LEIGH & DISTRICT

2000 again saw an increase in the leagues participating when the Leigh Ladies League Merit, Individual and Player of Season were included. The first ladies to qualify were Sylvia Jeffries and Pam Hodgetts. Unfortunately the draw was unkind and Pam was drawn against Sylvia with Pam winning 21-11. Pam’s success was short lived losing 21-7 in the next round to homester Neil Francis.

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John Heathcote became the 3rd winner also winning for the second time in three years (he didn’t qualify in 1999). Suffering from a heavy cold John found it hard to find any consistent form and could very easily have gone out in the 1st round to left hander Stan Walmsley. Stan led out at 19 across and played two bad bowls which John beat easily bowling the opposite peg. With victories over Harold Higgs to 13 and Neil Francis to 19 John was then to face Bill Clegg in the final.

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Bill had bowled superbly to reach the final seeing off Ged Goodwin (13) in the preliminary, Billy Thompson (15), past winner Harold Peake (17) and Terry Balmer (13) in the semi-final. The final did not hold to form as John stepped up his game and with the earlier preliminary round taking its toll on Bill’s stamina, John secured victory 21-15.  

The presentation was made by Ray Angus the Chief Executive of the newly formed National Federation of Crown Green Bowls.