MIKE Bacon was victorious in the Stockport Cricket Club Boxing Day Sweep. He beat John Bennett 21-20 in a close final.

At the Red Lion in Westhougton, the £1,150 John Wakefield Memorial Trophy was won by Glyn Cookson.

After defeating Dave Jenkinson 41-35 in the final, Cookson claimed the trophy and a cheque for £400.

The last Pairs sweep of the year, at Stockport Cricket Club, was won by Steve Waterhouse and Ian Dunbar.

In the semi-finals Grant Soller and Keith Lackford beat John Bancroft and Mike Gee 21-9, while Waterhouse and Dunbar put out Dave Rigby and John Hambleton 21-15.

In the final Waterhouse and Dunbar raced in to a 17-11 lead before Soller and Lackford fought back to 16-17.

Waterhouse and Dunbar pushed on and only allowed Soller and Lackford one more single before weighing in for victory, 21-18.

In the quarter finals of the first singles sweep of the new year, on Sunday, Mike Chamberlain sent John Davies packing 21-13.

Ian Stokes came from behind to beat Andrew Jones 21-18, Dave Little made short work of Dave Rigby (21-11) and Ian Dunbar defeated Mike Bacon 21-16.

In the semi finals Stokes sent Chamberlain packing (21-15) and Dunbar qualified for the final with a 21-20 victory over Little.

The final was level at 11--11, but five singles on the trot from Stokes saw him safely to a 21-17 victory against Dunbar.

The Flyer was won by Phil Bennett who beat Paul Tootall 21-10 in the final.

Today [Wednesday] the Veterans Round Robin Roadshow gets back in to action at the Stockport Cricket Club.

Start time is 1pm.

Meeting agrees revised format for county’s men

THE British Parks EGM took place at Winnington Park in Northwich on Saturday.

The main issues to be resolved for Stockport bowlers were the county championship draws for both seniors and veterans.

The men’s section has been reduced again as North Wales dropped out, leaving 12 counties in the association.

With Yorkshire also threatening to drop out a revised format of divisions based on ability was unanimously agreed upon.

With three divisions of four teams competing and two promotions up for grabs the Stockport-based Cheshire team has high hopes for 2009.

Drawn in Division Three of the groupings Cheshire will have winnable fixtures with Warwickshire, St Helens and Wallasey.

The opening fixture for Cheshire will be on Sunday, May 17 against Warwickshire.

The other two matches against St Helens and Wallasey will take place on the third Sunday of July and August respectively.

Only six counties remain in the veterans set up and they will compete in a single group as they did last year.

Cheshire Veterans also kick-off on May 17, with a stiff test against previous champions East Midlands.

The remaining four fixtures will take place on the third Sundays in June, July, August and September.

The veterans will also compete in the knockout competition in Yorkshire on Monday, July 27.

The draw was completed in Northwich on Saturday and Cheshire will face hosts Yorkshire along with Wallasey C and North Staffordshire B.

Sadly due to the decline of parks bowling in Stockport the town are again unable to raise a junior county side.

The main talking point of the meeting was the decision to discontinue the semi finals and finals and simply run the county championships as a mini league.

Tomorrow [Thursday] the Stockport and District AGM is taking place at The Bungalow Club in Edgeley. Start time 7.30pm.

See this column next week for details on the issues discussed at that meeting.

The new bowls season begins proper in 12 weeks.