GARY Bunce is on course to recapture the men's singles crown at the York Open Bowls tournament.

He knocked out another former winner, Tex Stevens (Holgate), after a remarkable fightback.

Bunce (Haxby Road), who won the crown in 1997 and 1998, was on the edge of defeat at 20-14 down but he scored seven shots over the next three ends to snatch a 21-20 victory and move in to today's semi-finals. Bunce and Stevens won last year's pairs event together.

However, Bunce will face a big challenge in this year's singles from Geoff Symons (Dringhouses), who also pulled his quarter-final against another former winner, Jim Moulds, out of the fire.

Hull star Moulds appeared to have the game in his grasp when leading 18-13 but rain interrupted play and on their return Symons scored the eight shots required with no reply from Moulds to win 21-18.

Brian Birch (Heworth) played some wonderful line and length bowls to beat T Winter (Hull) in their semi-final clash.

At Clarence Gardens, there were a number of shocks, none more than Les Jackson (Heworth) defeating holder Eric Wilkinson (York RI) 21-11 in the fourth round. But Jackson was unable to maintain his form in the next round, going down 21-10 to Ray Calpin (Dringhouses).

In the men's pairs Moulds and his Hull colleague Sam Winter was meeting Phil Reeves (Clifton) and Wilkinson in today's first semi-final.

They winners will play either G Raper and T Grassly (Goole) or R Clark and D Birch.

Mould and Winter were involved in an intriguing second round battle with youngsters Scott Burrell (Nafferton) and Paul Humphrey in the second round.

The experienced Hull duo produced some excellent bowling to storm 15-1 ahead after six ends. But the younger pair dug in and a winning run of six ends saw them forge ahead 18-15.

However, Moulds and Winter held their nerve to edge home 22-19.

The semi-finals of the ladies pairs will bring together two past winners, Pat and Maureen Walker (Clarence), who won the title in 2000 and Gill Clark and Margaret Moss (Tockwith), who won the following year.

The other semi-final will be contested by Carol Williams (Nestl Rowntree) and Betty Richardson (Bert Keech), who face Sue Shrimpton and Anne Badger (Riccall), who will be making their first appearance in a semi-final.

The finals, which also include men's pairs and ladies sigles, will be held tomorrow, starting at 1.30pm.

York Open Bowls Tournament Results

Men's Singles

Section 'A'

(at Clarence Gardens)

First round: L Jackson 21 P Humphrey 17, B Gray 6 C Raper 21, J Darley 21 J R Watson 8, W Upsall 21 V Thompson 12, A Tattersall 13 T Wheatley 21, E Wilkinson 21 Geoff Walker 12, P Wilson 17 P Mattinson 21, P C Storey 21 H Rhodes 17.

Second round: L Jackson 21 C Raper 13, J Darley 21 W Upsall 12, T Wheatley 5 E Wilkinson 21, P Mattinson 12 P G Storey 22, A Dunbar 21 A Arundale 12, P Henderson 13 S Allison 21, J Burgher 14 P Lawrence 21, G Fratson 11 R Calpin 21, J Cooper 21 D Johnson 19, B Birch 21 J Charlesworth 11, K Patterson 21 R Tiplady 4, T Haldon 11 A Richardson 21, R Howland 21 G Brooke 16, D Wadsworth 8 G Raper 21, T Winter 21 T G Sharpe 7, K Lippett 21 L Waby 19.

Third round: L Jackson 21 J Darley 13, E Wilkinson 21 P G Storey 11, A Dunbar 10 S Allison 21, P Lawrence 8 R Calpin 21, J Cooper 14 B Birch 21, K Patterson 20 A Richardson 21, R Howland 17 G Raper 21, T Winter 21 K Lippett 11.

Fourth round: L Jackson 21 E Wilkinson 11, S Allison 13 R Calpin 21, B Birch 23 A Richardson 12, G Raper 12 T Winter 21.

