Bowls: Park end long wait for title

BOWLS: Sentinel Cup holders Middleport Park have regained the James Birks Senior Cup after a four-year wait.

In the final played at Milton Hayes, they showed why they are the most successful club side in the county as they recorded all 10 individual winners against a young Meir Social team, which gave them a resounding 73-point victory.

Middleport scores first: Joe Melvin 21, Darren Clutton 9; Nick Tideswell 21, Martin Hallam 9; Chris Jenkins 21 14 Mick Cotton 14; Mark Melvin 21, Mark Cotton 13; Dean Ferris 21, Lee Brown 17; Richard Burgess 21, Jeff Wooldridge 4; Paul Charlesworth 21, Lee Wooldridge 17; Mark Ferris 21, John Gosnell 17; Paul Phillips 21, Craig Podmore 17; Lee Dale 21, Mark Leadbeater 20.

Totals: 210-137

THE BCGBA senior county championship has been won by the favourites Greater Manchester, who had a 48-point victory over Derbyshire in the two-legged final.

Scores from the Derbyshire home leg at Ashbourne BC: Steve Adams (Belvedere Park) 21, Jimmy Derby (Syke) 20; Dave Allsop (Marehay) 21, Andy Cairns (Budenbergs) 13; Andy Fearn (Swadlincote Caths) 21, Nigel Greenhalgh (Hopwood Rec) 20; Richard Goldby (Swadlincote Caths) 12, David Walker (Grapes) 21; Darren Carter (Stretton Anglesey) 21, Steve Copeland (Tonge) 18; Matt Kelly-Wally (Belvedere Park) 21, David Thornley (Tonge) 19; Neil Worthington (Stretton Anglesey) 21, Mike Gee (Grapes) 17; Brian Smith (Stretton Anglesey) 9, Ryan Goodman (Hopwood Rec) 21; Paul Chamberlain (Stretton Anglesey) 18, Gary Ellis (Tonge) 21; Calvin Jackson (Alvaston & Boulton) 10, Colin Price (George & Dragon) 21; Simon Mills (Belvedere Park) 13, Gareth Gwilliam (Grapes) 21; John Dewey (Belvedere Park) 21, Lee Turner (Waterloo & Taunton) 13.

Total: 209-225.

Away leg played at Hopwood Unionist BC: Darren Griffiths (Tonge) 21, John Hambleton (Royal Oak) 9; Matt Gillies (Tonge) 21, Brian Hill (Chesterfield MW) 19; Chris Heyes (George & Dragon) 12, Dale Spragg (Old Whittington) 21; Andy Buckley (Springbank) 21, Jon Guess (Burbage) 18; Paul Heap (Springbank) 12, Mark Whelan (Whaley Bridge) 21; Andrew Lowe (Tonge) 21, David May (Stretton Anglesey) 20; Colin Lane (Tonge) 21, Mac Backhouse (Chesterfield MW) 4; Nick Brooks (Tonge) 21, Paul Mottram (Shireoaks MW) 17; Michael Holden (Syke) 21, Paul Stretton (Stretton) 19; John Wade (Syke) 21, Andy Milsom (Stretton Anglesey) 13; Peter Craig (Syke) 21, Darren Smith (Stretton Anglesey) 11; Mark Dwayre (Tonge) 12, Andy Spragg (Old Whittington) 21.

Total: 225-193.

STOKE'S Barry Kirk went out at the final qualifying stage in the Billy Bennett Trophy at Warrington.

Second round: Kirk 21, John Durands 14. Third round: Kirk 12 Lee Lawton 21.

THE Whitby Cup Four-Man team knockout, organised by the Mid Cheshire bowls league, has been won by Wharton Cons.

Semi-final: Castle Pte 156, Kelsall A 146; Rudheath Pte B 124, Wharton Cons A 176.

Final: Castle Pte 148, Wharton Cons A 150.

JEFF Brown and John Hartshorn have won the Swettenham Open pairs, which gave them the £160 top prize.

Quarter-finals: G Swift/G Bailey 21, D Morrey/S Morrey 6; R Mellor/P Charelesworth 21, G Prosser/S Jackson 11; I Howell/G Ramshaw 21, P Gregory/A Gregory 15; J Brown/J Hartshorn 21, D Barnett/M Barnett 15.

Semis-finals: Brown/Hartshorn 21, Mellor/Charlesworth 20; Howell/Ramshaw 21, Swift/Bailey 11.

Final: Brown/Hartshorn 21, Howell/Ramshaw 12.

THE Potteries County BA have a management meeting on Thursday night at Bucknall Ex (8pm), where the agenda will discuss the 2009 fixture programme, and the county selectors for next season.

IT'S the final call for entries in the £1,000 Amasal Open for the Reg Wright Trophy at Amasal Sports & Social Club, St Albans Road, Stafford.

Entry Fee £8 – limited to the first 64 – to Veronica Jenkinson, telephone (01785) 249236.