County delivers when it matters

WITH their backs to the wall, Greater Manchester’s bowlers found the best form of their County Championship campaign to book a place in the semi-finals.

Their 48-chalks defeat of Cumbria in their group match on Sunday came after they had lost to Derbyshire and beaten Staffordshire.

Their reward for qualification is a last-four showdown with North Midlands on Sunday, August 3.

Manchester not only needed to win Sunday’s match, but they needed to do so with some comfort to pile up the points necessary for qualification.

And they achieved their goal, winning by 33 points at the home venue of James North BC in Hyde, and by 15 chalks away at North Scale BC, Barrow.

Chris Heyes and Matt Jones had single-figure wins for Manchester at home, while stars of the show away were Nigel Greenhalgh (21-7), Gary Ellis (21-9), John Ashton (21-9) and Steve Copeland (21-8).

Scores -

At Norths, Hyde (Manchester names first): G Gwilliam 6, A Thornton 21; D Walker 21, S Smith 12; C Haynes 21, G Law 11; J Holland 21, J Reilly 18; C Heyes 21, D Varcoe 6; C Roberts 21, v C Whitehouse 13; B Gloag 7, P Kissock 21; P Heap 21 J Dennison 14; G Smedley 9, M Ashburn 21; M Gee 21, D Naylor 13; M Jones 21, K Dodd 9; C Price 21, T Dennison 19. Manchester 221, Cumbria 178.

At North Scale BC: A Cairns 13, B Lowden 21; N Greenhalgh 21, T Whitehouse 7; T Dobson 14, M Johnson 21; G Ellis 21, D Woodend 9; M Gillies 21, G Rigg 17; J Derby 6, K Clark 21; J Ashton 21, A Armstrong 9; N Brooks 8, M Barrow 21; M Holden 15, G Jones 21; D Griffiths 21, G Thompson 19; S Leach 21, P Clark 14; S Copeland 21, R Barrow 8. Manchester 203, Cumbria 188.

Overall: Manchester 414, Cumbria 366.