CHRIS Mordue is running nicely into form ahead of finals day in the Spen Winter Sweep on Saturday, February 24.

The Pudsey bowler might not be top of the overall standings in the battle for the Geoff Brough Trophy – that honour belongs to Mark Regan of Brighouse Sports.

Yet Mordue is on a hot streak as he not only won the week 15 event but reached his fourth successive final in a superb run of 20 victories from 22 matches.

There may not have been Wayne Ditchfield among the entrants – he had won the previous two events – but the experienced Mordue still clinched a high-quality final against Gareth Coates (Halifax).

After a dozen ends it was 8-8 and after 20 it was 13-13. The gutsy Coates was hanging on to Mordue's coat-tails at 19-18 down in a great finale but then the latter player got the two required to get over the line.

Coates also had a battle in a topsy-turvy semi-final against week three and week ten runner-up Richard Brook (Mirfield Old Bank), when it was 10-10 after 15 ends and 18-18 after 27.

Brook bagged a brace on the next end to stand on the brink but a single and a double from Coates ruined his bid to reach the final in what was another excellent contest.

The other semi-final began in contrasting style, with Mordue – who had only edged out Andy Thornton (Barrow-in-Furness) 21-20 in his quarter-final – leading Marc Armitage 14-4 before the Littlemoor member hit back to 16-13.

However, he seemed to run out of steam after that and managed only two more singles as Mordue triumphed 21-15.

Preliminary round: Ash Tattersley 21 Brian Lee 9, Les Oddy 7 Marc Armitage 21, Nigel Briggs 21 Alan Forrest 18, Liam Griffin 18 Gordon Bradford 21, Paul Burke 11 Stuart King 21, Scott Tattersley 21 Lorraine Hirst 6, Duncan Reeves 21 Ben Gloag 7, Garry Walker 15 Michael Sweeney 21. First round: Gareth Coates 21 Frank Griffin 19, Danny Sillitoe 21 Colin Scorah 15, Mally Fowler 17 Nigel Cranston 21, Andy Hodgson 18 Karen Hill 21, Mark Regan 21 Andy Gallagher 19, Richard Brook 21 Warren Wilson 12, Chris Firth 16 Chris Ellis 21, Joe Cranston 19 Neil Slattery 21, Paul Holt 9 Andy Thornton 21, Nigel Marshall 19 Danny Teale 21, Chris Mordue 21 Kez Smith 12, Adam Mellor 17 Graham Law 21, A Tattersley 15 Armitage 21, Briggs 21 Bradford 19, King 21 S Tattersley 15, Reeves 6 Sweeney 21. Second round: Coates 21 Sillitoe 20, Cranston 12 Hill 21, Regan 9 Brook 21, Ellis 21 Slattery 18, A Thornton 21 Teale 13, C Mordue 21 Law 7, Armitage 21 Briggs 6, King 17 Sweeney 21. Quarter-finals: Coates 21 Hill 13, Brook 21 Ellis 7, A Thornton 20 C Mordue 21, Armitage 21 Sweeney 15. Semi-finals: Coates 21 Brook 20, C Mordue 21 Armitage 15. Final: Coates 18 C Mordue 21.

Leading points scorers (top 16 and ties): 40 Mark Regan (played 15 events), 33 Chris Mordue (10), 25 Marc Armitage (12), 24 Danny Sillitoe (10), 22 Michael Sweeney (15, not available on finals day), Andy Thornton (13), 19 Richard Brook (15), Kez Smith (14), 17 Joe Cranston (12), 16 Danny Teale (12), 15 Mally Fowler (15), 14 Paul Burke (15), Stuart King (10), 13 Adam Mellor (12), Josh Mordue (10), 12 Gordon Bradford (15), Gareth Coates (8).

Format for February 24 is the top qualifier v 16th qualifier, second qualifier v 15th qualifier etc. The next 16 available bowlers will play for the Consolation Cup (17th qualifier v 32nd qualifier etc).

Week 16 field for Saturday: Marc Armitage, Chris Bly, Gordon Bradford, Nigel Briggs, Richard Brook, Paul Burke, Gareth Coates, Joe Cranston, Chris Ellis, Chris Firth, Alan Forrest, Mally Fowler, Andy Gallagher, Ben Gloag, Frank Griffin, Dave Gwilliam, Karen Hill, Andy Hodgson, Paul Holt, Suzy Ladbrooke, Graham Law, Brian Lee, Nigel Marshall, Adam Mellor, Chris Mordue, Josh Mordue, Les Oddy, Duncan Reeves, Mark Regan, Colin Scorah, Danny Sillitoe, Neil Slattery, Kez Smith, Michael Sweeney, Ash Tattersley, Scott Tattersley, Danny Teale, Andy Thornton, Billy Thornton, Garry Walker, Warren Wilson.

While there is a surplus of entrants for the Spen Winter Sweep, the reverse has been true of the Brighouse equivalent and organiser Nigel Briggs has now called a halt for the season, with bad weather also being a factor.