Bowls: Holmes wins on international debut
The 65-year-old, pictured, was selected to play for an England representative side against the Isle of Man after topping the Staffordshire ladies' rankings in 2008.
Making her international debut, she won her individual match 21-16 at the Isle of Man's Nobles Park venue.
However, Holmes's contribution could not prevent England from losing 372 chalks to 355.
Holmes, who is president of Staffordshire Ladies' Bowls Association, said: "I was ecstatic to be selected.
"My first aim was to be selected for my county and it's the icing on the cake to go on and represent your country.
"It was quite daunting to play against somebody on their home green because she knew everything about it.
"The only disappointment was that we lost the match, but it was a great day because the team had so much camaraderie."
Holmes topped the county rankings last season (based on an average score) after winning all of her games playing for Staffordshire against South Staffordshire, North Derbyshire, Lancashire and North Lancs Fylde.
STAFFORDSHIRE Ladies beat Cumbria to maintain their 100 per cent record in the BCGBA Women's Championship.
The home side, who are on the brink of the semi-finals, produced a faultless display at Silverdale to clinch a 110-point victory.
The away team made the long trip back from Barrow with a seven-point win.
THE Potteries men's senior team play a two-legged match against Great Manchester tomorrow.
The home leg is being played at Birches Head Hotel, with the away team at Hopwood Unionst Club in Heywood.
Home line-up: Joe Melvin (Middleport Park) v Andy Cairns (Tonge), Lee Dale (Middleport Park) v Nigel Greenhaigh (Hopwood Rec), Richard Burgess (Middleport Park) v David Walker (Grapes), Martin Hallam (Meir Social) v Mike (Gee Grapes), Peter Hulse (Florence) v Ryan Goodman (Hopwood Unionist), Phil Burndred (Fegg Hayes) v Lee Turner (Waterloo & Taunton), Matt Stevenson (Birches Head Gardeners) v Glen Beeley (Grapes), Martin Simcock (Burslem Suburban) v Mark Garbett (Springbank), Tony Porter (Burslem Suburban) v John Bancroft (Grapes), Fred Donaldson (Clough Hall) v Paul Wakeling Hopwood (Unionist), Lee Brown (Meir Social) v Gary Ellis (Tonge), Paul Charlesworth (Congleton Park) v Gareth Gwilliam (Grapes).
Away team: Dean Ferris (Fegg Hayes), Andrew Owen (Birches Head Hotel), Barry Booth (Birches Head Hotel), Anthony Shaw (Birches Head Hotel), Joe Williamson (Birches Head Hotel), Gary Owen (Birches Head Hotel), Kerry Morris (Birches Head Hotel), Darren Clutton (Meir Social), Nick Tideswell (Middleport Park), John Simpson (Alsager Institute), Mark Ferris (Middleport Park), Paul Phillips (Middleport Park).
THE 2008 Midland Masters winner Andrew Owen, from Birches Head Hotel, won the Gerald Marsh Potteries County Champion of Champions event at Milton Recs.
Owen captured the scalp of in-form Mark Ferris in the semi-final, before beating Leek's Clive Taylor 21-7 in the final.
CHESHIRE'S Glynn Cookson booked his place in tonight's £5,225 John Smiths Classic final at Cleckheaton Sports with victory over Chris Mordue.
Last-16 draw: Andrew Walker (Sheffield) v Stuart Mort (Standish), Graeme Wilson (Oldham) v Robert Hitchen (Halifax), Gary Ellis (Whitefield) v Rob Fitzpatrick (West Kirby), Jonathan Sneddon (Sheffield) v Graham Hickey (Halifax), Roger Crowther (Longwood) v Liam Griffin (Leeds), Noel Burrows (Hazel Grove) v Scott Fisher (Denby Grange), Glynn Cookson (Winsford) v Martin Gilpin (Kendal), John Bancroft (Hyde) v Andrew Cairns (Rawtenstall).
BIRCHES Head teenager Gary Owen has reached the quarter-finals of the £1,300 River Homes Classic at the Nursery, Stockport.
He has been joined by some of the biggest names in the game, with Lee Lawton (Failsworth), Graeme Wilson (Oldham), and Noel Burrows (Hazel Grove) all in the draw.
MIDDLEPORT Park, Burslem Suburban, Florence and Clough Hall have reached the semi-finals of the Potteries County Gerald Harrison Memorial Trophy.
Results: Bucknall Private 154, Middleport Park 187; Burslem Suburban 206, Milton Recs 143; Florence 201, Fegg Hayes 164; Birches Head Hotel 161, Clough Hall 190.
FLORENCE Private's Adam Stubbs won the Knypersley Junior Open, beating Stoke's Tom Lee 21-11 in the final.
ENTRIES are being taken for the Roy Bethall Charity Pairs, at Wolstanton WMC, on Sunday, September 5. Entry fee is £10 per pair, contact Mick Skelton on (01782) 661843.
FLORENCE Private's £1,000 men's and women's singles, which start next Sunday, require entries. Contact John Large on (01782) 325510 for more details.
CONGLETON Railway's sticky patch of form continued in the Manchester Premier League when they lost 10-4½ to Lloyds.
THE latest results for the Stoke-on-Trent and District League.
Premier Division: Congleton Park 150, Clough Hall 135; Middleport Park 133, Meir Social 129; Milton Recs 134, Birches Head Hotel A 140.
Division Two: Biddulph Labour 151, Florence T&B 118; Birches Head Gardeners 136, Clough Hall 139; Alsager Institute 155, Congleton Park 116; Bucknall Ex Serv 120, Fox's Uttoxeter 142; Clough Hall 150, Biddulph Labour 109; Florence T&B 156, Silverdale 130; Meir Kings Arms 159, Birches Head Gardeners 128.
Division Three: Middleport Park 153, Creda Sports 98; Cheadle 135, Wolstanton WMC 155; Creda Sports 144, Norton Central 108; Fenton Private 167, London Road 109; Milton Hayes 156, Middleport Park 114.
Division Four: CSSC 117, Bucknall Private 151; Bucknall Private 159, Alsager Institute 105; Burslem CC 157, CSSC 117; Kingsley 141, Westlands 123; Rode Heath 163, Tunstall Park 98.
Division Five: Anchor Road 151, The Cross Guns 114; Bucknall Park 168, Bucknall Ex Servicemen's Club 110; Fegg Hayes 168, Trent Vale 120; Westlands 161, JCB Rocester 125.
Division Six: Florence Colliery 162, Cheadle 116; London Road 160, Leek Park 116; Meir Social 168, Oakhill 103.
Division Seven: Dilhorne 157, Milton Recs 107; Etruria P 168, Cheadle 82.
Division Eight: Florence T&B 126, Wedgwood 129; Leek Park 154, Hollybush 124; Little Stoke CC 134, New Stoke Park 128.
ENGLAND DEBUT: Sylvia Holmes.
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