Bowls: Rowley and Bowers at the double

LIZ Rowley and Norma Bowers have been crowned Sentinel Charities Foden Doubles champions after seeing off holders Hazel MacDonald and Marie Stretch in the final.

The in-form Bucknall Private pair won 21-9 to lift the trophy at Barlaston, Plume of Feathers last Sunday, having already beaten Sylvia Rushton and Irene Swift 21-17 in the semi-finals.

In their last-four match, MacDonald and Stretch had seen off Janet Hope, a member of the winning Foden Doubles teams in 2007 and 2010, who was this year partnered by Chris Adams, a winner herself in 2006 and 2009.

Quarter-final results: G Ackerley/S Leese 10, S Rushton/I Swift 21; L Rowley/N Bowers 21, K Evans/L Evans 12; H MacDonald/M Stretch 21, O Whiston/M Wright 6; C Adams/J Hope 21, E Thomas/J Mack 7.

Semi-finals: Rushton/Swift 17, Rowley/Bowers 21; MacDonald/Stretch 21, Adams/Hope 13.

Final: Rowley/Bowers 21, MacDonald/ Stretch 9.

MIDDLEPORT Park's Joe Melvin lived up to his "Mr Consistent" tag by following up his success in the recent Florence Open to win the Ted Astley Memorial Trophy last weekend.

Melvin edged past Nick Tideswell and Alan Bailey in nail-biting encounters which both finished 21-20 to meet young county star Danny Higginson (Milton Recs) in the final.

Higginson had played well all day and started the final better to establish an 11-5 lead. But Melvin steadied himself and fought back to eventually triumph 21-15.

He received his trophy and £260 first prize from Joe Williamson, the grandson of Ted Astley.

Last 16 results: M Fallows 20, L Dale 21; J Price 21, M Simcock 13; J Melvin 21, N Tideswell 20; T Colclough 15, A Bailey 21; J Brown 10, K Simpson 21; A Lloyd 12, D Higginson 21; A Steele 20, J Black 21; D Beardmore 21, A Stevenson 16.

Quarter-finals: Dale 16, Price 21; Melvin 21, Bailey 20; Simpson 16, Higginson 21; Black 20, Beardmore 21.

Semi-finals: Price 10, Melvin 21; Higginson 21, Beardmore 11.

Final: Melvin 21, Higginson 15.

BIRCHES Head Hotel held off their great rivals Middleport Park to win the 2012 Potteries Senior Challenge Cup.

Birches Head, Sentinel Cup winners in 2011, ran out 189-153 victors in the clash of the titans with seven out of the 10 winners on the day at Fegg Hayes Bowling Club.

Gary Owen, Matt Steveson and Kerry Morris all helped secure a comfortable triumph.

It was a near carbon copy of the 2009 final, when Birches Head beat Middleport 195-174.

In the past 21 years, the two finalists have taken the honour 20 times between them.

It was Birches Head's 11th title in all since the competition was launched in 1933.

Middleport's rising star, Josh Towey, took some consolation from claiming the man-of-the-match prize for his 21-12 win over Mick Thompson.

Results (Birches Head Hotel players listed first): J Williamson 21, M Melvin 15; G Owen 21, A France 9; M Simpson 21, J Melvin 15; M Stevenson 21, D Beardmore 8; M Thompson 12, J Towey 21; A Shaw 21, C Kearns 15; A Pedley 21, M Simcock 15; P Owen 11, P Phillips 21; A Owen 19, G Berrisford 21; K Morris 21, N Tideswell 13.

MIDDLEPORT Park, the North Staffs Parks Saturday Division One champions, and Fegg Hayes, the North Staffs Parks Thursday Division One champions, are both competing at the British Parks Inter-County Club Team Knockout Championship tomorrow.

Middleport's first opponents are Borough Social Club (Greater Manchester) while Fegg Hayes open against Crossgates (Yorkshire).

TITTENSOR became the 2012 Stubbs Trophy winners when they beat Oakhill by nine chalks.

Tittensor led by eight after the first four games at Little Stoke and the lead was stretched to 19 after eight games, which was too much for Oakhill to pull back.

Results (Oakhill players listed first): S Jones 21, P Hammersley 8; M Comley 13, B Freeman 21; P Shenton 13, J Cross 21; J Edwards 16, T Tams 21; K McKinney 14, D Jones 21; P Crook 21, V McElhinney 15; J Doorbar 21, T Bailey 18; A Fallows 8, G Godwin 21; J Lockett 21, C Scott 12, J Gosnell 21, C Whitehurst 20. Total: 169-178.