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10 NORTH YORKSHIRE LEAGUE OVERVIEW
NORTH YORKSHIRE LEAGUE OVERVIEW
North Yorkshire has 900+ members in 43 clubs and these are
served by 9 different leagues operating across the county. Each league
is managed by its own independent committee as the county Associa-
tion runs no leagues of its own. As the years roll on by, the fortunes of
individual clubs within these leagues ebb and flow. Once proficient
bowlers gradually lose their edge and fade away; others leave the game
and new blood starts to gain experience. Such is bowls, as is life. The results
for the season just ended confirm that currently, there are about half a dozen
clubs which dominate the Short Mat scene across the county but, one wonders – for how long?
In the east of the county the Scarborough Triples league (27 teams) is usually a tussle be-
tween Crossgates and Flixton. The latter club had been dominant for many years winning this
league 13 times and the KO Cup 10 times. However over the last few years they have found their
match in Crossgates who this year took their 3rd consecutive league title and their 5th Cup win in
the last 6 years.
Since 1999, the small central Ryedale Triples league (6 teams) has only had 2 winners –
Helmsley and Kirbymisperton. This year, the usual battle between these two resulted in a tie on
points for the first time ever with Kirbymisperton taking their 13th league title purely on a better
shot difference. The KO Cup was also a very close affair with St. Cuthberts beating Kirbymisperton
by a single shot to take their 5th title in the last 9 years.
To the south of the county, the Selby Working Men’s Club (SWMC) have always been the
dominant club having won the Selby Fours league (22 teams) an incredible 19 times in 27 years,
the KO Cup 8 times and the Selby Tuesday Triples league (20 teams) 6 times. Recently they have
had to contend with North Duffield (winners in 2011 and 2012) and East Cottingwith who this year
not only won the main Fours league but also won the Triples league for the 3rd consecutive year
and the KO Cup - a clean sweep only achieved in the past by SWMC.
In the west of the county there are two
main leagues – the Kyle Valley Triples (24
teams) and the Vale of York Pairs (14
teams). Over the years Easingwold, Ham-
bleton and Boroughbridge have all been
dominant at times but in recent years it has
been Great Ouseburn who have taken
most of the honours.
This year they won both leagues by
record margins conceding just 3 games out
of the 27 played. They also won the Pairs
KO Cup and the Triples Challenge Cup
Some members of Great Ouseburn Club competition - both for the 3rd year in a row.

In the county wide Yorkshire (North) league, the Selby and Crossgates regions are the main
contenders. This year Selby took their 6th title in 7 years pushing Crossgates into the runners up
position for the second year running.
The remaining two small leagues are the White Rose (summer) league (7 teams) – won by
Knaresborough for the 4th successive year and the Boroughbridge (afternoon) league (4 teams)
which was also won by Knaresborough.
All of this year’s front runners – Crossgates, Kirbymisperton, SWMC, East Cottingwith, Great
Ouseburn and Knaresborough, as well as those who nearly made it – Flixton, Helmsley and North
Duffield, will know that their position at the top of their respective leagues is not guaranteed and
next season they must re-double their efforts if they are not to be toppled. Bowls, like the stock
market, is forever proving that “past performance is no guarantee of future success”!