THE opening day of the 2010 Grimsby Open Bowls Tournament held at the Sussex Recreation Ground produced some highly entertaining games.

Entries for this year's tournament were slightly down on previous years but, once again, it brought players to Cleethorpes from a wide area.

When opening the tournament, the Mayor of North East Lincolnshire, councillor Norma Lincoln welcomed players and complimented the ground staff for the preparation of both the greens and the recreation ground.

She then bowled the first bowl of the week to get the tournament underway.

The first competition of the tournament – the Singles – has produced one all local semi-final line-up which will see two Cleethorpes Bowls Club players battle it out for a place in the final.

Twice holder of the title in 2003 and 2005 and losing semi-finalist and Player of the Tournament at this year's Cleethorpes Open, Jonathan Darley (Clee BC), has continued his excellent form to reach the semi-final in which he will face 23-year-old club-mate Simon Dent.

Simon stepped in at the last minute to take the place of his uncle Allan Dent (Snr), who last year took the runners-up spot and continues the outstanding recent form of the Dent family.

With the defending champion Dennis Cheater (Walkington BC) injured and having to withdraw, another North Bank player, Tim Winter (Hull West Park BC), who reached the 2005 Cleethorpes Open semi-finals, will be looking to take the silverware back to Yorkshire.

Standing in his way will be Barrow on Humber bowler Tony Hebblewhite (Goxhill BC).

Results

(All Grimsby/Cleethorpes except were stated otherwise)

PRELIMINARY ROUND: Laura-Jane Duncan Waltham Park BC 17 v Terry Marshall Grant Thorold BC 13 Pauline Veitch Hull Scarborough BC 14 v Derek Burgess Tetney Waltham Park BC 8 Andy Parrott Vikings BC 18 v Alex Holland Warsop Shirebrook BC 6 Martin Dent Clee BC 15 v Ted Marsh Retford Ordsall BC 11 Bob Stevens Bilsthorpe BC 15 v Bill Johnson Waltham BC 10 Norman Dodsworth Sussex BC 5 v Brenda Land New Waltham Waltham BC 18 Pat Lewis Grant Thorold BC 13 v Jonathan Darley Clee BC 15 Fred Mellows Lincoln Eagle BC 10 v Sheila Childs Barretts BC 15.

ROUND ONE: Trevor Barlow Alford BC DNA v Gwen Jarrett Vikings BC BYE Terry Wood Carr Lane BC 11 v Janet Eames Warsop BC 14 Grahame Harris Waltham BC 18 v Janine Mountain Humberston CC BC 15 George Hilton Retford Ordsall BC 11 v Brian Elford Blossom Way BC 14 Hedley Snow Barretts BC 24 v Wally Gresham Carr Lane BC 4 Andy Arundel Waltham Park BC 14 v Kevin Lewis Lincoln Eagle BC 13 Caroline Cullum Waltham Kingsway Printers BC 13 v Tony Hebblewhite Barrow on Humber Goxhill BC 14 Paul Lound Skegby Brierly Park BC 16 v Helen Pulfrey Vikings BC 14 Arthur Matthews Peoples Park BC DNA v Victor Blake Grimsby BC BYE Peter Noble Retford Ordsall BC 16 v Terry Smalley Scunthorpe Brigg Town BC 10 John Weeden Humberston Sussex BC 17 v David Whittington Laceby BC 14 Cyril Hayes Maltby Worksop CSC BC 10 v Brian Eekhout Vikings BC 19 Simon Smith Unattached 14 v Steve Spencer-Davis Grimsby BC 11 Darrell Eames Warsop BC 18 v Peter Pulfrey Grant Thorold BC 4 Tim Winter Hull West Park BC 16 v Peter Turton Shirebrook BC 13 Julie Langley Scartho Clee BC 15 v Margaret Upton Sussex BC 17 Frank Balderson Great Coates Vikings BC 17 v Pat Belton Waltham BC 8 Margaret Leggett Waltham Park BC 4 v Jonathan Darley Clee BC 18 Bob Stevens Bilsthorpe BC 19 v Eddie Ling Great Coates Clee BC 6 Charlie Gore Grimsby BC 9 v Martin Dent Clee BC 14 Ian Ransby Retford Ordsall BC 21 v Wendy Newman Vikings BC 7 James Duncan Waltham Park BC 15 v Laura-Jane Duncan Waltham Park BC 12 Gary Langley Scartho Clee BC 17 v Sheila Childs Barretts BC 4 George Howard Grant Thorold BC 15 v Andrew Josling Barretts BC 14 Simon Dent Clee BC 17 v Brenda Land New Waltham Waltham BC 12 Pauline Veitch Hull Scarborough BC 17 v Harold Dixon Goxhill BC 10 Val Smith Scunthorpe Winterton BC 11 v John Stokes Bilsthorpe BC 14 Bill Bateman Alford BC 13 v George Cartwright Barretts BC 16 John Belton Waltham BC 14 v Dave Jarrett Vikings BC 13 Andy Parrott Vikings BC 6 v Tracey Dent Clee BC 18 Alan Beavis Grant Thorold BC 12 v Ray Maskell Bilsthorpe BC 14 Roger Scales Blossom Way BC 14 v Jim Sorley Humberston Waltham BC 9.

