Bowls: Cooper clinches title in ding-dong battle (From York Press)

Bowls: John Cooper clinches title in ding-dong battle

10:33am Thursday 30th August 2012 in Sport

A DRAMATIC finale saw John Cooper emerge as the York C&IU Bowls League singles competition winner.

The St Clement’s bowler edged out Railway Institute’s Arthur Dunbar 21-19 in the final.

Dunbar got off to a good start, taking a six-shot lead after four ends.

However, Cooper retaliated with two fours and a two to lead by four shots.

After Dunbar had levelled the scores after nine ends, Cooper won the next three ends to go four shots up.

Again Dunbar fought back to parity but, in a see-saw tussle, he dropped behind for a third time only to come back strongly and take a one-shot lead.

After 21 ends, the game was tied at 19-19, but Cooper was first to get the all-important two shots to reach the winning 21-shot target.

There was to be no double glory for Cooper as he and St Clement’s club-mate Harry Marshall were beaten in the final of the four-wood pairs competition by Holgate duo Steve Lea and John Crowe.

Superb bowling from the Holgate pair in the early stages, particularly from Crowe, who was consistently accurate, put pressure on the St Clement’s double-act.

Cooper kept them in the game, playing with weight into tight heads on several occasions and getting a result.

The game changed on the 12th end when, with St Clement’s holding three shots which would have taken them into the lead for the first time, Lea took the jack into the ditch to win the end.

Cooper and Marshall faded a little after that and the Holgate pair went on to win the game comfortably.

The York C&IU Evening League campaign has come to an end after the four outstanding fixtures were played.

Clarence had already clinched the title, with Railway Institute assured of second place.

Third-placed Burton Lane were 8-0 winners over Tramways in their final game.

St Clement’s trounced Holgate 8-0, basement side South Bank lost 6-2 at Huntington and Poppleton Road were 5-3 winners at Acomb .

South Bank topped the Afternoon League by a point from Burton Lane ‘A’.