Ashby wins singles for place in the record book.

Byline: Harry Reynolds

AVENUE Coventry's Graham Ashby won Warwickshire's singles championship for a record equalling third time with a 21-13 victory over Rugby's Tom Millership at Farmers Insurance Bowls Club, Stratford.

After six ends Millership who, at 20, is the youngest player to contest the final of the county's premier competition, was 5-4 ahead before losing the following four ends with 4,1,2,2 to trail 13-5. Worse was to follow for the Rugby youngster when over the next six ends Ashby added one three, one two and two singles - against one two and one single - to go further in front at 20-8 and after dropping a single and four he settled the issue with 19th end single.

Rugby brothers Matt and Calvin Wells had a strong finish to thank for their 18-14 pairs triumph over Little Compton's Dan Box and Neil Hancock. A tight tussle up to 16 ends saw the Little Compton duo hanging in with at 13-12 after scoring one three, two twos and six singles and conceding one three, three twos and three singles. Rugby then had their best spell with four winning ends of 1,3,1,1 to go 18-13 up and were well content to concede no more than a last end single.

Box and Hancock gained revenge for their pairs defeat when with Graham Box at lead and Dan Box switching to skip they won the triples against Matt and Calvin Wells who were partnered at lead by Martyn Murley. In a one-sided first ten end ends Box end his partners led 17-5 and they finally won 21-9 after sharing the spoils over the last seven ends played with four shots apiece.

The fours final was won by Avenue Leamington's Andy Strain, John Strain, Nicky Walker and Andy Smith with a two shots win against Kings Heath's Matt Green, Dave Green, Chris Barton and Jim Freeman. With 17 ends completed it was a stalemate scoreline of 14 across after Avenue had counted five doubles and four singles against Kings Heath's two trebles, two doubles and four singles.

Smith and his colleagues then weighed in with 1,2,1 to lead 18-14 but were in trouble on the final exchange when their opposite numbers were holding the four shots needed to level the score with only two woods to come. In the event, however, the Kings Heath skip was unfortunate when his last delivery was a touch overweight and by clipping the jerk a few inches he reduced his count to two shots to leave Avenue 18-16 winners.