LANCASHIRE continued their blistering start to the season as they demolished
neighbours Cheshire 14-4 in a Daily Telegraph Northern Counties League match
at Bromborough.
They powered their way through the foursomes 5-1 and the contest was over
after they claimed six of the first seven singles when the only resistance
came from Cheshire captain David Peel who beat Bury's Ciaran Doherty by two
holes and England player James Newton who eclipsed S&A's Paul Howard 3&2.
Peel, who led his side to the league title in his first season at
the helm in 2011, and spared them the wooden spool last year after a last
day win at Northumberland, admitted: "Lancashire killed us off in the
foursomes. They had so much experience right down to their No 12 and will
take some beating this season."
Lancashire skipper Paul Williams, a member of the same Stockport club as his
adversary, said: "I think Cheshire took us to Bromborough to quell our
fire-power but it didn't work.
"It was important that we got a good result, especially after we beat
Cumbria 15-3 a couple of weeks ago at Royal Birkdale. It sets us up for the
rest of the season."
Lancashire posted some impressive figures either side of lunch.
Doherty combined with Haydock Park's Ian Kenwright to clock up the biggest
foursomes margin of 5&4 against newly crowned matchplay champion David Hird,
from Leasowe and Wallasey's Luke Mighall.
And the former was on the receiving end of a 5&4 drubbing by Preston's
Steve McGlynn in the afternoon as Hillside's Richie Blundell dispatched Hird
4&3.
Even at this early stage of the campaign the race for the title, which
Lancashire are defending, could finish on July 13 at Pleasington when they
face nearest rivals Yorkshire, who thrashed Durham 13-5 at Eaglescliffe.
Meanwhile, Northumberland beat Cumbria by three points at Hexham.
FOURSOMES: James McCormick (Styal) & Dominic Barnes (Caldy) lost to Mark
Young (Longridge) & Jon Hurst (Pleasington) 3&2; James Newton (Prestbury) &
Joe Armitt (Prestbury) bt John Carroll (Huyton & Prescot) & Paul Kinnear
(Formby) 4&2; Cameron Massey (Wallasey) & Marcus Mohr (Bromborough) lost to
Paul Howard (S&A) & Richie Blundell (Hillside) 4&3; Luke Mighall (Wallasey)
& David Hird (Leasowe) lost to Ian Kenwright (Haydock Park) & Ciaran Doherty
(Bury) 5&4; David Peel (Stockport) & Barry Barker (Stockport) lost to
Michael Hunt (Pleasington) & Steve McGlynn (Preston) 1h; Chris Harrison
(Sandiway) & Lewis George (Delamere Forest) lost to Adam Stone (Lancaster) &
Louis Tomlinson (West Lancs) 5&4. SINGLES: McCormick lost to Young 2&1;
Newton bt Howard 3&2; Barnes lost to Carroll 4&3; Mohr lost to Kinnear 3&2;
Massey lost to Hurst 1h; Hird lost to Blundell 4&3; Mighall lost to McGlynn
5&4; Peel bt Doherty 2h; Armitt halved with Kenwright; Harrison lost to
Stone 1h; Barker halved with Tomlinson.