THE NORLEY MERIT
The Norley bowling league Individual Competition
1981
MERRY'S 4th NORLEY MERIT
Northwich Guardian, Thursday 3rd September.
Delamere's Gerald Merry continued to make merry on the local bowling circuit on Wednesday last week when he won the Norley merit at Lostock's Slow & Easy.
Not only was this Mery's forth merit title in the last five years, but it followed close on his success in winning Mid Cheshire's Roberts bakery and Cowley cups earlier this summer, which must make the Tiverton Heath man the most outstanding player of the season in competitions closed to outsiders.
Merit champion in 1977, 1978 and 1980 (Kelsall's Harry Nicholas intruded in 1979) Merry was given his toughest test in the quarter finals, when John Hitchen of Castle Private ran him to 21-19.
In the semi final, he overwhelmed Doug Hamlett (Meadowbank) 21-8, hardly putting a wood wrong.
The Final saw him take on rank outsider Leicester Roberts of Davenham Rec, who had upset the form book by beating Owley Wood's Chris Koral 21-13 in the semi final. One of Mid Cheshire's table tennis players, Leicester struggled manfully until he began to lose heart at 8-10 and was eventually beaten 21-10.
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1982
JASON DOES IT AGAIN
Northwich Guardian, Thursday 2nd September.
Remarkable 17 year old Jason Cornes added the Norley individual merit to his Cheshire junior merit and Cowley cup successes when he fended off strong opposition in the finals at Lostock Alkali on Wednesday last week.
Jason who plays for the Slow & Easy, beat Graham Craven (Kelsall) 21-15 in the final after eliminating Peter Owen (Davenham) 21-12 in the semi final and before that Brian Jones (Tattenhall) 21-15.
There was a record entry of 192 for the competition, but at a fee of only 25p a head, the Norley league organisers raised a mere £48, where as prize money totalled £105, including £45 to the winner and £20 for the runner up.
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1988
BURROWS MERIT
Northwich Guardian, Thursday 1st September.
A brilliant recovery after trailing 14-19 in the final earned Over Rec's Keith Burrows the Norley merit title for the first time at Comberbach on Tuesday last week.
The Over rec and Cheshire star collected the trophy and the £90 first prize only after being given a scare by Meadowbank's John Webb, who took control and looked a certain winner, Burrows then recovered the block and ran out a 21-19 winner.
Semi Finals
K. Burrows 21 v 5 J. Clarke (Moulton RBL)
J. Webb 21 v 4 P. Drinkwater (Castle Private)
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1990
WEBB WINS NORLEY MERIT
Northwich Guardian, Wednesday 29th August.
John Webb beat Meadowbank clubmate Alan Robinson 21-19 in the final of the Norley bowls league merit.
In a tight game with never more than three chalks between the two rivals, Webb edged home to collect the trophy for the second time in five years.
Quarter Finals
Andy Marshall 21 v 19 Ron Hitchen (Farmers)
Alan Robinson 21 v 20 Ron Lightfoot (Moulton)
Webb 21 v 4 Shaun Yearsley (Meadowbank)
John Spruce (Kelsall) 21 v 4 Steve Brittleton (Over)
Semi Finals
Webb 21 v 13 Spruce Robinson 21 v 13 Marshall
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1998
Paul Mackie had better luck in the final of the Norley merit (he lost in the Cowley cup final the week before), he beat Beech Tree's Paul Wingfield 21-16 in the final at Winsford Cons.
Mackie reached the final after beating Simon Cookson and then Farmers Arms Kevin Edwards.
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2003
KELLETT LANDS MERIT CROWN
Northwich Chronicle, 20th August.
Stuart Kellett won the Norley bowling merit denying veteran Arthur Land his first major trophy at Crowton on Thursday.
Kellett swept aside Land, who plays for Castle Park in the Norley league, 21-7 in the final. But Land who runs the tournament players association was in good company. There was no stopping Kellett, the Comberbach ace dispensed with Mark Winnington (Hartford) 21-6 in the quarter finals and then his toughest game of the night in the semis, beating Mark Vernon (Wharton Cons) by a mere 21-10.
Land plotted a trickier course, beating Phil Wingfield (Beech Tree) 21-17 and Brian Lightfoot (Wharton Cons) 21-10.
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2005
BRASSINGTON TAKES NORLEY HONOURS
Northwich Guardian, Thursday 18th August
Geoff Brassington is celebrating after claiming the Norley merit title last week. brassington, playing for Overton, beat team mate Andy houghton 21-19 to claim the title in a gripping finale.
Prior to this Brassington found the going relatively easy as he booked his passage to the final without breaking sweat. In the semi final Brassington cruised past Delamere's Gerald Merry 21-12 having seen off Beech Tree's Richard Binnersley 21-13 in the quarter final. Houghton made his way to the final by beating Hartford's Rob Winnington 21-19 in the quarter final and Dennis Leather (Hartford) 21-16 in the semis. But the win of the day went to Leather who eased into the semi final with a 21-9 win over Kevin Duncalf of Beech Tree.
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2007
JAMIESON FINDS REDEMPTION
Ritchie Jamieson banished the memory of losing in the Guardian Cup final to win the Norley merit yesterday, Thursday.
He saw off the challenge of Wharton Cons Mark Vernon in the final at Comberbach, running out a 21-13 winner, Jamieson defeated Rob Winnington (Delamere) 21-19 in the semi final.
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2010
MARTIN'S NIGHT
Northwich Guardian, Wednesday 11th August.
Wharton Cons Martin Kettle captured the title after edging out Kevin Duncalf (Beech Tree) 21-15 at Owley Wood on Thursday night.
The Winsford man reached the final only after an epic last four battle with Mark Winnington (Delamere) that he pinched by a single chalk 21-20. Duncalf had earlier defeated Richard Binnersley (Castle Private) and Nick Walton (Moulton RBL) en route to the final.
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2013
Northwich Guardian, Wednesday 14th August.
Lester Bebbington took home the silver trophy after Tuesday's final at Moulton RBL, defeating Beech Tree bowler Gareth Williams 21-7.
The wharton Cons regular was pushed hardest in the last eight, edging out John Lightfoot (Rudheath) by two chalks before defeating Matt Hamman (Castle Private) in the semi final.
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2014
VICTORY IS MARKS
Northwich Guardian, Wednesday 6th August.
Mark Winnington emerged as victor at the end of Thursday's norley merit final at the Beech Tree, Barnton, defeating Rudheath's John Lightfoot. The Castle Private bowler had ended the challenge of another Rudheath representative, Peter Illidge, inthe last eight before squeezing past Comberbach's Paul Mackie in the semi finals.
Lightfoot saw off club mate Mark Cookson and Jamie Hulse of Hop pole, before playing Winnington, who won 21-8.
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2015
