Hartley and Leeming are pairs champs

Dennis Hartley and Simon Leeming won the Halifax Association's Men's Pairs, sponsored by Richard Pilling, at Hove Edge BC.
Actions from the Halifax mens pairs bowls, at Hove Edge BC. Pictured is Robert MorganActions from the Halifax mens pairs bowls, at Hove Edge BC. Pictured is Robert Morgan
Actions from the Halifax mens pairs bowls, at Hove Edge BC. Pictured is Robert Morgan

They defeated Gareth Coates and Daniel Barker by 15-7 in the final.

Leeming and Hartley were 2-6 down in their first game against Richard Pilling and Jason Leeming but drew level at 7 and, after falling behind again by 7-9, ran out to win by 15-9.

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After a comfortable 15-1 victory over Peter Martin and Anthony O’Brien, they faced a tougher contest in their quarter-final against Alan Bray and John Butterworth.

The scores were level at 6 but Bray and Butterworth pulled ahead to lead by 10-6 and 12-9, where their effort stalled as Hartley and Leeming finished strongly again to win by 15-12.

In their semi-final, against Julian and Bailey Dawson, the scores were level at 4 before Leeming and Hartley went ahead to lead by 10-4. The Dawsons rallied to reduce the gap to two at 11-13 before Hartley and Leeming clinched victory with a pair at the last end.

Coates and Barker’s chances of reaching the final looked slim as they trailed by 3-10 to Martin and Ben Atkinson in their opening game before running out to win by 15-10.

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They were again behind by 6-10 in their quarter-final against Brendan Malone and Martin Greenwood but went ahead with a break of 8 and,after conceding a pair at the next end, went on to win by 15-12.

In the semi-final, they started well to lead by 9-3 and 11-4 against Steve Lowther ad Nigel Mitchell. Lowther and Mitchell recovered to draw level at 11 but a four at the last end sealed the win for Coates and Barker.

In the final Leeming and Hartley took only five ends to lead by 11-0. Coates and Barker won the jack three times but were unable to hold it as Leeming and Hartley went on to claim the trophy.

Quarter-final scores: J. Barker/T. Beeden 4 S. Lowther/N. Mitchell 15; G. Coates/D. Barker 15 B. Malone/M. Greenwood 12; T. Gasson/D. Radcliffe 10 J. & B. Dawson 15; D. Hartley/S.Leeming 15 A. Bray/J. Butterworth 12.