HALTON bowlers found it hard going at the Grapes at the weekend with only Pavilions pair Les Harrington and Andy Blakemoor qualifying for the finals day on April 7.

The Saturday morning session saw comfortable first and second round wins for Warrington's Charlie Bebbington and John Taylor and father-and-son duo Brian and Johnathon Welsby.

The afternoon session saw Grapes pair Pat Crowe and Rob Johnson narrowly beaten by Bellingham's Bill Griffiths and Mark Britton, who were beaten in their turn by Warrington's John and Anthony Gatley.

Frodsham's Barry Ellams and Fred Worrall beat David Jackson and Rob McKernan - favourites for the Webbs Trophy.

However, they lost in the second round to Yorkshire pair John Senior and Nick White.

Sunday morning saw one of the best games of the weekend with Norton Arms pair Mark Hughes and Steve Halliburton narrowly beaten by Warrington duo Damian Morrison and Ross Wightman in a game that could have gone to either pair.

Last year's winners Danny Eustace and Anthony Gartside also won two games and again qualify for the final day.

In the afternoon Grapes landlord Kenny Pugh and Jean Shaw lost a close game to Northwich pair Jeff and Val Dale while Harrington and Blakemoor beat another Grapes pair, Bob Watson and Barry Shaw.

They then went on to beat Gerry Merry and Brian Furber to qualify.

Widnes United Services pair John Rennison and Mark Furber lost to Yorkshire's Vince Senior and Robert Thompson who went on to qualify at the expense of the Dales.