DESPITE odds stacked against them, Meltham A retained the Sanderson Cup in impressive style.

The Section A League champions beat Mirfield Old Bank by 16 points in the Thongsbridge CBC-staged final.

And their feat was made remarkable as Meltham were staring at a 60-point deficit before a bowl was even delivered in the final!

As defending Cup champions Meltham were handicapped (-10), while Mirfield Old Bank had a plus-50 handicap because they were a newly-formed team at the beginning of the season so started off in the bottom Section H.

And the final turned out to be a thriller.

After the first four jacks Meltham had clawed back 22 points – and then the second four jacks did more damage by pulling back another 29 points.

So it all rested on the last two players – Marie Lockwood and Jacquie Roper – who both rose to the occasion to beat their opponents to 21-11 and 21-6 respectively.

It meant that Meltham had dropped five points only in total in the final and Lockwood rightly received the Lady-of-the-Match trophy for a stunning performance throughout the day.

Semi-finals

Meltham A (-10) 189 Mirfield CBC (0) 140: H Rangeley 21 J Sykes 14, J Roper 21 J Bolt 15, M Lockwood 21 B Hepworth 5, F Beaumont 21 M Sowerby 15, B Helyar 15 S Turner 21, J Hollingworth 21 P Lonsdale 6, J Marshall 20 P Hargreaves 21, S Howarth 21 J Griffiths 7, L Bond 17 D Dunning 21, A Buckley 21 Farrington 15.

Mirfield OB (50) 260 Hemplow B (40) 169: E Nicholson 21 N Armitage 8, J Harrison 21 J Wilkinson 10, M Hughes 21 J Butters 9, G Ogden 21 S Hemmingway 17, C Bartle 21 A Taylor 17, P Priestley 21 M Kewley 1, R Dean 21 S Byram 20, C Brook 21 J Roper 11, A Mitchell 21 E Kewley 20, J Hick 21 L Sykes 16.

Final

Meltham A (-10) 195 Mirfield OB (50) 179: L Bond 21 R Dean 9, A Buckley 21 A Mitchell 15, S Howarth 21 J Harrison 13, J Marshall 17 E Nicholson 21, I Crowther 20 M Hughes 21, J Hollingworth 21 C Bartle 12, F Beaumont 21 G Ogden 16, H Rangeley 21 C Brook 5, M Lockwood 21 J Hick 11, J Roper 21 P Priestley 6.

Latest results from the Ladies Afternoon Bowling League:

Section I: Milnsbridge A 5 Cowcliffe A 3, Broad Oak A 6 Golcar Lib B 2, Cowcliffe B 6 Outlane A 2, Golcar Lib A 2 Meltham A 6, Marsh Utd 7 Marsh Lib 1.

Section II: Linthwaite A 3 Almondbury B 5, Meltham B 5 Kirkheaton CBC A 3, Almondbury Lib 7 Longwood 1, Thorpe Green 8 Denby Dale A 0, Almondbury A 5 Grasshoppers 3.

Section III: Shepley A 6 Hemplow A 2, Brockholes A 6 Bradley 2, Syngenta A 1 New Mill 7, Kirkheaton CBC B 3 Paddock CBC 5.

Section Iv: Grange Moor 5 Thongsbridge 3, Paddock IC 3 Shepley B 5, Waterloo 6 Syngenta B 2, Netherton 6 Linthwaite B 2, Lowerhouses 7 Newsome 1.

Section v: Hemplow B 1 Hudds RUFC 7, Moldgreen 2 Broad Oak B 6, Primrose Hill 2ŠSkelmanthorpe 6, Outlane B 6 Brockholes B 2.