ROUND TWO: Gwen Jarrett Vikings BC 4 v Janet Eames Warsop BC 19 Grahame Harris Waltham BC 10 v Brian Elford Blossom Way BC 13 Hedley Snow Barretts BC 13 v Andy Arundel Waltham Park BC 12 Tony Hebblewhite Barrow on Humber Goxhill BC 16 v Paul Lound Skegby Brierly Park BC 15 Victor Blake Grimsby BC 11 v Peter Noble Retford Ordsall BC 20 John Weeden Humberston Sussex BC 14 v Brian Eekhout Vikings BC 9 Simon Smith Unattached 15 v Darrell Eames Warsop BC 12 Tim Winter Hull West Park BC 17 v Margaret Upton Sussex BC 6 Frank Balderson Great Coates Vikings BC 11 v Jonathan Darley Clee BC 18 Bob Stevens Bilsthorpe BC 12 v Martin Dent Clee BC 16 Ian Ransby Retford Ordsall BC 16 v James Duncan Waltham Park BC 11 Gary Langley Scartho Clee BC 20 v George Howard Grant Thorold BC 6 Simon Dent Clee BC 16 v Pauline Veitch Hull Scarborough BC 7 John Stokes Bilsthorpe BC 6 v George Cartwright Barretts BC 17 John Belton Waltham BC 13 v Tracey Dent Clee BC 10 Ray Maskell Bilsthorpe BC 15 v Roger Scales Blossom Way BC 16.

ROUND THREE: Janet Eames Warsop BC 13 v Brian Elford Blossom Way BC 16 Hedley Snow Barretts BC 9 v Tony Hebblewhite Barrow on Humber Goxhill BC 18 Peter Noble Retford Ordsall BC 16 v John Weeden Humberston Sussex BC 11 Simon Smith Unattached 7 v Tim Winter Hull West Park BC 15 Jonathan Darley Clee BC 16 v Martin Dent Clee BC 12 Ian Ransby Retford Ordsall BC 11 v Gary Langley Scartho Clee BC 17 Simon Dent Clee BC 16 Extra End v George Cartwright Barretts BC 15 John Belton Waltham BC 20 v Roger Scales Blossom Way BC 8

QUARTER-FINALS: Brian Elford Blossom Way BC 11 v Tony Hebblewhite Barrow on Humber Goxhill BC 17 Peter Noble Retford Ordsall BC 9 v Tim Winter Hull West Park BC 15 Jonathan Darley Clee BC 19 v Gary Langley Scartho Clee BC 9 Simon Dent Clee BC 15 v John Belton Waltham BC 10.

SEMI-FINALS: (To be played Friday morning). Tony Hebblewhite Barrow on Humber (Goxhill BC) v Tim Winter Hull (West Park BC); Jonathan Darley Grimsby (Clee BC) v Simon Dent Grimsby (Clee BC).

SINGLES PLATE COMPETITION: The Singles Plate competition was won by Kevin Lewis (Eagle BC Lincoln) who beat Pat Lewis (Grant Thorold BC) in the final. Third place was taken by Fred Mellows (Eagle BC Lincoln) with Jim Sorley (Waltham BC) in fourth place.