Bowls: Ladies land a big chance in national final

STAFFORDSHIRE Ladies are through to the final of the national county consolation event.

They beat Yorkshire in a two-legged match by a 13-point majority.

At Florence: Janet Hargreaves (Birches Head Hotel) 17-21, Stacey Brown (Birches Head Hotel) 21-5, Carol Thompson (Birches Head Hotel) 21-17, Sylvia Holmes (Birches Head Hotel) 21-20, Chris Adams (Dilhorne) 21-19, Margaret Harrison (Birches Head Hotel) 21-18, Liz Rowley (Bucknall Private) 21-5, Carol Matthews (Dilhorne) 19-21, Hazel MacDonald (Milton Recs) 21-8, Sue Wright (Dilhorne) 21-16, Eileen Hollinshead (Birches Head Hotel) 8-21, Sue Smith (Milton Hayes) 13-21. Total: 225-192.

Away leg: Judy Ash (Dilhorne) 21-15, Joan Lewis (Bucknall Private) 17-21, Judith Gosnell (Trent Vale) 19-21, Ann Woodward (New Stoke Park) 18-21, Fay Carson (Meir Sports and Social) 21-16, Julie Burgess (Biddulph Labour) 8-21, Corinna Phillips (Trent Vale) 8-21, Jackie Laverty (Milton Hayes) 21-20, Helen Large (Dilhorne) 13-21, Elizabeth Wright (Milton Recs) 21-11, Janet Hope (Dilhorne) 17-21, Gill Welsh (Mow Cop) 21-14. Total: 205-223.

THE first batch of results are through in the Meir Social Open, which has produced plenty of local qualifiers.

Scores: Jamie Hollins 21, Chris Baker 16; Chris Jenkins 21, Bill Gibson 0; Richard Bridgewood 21, Fay Carson 14; Graham Davies 21, Chris Walker 8; Lee Wooldridge 21, Malcolm Penderleith 18; Darren Smallman 21, Reg Beeston 7; Lee Brown 21, Darren Penderleith 16; Peter Matthews 21, Peter Hulse snr 9.

A NEW pairs event has started in Cheshire with the Ken Winnington Open pairs being played at Owley Wood.

One of the country's leading doubles combinations – Staffordshire pair Mel Evans and Lynn Pritchatt – are among the qualifiers, having beaten R and S Ellison (Chorley) 21-8 in the second round.

STOKE'S Joe Williamson was a second-round loser in the £2,400 Olympic Club Classic at Liverpool.

Merseyside county player Rob Fitzpatrick collected the £600 first prize with a 21-11 victory over Dave Jackson.

THERE was a local success in the final of the Florence Private Open as Paul Phillips claimed the winners' prize after surviving a tough match in the final against Peter Hulse jnr.

Before reaching the final, Phillips had enjoyed two single-figure victories against Potteries county team-mates Phil Clarke and Barry Kirk.

Quarter-finals: B Kirk 21, J Melvin 14; P Phillips 21, P Clarke 11; A Jackson 21, J Williamson 12; P Hulse jnr 21, P Fallows 10.

Semi-finals: Phillips 21, Kirk 4; Hulse 21, Jackson 17.

Final: Phillips 21, Hulse 20.

THE Owen brothers had mixed success in the third round of qualifying from Eccleston.

Andrew won 21-13, but Gary lost 21-20.

THE County Gents Pairs are being played at Dilhorne Rec tomorrow night.

To report: Joe Melvin/Mark Melvin (Middleport Park), Karl Grocott/Kevin Potts (Norton Central), Joe Williamson/Keith Williamson (Birches Head Hotel), Alan Jones/Nikolas Jones (Bucknall Ex), Nick Tideswell/Lee Dale (Middleport Park), Roy Price/Alan France (Milton Recs), Mark Norcup/Matt Stevenson (Birches Head Gardeners), Phil Owen/Andrew Owen (Birches Head Hotel).

THE London Road summer pairs begin on Friday evening at 7pm.

Players in action: D Higginson/A Jackson, P Djuranovic/P Higginson, J Griffiths/R Gibson, T Picariello/L Picariello, N Stanway/T Dale, M Power/K Stanley, E Lockett/A Woodward.

GOLDENHILL A take on Knypersley A in the final of the Alsager and District Midweek League at Fegg Hayes tomorrow (7pm).

NORTH STAFFS PARKS ASSOCIATION

Home (Barlaston Plume of Feathers): C Rowley (Suburban) 20, A Wragg (Eastwood Park) 21; R Smallman 21, M Royston (Ridgeway) 14; B Bullin (London Road) 21, B Boaler (Clowne) 17; M Harvey (Clough Hall) 10, D Vardy (Matlock Park) 21; R Holt (Clough Hall) 20, D Heath (Clowne) 21; H Minor (Clough Hall) 21, W Dixon (Ridgeway) 9; P Letts (Wolstanton WM) 15, K Parkes (Eastwood Park) 21; A Maxwell (Wolstanton) 9, J Colbourne (Matlock Park) 21; H Rogers (Suburban) 10, B White (Eastwood Park) 21; P Smith (Milton Recs) 21, G Bridden (Calow) 19.

Away: D West (Alsager) 21, J Stamps (Chesterfield MW) 17; E Johnson (Creda) 15, K White (Calow) 21; J Woolridge (Meir Soc) 11, R Spragg (Chesterfield) 21; H Walklet (Trent Vale) 14, B Hamlett (Chesterfield MW) 21; D Forster (Audley) 14, K Williams (Coal Aston) 21; J Reagan (Bucknall Ex) 18, B Smith (Calow) 21; G Joines (Trent Vale) 21, G Holden (Eastwood Park) 17; T Ball (Middleport) 7, H Pashley (Old Whittington) 21; B Day (Tunstall) 10, M Heaton (Eastwood Park) 21; B Jones (Alsager) 15, A Barber (Dronfield) 21.