IF it had been a boxing contest then Lancashire Juniors’ manager, Alwyn Jones, may well have been tempted to launch a white towel across the beautiful green at Thorpe Green, Golcar.

Yorkshire Juniors were unrelenting in their quest to retain their Drakes Pride British Junior Inter-County title as they powered to a 489-285 victory – a win by a massive 204 points against their Red Rose rivals.

The result, which followed on from an 180-point opening match victory against Greater Manchester (454-274), will give the lads great confidence ahead of the final game against highly-rated Shropshire on Sunday, July 13.

While Graham Radcliffe’s home team at Thorpe Green were giving Lancashire a bit of lesson, Howard Broadbent’s team were doling out a thrashing at Coronation Rec, Chorley!

Six players in the 12-man team took their opponents off for single figures with Neil Wood winning 21-1.

Back at Golcar, only the unfortunate captain Danny Radcliffe ended up on the wrong end of a scoreline as he was beaten 21-11 by Michelle Glover – a Lancashire Merit winner and widely regarded as one of their best bowlers, and she played the corners really well at Thorpe Green, to receive the Lancashire player-of-the-match award.

Some resistance to the Yorkshire attack was shown by pint-sized 11-year-old Jack Marrow who, in his words, said he had been, “bowling for years!”

Against Conor McGowan, of Blakeborough Albion, Marrow led 12-7 and 14-10 before McGowan got on a run to take an 18-16 lead.

Two singles by the Lancashire youngster levelled the match at 18-18.

McGowan regained the initiative at 19-18 before Marrow threw both his woods off down the green edge to award McGowan a 21-18 win.

Yorkshire’s man-of-the-match at home was Ryan Waller who produced a fearless display on his debut to chalk up a 21-8 victory.

At Thorpe Green: Cash Brook (Almondbury BC) 21 Grant Parker 19, Joe Bray (Cleckheaton Spts) 21 Ben Brooks 13, Ashley Southwell (Asa Briggs) 21 Stephen Molyneux 5, Conor McGowan (Blakeborough Alb) 21 Jack Marrow 18, Michael Higgins (Almondbury Lib) 21 James Beverage 9, David Spencer (Brockholes BC) 21 Michael Walmsley 11.

Ryan Waller (Almondbury BC) 21 Lewis Brown 8, Craig Walsh (Newsome WMC) 21 Greg Hulse 6, Daniel Radcliffe (Bradley and Colne) 11 Michelle Glover 21, Robert Hopper (Blakeborough Alb) 21 Craig Gornall 20, Andrew Craven (Skelmanthorpe Cent) 21 Thomas Davis 20, Neil Ewart (Lower Hopton) 21 David Molyneux 12.

Total: Yorkshire 242 Lancashire 162.

At Coronation Rec, Chorley: Stuart King (Asa Briggs) 21 Reece Barrow 4, David Telford (Tadcaster BC) 21 Robert Brewis 11, Conor Davis (Pudsey BC) 21 Matthew Able 14, Ashley Wilcock (Chapel St BC) 21 Ryan Heald 11, Ryan Exley (Wibsey Park) 21 Robert Baxendale 16, Neil Wood (Chapel St BC) 21 Jade Roberts 1.

Matthew Gill (Sandal BC) 17 Edward Rimmer 21, Ben Smith (Chapel St BC) 20 Thomas Walsh 21, Jonathan Peacock (Overthorpe Spts) 21 Phillippa Whalley 4, Scott Sigsworth (Holbeck Ltd) 21 Lee Makinson 8, Jon Wood (Crossgates) 21 Ryan Ashcroft 5, Simon Wood (Chapel St BC) 21 Sebastian Williams 7.

Total: Yorkshire 247 Lancashire 123.