Scott Banks was only 22 when he died on 21st of June 1998 as a result of a freak car accident. A talented bowler, he had qualified to represent England in the under 24 World Championships. This was to be the first time he would wear an England shirt and he had postponed his entry into the RAF to ensure he was available to represent his country. Sadly Scott never got to walk out for England, although he had personally bowled internationally and had proved he was more than capable of competing with the best in the world. It was a forgone conclusion to everyone who knew him that he would have done us proud.

Born and bred in Leeds, Scott first went ten pin bowling at the age of eight and worked through the ranks of the junior leagues into adult leagues while seeing his average go ever higher, finishing up with an incredible 210 pins per game. Whilst still a junior Scott was picked to represent his county and maintained his place right to the last, moving up the YAC (young adults) to the full senior squad. Scott was part of the team that won the 1997 county championships for Yorkshire.

Bowling for his county was just the start, Scott travelled to Dublin in January 1997 to compete in the Irish Open where he finished in ninth place. By mid January Scott's face graced the local papers with his success in Nottingham where he bowled in the world youth championship trials. At last his long days of practice paid off as Scott finished first to book himself a place in the English team to bowl in the World youth championships in South Korea that August. This was no small honour, Scott's enormous pride at the chance to represent his country led to his decision to delay his entry into the RAF which had been his other main ambition in life.

On the domestic side, Scott bowled weekly at his two local centres both at the LA Bowl and AMF Bowl in Leeds, where he had another successful season averaging 210 over 96 games during the course of the season. His crowning glory coming in February 1997 when he joined the elite club of bowlers to achieve the perfect 300 game.

After just 14 year's Scott had reached No 5 in the country - The fifth best bowler in Britain.

It might only have been a matter of time before he became number one.

To lose Scott at such a young age was tragic as his star was in its ascendancy