ELPM B reach two finals

Seedfield had to concede 155 points and after five sets the gap was down to 55.

Seedfield slowly chipped away at ELPM’s lead and with the final set to play were behind by 25 points.

David Poytress won by 26 against Steve Greaves. Poytress clawed back 19 points in the first three games, but Greaves held his nerve and took the last game 11-9 for an overall 524-516 win.

In the other semi-final, Division Two Prestwich E beat Maccabi B from Division Three.

Prestwich overcame a 50-point start. After the fifth set Prestwich had wiped out the deficit and went into a 16-point lead which they gradually increased in every set.

ELPM B also reached the final of the Pressman Cup when they began their semi against Seedfield C 35 points ahead and ended it 46 in front.

The first set shaped the match when Greaves beat Mike Charlton 44-34 and added 10 points to their lead.

Alan Telfer of Seedfield retrieved seven points in the next set against Gerry Faulkner but after the doubles, which Seedfield won, they were still trailing by 36 points. Paul Carter of ELPM took a massive 14 points off Telfer and, despite winning the next two sets, Seedfield trailed by 44 with one set to play.

Greaves made sure of their final spot when he beat Telfer by two points.

Elton Vale Sports club beat Shawfield B in the other semi-final.

Elton started 35 points ahead and after the doubles Shawfield held a nine-point lead.

Elton’s John Dodd put his side ahead by winning his set 41-28 against Dave Stubbington. Jim Bollard increased Elton’s lead when he beat Ernie Watkins 38-29. Frank Green increased Elton’s lead further when he beat Stubbington 41-29 to give his team-mate Dodd a 25-point cushion going into the last set against Wayne Ellis, who won by three points.

A battle of Division Four Prestwich F, who started with a 35-point lead, and Maccabi C took place in the Dwyer Cup semi-final.

This lead narrowed to 27 by the end of the match and Prestwich F went through with a 454-427 victory.

After five sets it looked like Maccabi were going to claw back the lead which had shrunk to 17 points. The next set was drawn by Alistair Wakefield and Frank Sheldon.

Robert Clayton of Maccabi pinched one more point by winning 40-39 but the crunch set was Wakefield against Les Suss which Wakefield won by 15 points to extend their lead with one set to play to 31 points.

Sheldon of Maccabi made a gallant effort against Rod Hughes, winning 37-33 but it was not enough.

In the other semi, Maccabi D from Division Four started against Holmar A from Division Three with a 104-point advantage and comfortably ran out 524-451 winners.

Seedfield A knocked Ramsbottom Town A out of the MacDonald Cup with a 521-463 victory. In the final they will face Little Lever who beat Carlton Club A 418-317.

Prestwich E will meet Carlton Cup B in the final of the Poytress Cup.

Prestwich E beat St Philips B 498-461 while Carlton Club B beat Stand 581-571.

Carlton started 39 points behind. In the fourth set Mark Reading of Carlton had a real struggle in the third game, just losing 19-17 to Dave Jackson but took the set 47-39.

That put Carlton 18 points behind before yet another tight game between John Foster of Carlton and Steve Morris of Stand.

The third game went Stand’s way 22-20 but the set was taken by Carlton 53-38 and they were then only three points behind.

Carlton took the doubles to put them into a three-point lead and in the next set, Steve Evans lost 43-25 to Chris Sutcliffe of Stand and they drew 14 points ahead. Carlton’s Mark Reading beat Steve Morris to give his side a four-point lead.

Evans extended it to 12 when he got the better of Dave Jackson and in the final set John Foster of Carlton held his nerve, despite losing the set to Sutcliffe by two points.

Prestwich F won through to the final of the Hilton Cup with victory over Carlton Club C who started eight points ahead.

In the second semi-final, Shawfield C started 53 points behind Bury Grammar School Old Boys and ended up 37 points ahead to win 497-460.