THE final of the Roberts Bakery Cup will take place on Thursday, 6.45pm start, at Crosstown Bowls Club in Knutsford, writes David O'Brien.

The Mid Cheshire Crown Green Bowling League’s most lucrative individual competition started back in 1978.

Last year’s winner Jason Cornes will be looking to retain his trophy and take home the cup for the third time.

The draw will be made on the night and could throw up the most intriguing of first round draws as husband and wife duo Paul and Karen Mackie line up in the field.

Paul won the competition back in 1996 and is joined in the last eight by two further previous winners, Danny Nixon and Robert Winnington.

With Nick Hamman and Kevin Duncalf also in the field, Castle Sports and Social Club supply six of the eight qualifiers.

Andy Gregory (Comberbach) and Danny Nixon (Wharton Cons) will be looking to stop the trophy going back to the David Street club.

Glynn Cookson retained the Mid Cheshire League Joe Robinson Veterans Trophy last Thursday at Owley Wood No2 green.

The latest qualifiers in the Castle Sports Classic on Saturday night were Greg Smith and Glynn Storer.

This Saturday sees the final qualifying round take place and a top-class field assembles to try and take the last two places in the finals day to be held on Saturday, July 22.

Former winner Wayne Ditchfield headlines and lines up alongside James Wilcox, Red Lion’s Nicola Boulton, Matt Gillies, Leighton Roberts, Richie Goddard and Wharton Cons pair Glynn and Simon Cookson. Play starts at 6pm.

Andy Hamman continued his rich vein of form on Saturday when he defeated Alan Manuel in the final of the Anthony O’Neil Memorial Competition at Tixall in Birkenhead.

The latest title takes Andy to three individual competition wins in the past month.

The second round of qualifiers in the Wharton Cons Open took place on Sunday with Kris Fearnley and Neil Snodgrass progressing to the finals day on August bank holiday Sunday. The competition continues this Sunday with play starting at 6pm.

The Mid Cheshire women's team play the third game of their 2023 county championship campaign on Sunday against Merseyside.

They have selected Barrow Bowling Club for the home venue and the away team will travel to Tixall Bowling Club as the group look to maintain their undefeated record for this season. Games will commence at 2pm.

Moulton RBL were the only Mid Cheshire team to progress to the semi finals stage of the Norman Cup on Saturday with a victory over Frodsham Red Lion at Owley Wood. They will now face Crewe Post Office in the semi-finals.