LEIGH & DISTRICT
BOWLSWITHIN
The 2002 Event
2002 included 3 qualifying competitions from the newly admitted Atherleigh Ladies League and gave the competition 5 lady qualifiers that year (Maggie Jones, Pauline Ward, Maureen Blackledge, Dorothy Higgs and Dorothy Hesketh). This produced a field of 24 that has only been matched twice since.
On the day only 4 of the ladies competed with Pauline beating Bill Bennett (20) in the preliminary round before losing to Billy Rigby (11), Garth Smith beat Dorothy Higgs (10) also in the preliminary, 1st time qualifier Frank Naylor beat Maureen Blackledge (10) in the first round leaving Maggie Jones to carry the ladies flag all the way to the semi-final. Maggie saw off Tony Lane (15) in the first round, Cliff Berry (17) in the second round before narrowly losing 18-21 to Billy Rigby in the semi-final.
Defending champion, John Heathcote, lost out 13-21 to Tony Glover in round two. Tony lost heavily 21-10 to Frank Naylor in the semi-final. The final itself was a excellent battle with Frank Naylor, on his debut appearance in the competition, beating Billy Rigby (19).
C of C 2002 - Frank Naylor
