IT WAS Rossendale's night last Friday in the 1999 Vaux Classic, when Frank Lord and Ian McNeil qualified.

In his first game, Frank overcame a tough encounter against Helmshore's Dave Cowley, winning 21-19 after being 19-12 down. The second game was a little more comfortable, beating Westhoughton's Stuart Walton 21-15. In the final game of the evening he came up against Rishton's Norman Hill in what proved to be a close game with each player matching their good bowls with never more than one point in the game. Frank scored a double on the very last end to give him a 21-18 victory. Norman had previously beaten Darwen's Steve Houghton 21-13 and, team-mate from Great Harwood, Stan Johnson 21-19.

Ian had to overcome local favourite Trevor Brown in his first game, winning 21-9 then Blackburn's Peter Slinger 21-16 before Westhoughton's Eddie Walton, father of Stuart, was beaten 21-7 in a very one-sided game. This was a surprise after Eddie had won both his previous games to single figures, overcoming Preston's Dave Dyson 21-8 and Rishton's Mary Wright 21-9.

Results - First round: S Walton 21, J Norris 15; F Lord 21, D Cawley 19; G Anderson 20, S Johnson 21; N Hill 21, S Houghton 13; P Slinger 21, S Haworth 18; I McNeil 21, T Brown 9; R Biscomb 14, M Wright 21; D Dyson 8, E Walton 21.

Second round: S Walton 15, F Lord 21; S Johnson 19, N Hill 21; P Slinger 16, I McNeil 21; M Wright 9, E Walton 21.

The last 16 will play for the £300 first prize in the Vaux Classic at the Free Gardeners WMC, Parker Street, Rishton on Sunday, July 4, 5.30pm start. The draw is: Mick Opie (Haslingden) v Aiden Kenny (Liverpool); Alan Fidler (Billinge) v John Eborall (Accrington); John Hanson (Chipping) v Graham Roberts (Rishton); Alan Ward (Blackpool) v Ian McNeil (Rawtenstall); F Lord (Rawtenstall) v Mick Chapman (Blackburn); John Chatwin (Rishton) v Ken Channell (Great Harwood); David Scott (Silsden) v Brian Tomlinson (Blackburn); Chris Slater (Keighley) v Ray Turner (Chatburn).

Sunday night's qualifiers were Chatburn's Ray Turner and Billinge player Alan Fidler.

Alan, who qualified from the top of the draw, opened his account with a 21-13 win over Waterfoot's Brian Williams, then a 21-18 victory over Southport's Terry Webster before meeting Great Harwood bowler Colin Massey.

This was a tight game up to 11 across when Alan made the decisive break leading 19-11 with an accurate eight break, only for Colin to fight back to one behind at 18-19 when one bad lead allowed Alan to score the two needed for a 21-18 win. Colin had previously beaten Oswaldtwistle's Brenda Gillibrand 21-14 then Accrington's Steve Barnes 21-14. The bottom section of the draw proved to be a difficult half to qualify from on paper, but Chatburn' Ray Turner made light work of his first two games, winning 21-10 against Waterfoot's Dave Simmons, then a resounding victory over team mate Tony Dobson 21-7 before a game against Chorley's Bill Tuson, a game that seemed to be lost when 19-13 down, but Ray showed the class which makes him probably the best non-county bowler in this area, to score the eight points required to win 21-19. Bill's passage to the third round was a 21-20 win over Clith- eroe's Pete Peddar then Oswaldtwistle's Jack Gillibrand 21-13.

Results - First round: B Williams 13, A Fidler 21; J Barratt 10, T Webster 21; C Massey 21, B Gillibrand 14; S Barnes 21, M Yerkess 20; K Miley 20, T Dobson 21; R Turner 21, C Massey 18; R Turner 21, B Tuson 19.

David Faud and Harold Shorrocks won the John and Maureen Steer Random Doubles last Saturday on the Lowerfold Park Green, Great Harwood, beating Brian Ashworth and Ian Berry in a thrilling final 21-17. This was a final well controlled by two well-paired players, with all four bowlers making telling contributions to the game and David and Harold just having the edge.

Last eight: S Johnson and R Coulson 10, J Chatwin and J Clarke 21; A Sharples and R Duckworth 20, D Faud and H Shorrocks 21; B Ashworth and I Berry 21, J Bond and J Eborall 4; G Ramsbottom and C Massey 21, J Gillibrand and H Moles 15.

Semi-finals: J Chatwin and J Clarke 15, D Faud and H Shorrocks 21; B Ashworth and I Berry 21, G Ramsbottom and C Massey 15.

Final: D Faud and H Shorrocks 21, B Ashworth and I Berry 17.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.