. Huddlestone (9) & T. Alford (10) Selby, G. Brown (Pro) & D. Wigglesworth (11) Ganton, J. Coyle (2) & D. Cockerham (4) Ganstead Park.
Final Bowl placings: 1. Scarborough North Cliff 1354, 2. Heworth 1355, 3= Driffield & Hessle 1357, 5. Ganton 1358, 6. Malton & Norton 1373, 7. Ganstead Park 1377, 8. Bridlington 1383, 9. Fulford 1391, 10. Hornsea 1393, 11. Filey 1394, 12= Kirkbymoorside & Scarborough South Cliff 1397, 14= Hull & Selby 1402, 16. Pike Hills 1416, 17= Beverley & East Riding and York 1423, 19. Boothferry 1427, 20. Easingwold 1428, 21. Hainsworth Park 1435, 22.Brough 1441, 23. Withernsea 1446, 24. Springhead Park 1448, 25. Sutton Park 1479, 26. Flamborough Head 1506.