Quarter-finals: L Jackson 10 R Calpin 21, B Birch 21 T Winter 15.

Section 'B'

(at West Park)

Second round: P Reeves w/o T Grassby sbs, B Douglas 21 G Roy 18, G Symons 21 D Badger 11, W Dillon abs R Clark w/o, M Stevenson 21 E Howcroft 19, R Thornton 21 D Birch 16, J Cahill 16 P Herridge 21, J Moulds 21 D Simpson 11.

Third round: P Reeves 8 B Douglas 21, G Symons 21 R Clark 14, M Stevenson 14 A Thornton 21, P Herridge 9 J Moulds 21.

Fourth round: B Douglas 17 G Symons 21, A Thornton 4 J Moulds 21.

Quarter-final: G Symons 21 J Moulds 18.

(at Glen Gardens)

Second round: E B Walker 21 R Pinder 4, P Wardman 8 G Eagles 21, T Quainton 16 F Turner 21, S Winter abs T Stevens w/o, G Bunce 21 J Kelso 7, C Sharpley 14 J Emmerson 21, F Daniel 21 T Nichol 19, A Moore 17 J Holborn 21.

Third round: E B Walker 20 G Eagles 21, F Turner 4 T Stevens 21, G Bunce 16 J Emmerson 2 conceded, F Daniel 13 J Holborn 21.

Fourth round: G Bunce 21 J Holborn 6, G Eagles 8 T Stevens 21.

Quarter-final: G Bunce 21 T Stevens 20.

Semi-finals: G Bunce v G Symons, R Calpin v B Birch.

Ladies Pairs

(at Clarence Gardens)

First round: M Robinson-P Bracken 8 A Hollingworth-S Moss 21.

Second round: A Hollingworth-S Moss 17 D Turpin-S Green 11.

(at Glen Gardens)

Second round: P Cooper-A Thornton 20, L Potter-C Raw 15, D McCowan-A Goodman 13, S Shrimpton-A Badger 19, A Noble-J Rae 17, J Howat-M Sutcliffe 18, C Williams-B Richardson 22, M Reay-A Upsall 8, I Paylor-M Smith 10, R Watson-F Lovely 24, L Mokes-M Reeves 21, E Worling-E Armitt 16, M Charlton-V Watson 17, K Hardcastle-I Stevenson 18.

Third round: A Hollingworth-S Moss 26, A Thornton P Cooper 6, S Shrimpton-A Badger 19, J Howat-M Sutcliffe 14, C Williams-B Richardson 17, R Watson-F Lovely 12, L Mokes-M Reeves 12, K Hardcastle-I Stevenson 13.

Quarter-finals: A Hollingworth-S Moss 16, S Shrimpton-A Badger 17, C Williams-B Richardson 17, K Hardcastle-I Stevenson 13.

(at West Park)

Second round: G Clark-M Moss 21, B Love-M Brooke 7, J Simpson-S Lawson 25, J Frank-J Parker 11, E Smith-S Ali 5, A Illingworth-J Ogden 28, J Abel-S Grantham 24, A Swann-R Crosby 11, L Alexander-D Craven 9, P Walker-M E Walker 23, B Maidment-P Foster 6, L Tattersall-M Thomas 22, A Sharpley-S Jeffrys 13, G Godden-J Earle 12, D Kay-C Coates 19, P Storey-J Bartnett 11.

Third round: G Clark-M Moss 15, J Simpson-S Lawson 12, A Illingworth-J Ogden 8, J Abel-S Grantham 28, P Walker-M E Walker 21, A Tattersall-M Thomas 16, A Sharpley-S Jeffrys 11, D Kay-C Coates 16.

Quarter-finals: G Clark-M Moss 16, J Abel-S Grantham 10, P Walker-M E Walker 29, D Kay-C Coates 16.

Semi-finals: G Clark-M Moss, P Walker-M E Walker, S Shrimpton-A Badger, C Williams-B Richardson.

Updated: 11:08 Friday, July 30, 2004