BOWLS: Vickers retains Guardian Cup crown (From Winsford Guardian)
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Wharton Cons star Thomas Vickers makes it a hat-trick of Guardian Cup wins
1:05am Saturday 7th July 2012 in Sport
By Andrew Simpson, Senior Sports Writer
Wharton Cons bowler Thomas Vickers won the Guardian Cup for a third time on Friday. Picture: Matt Sayle Photography.
THOMAS Vickers added another title to his collection after winning the Guardian Cup for the third time on Friday night.
The Wharton Cons star adapted best to the conditions at a sodden Davenham to emerge victorious in the Mid Cheshire Merit for a third time.
He defeated Castle Private’s Paul Mackie in the final, 21-15.
“I was just happy to get over the line,” he said.
“At first I thought it wasn’t going to be my night as I was sending woods all over the place but luckily I found a couple of marks that worked for me and I could be more consistent.”
The 23-year-old becomes only the third bowler in the competition’s history to successfully defend the title.
Ten-times former winner Glynn Cookson (Wharton Cons) and Jason Cornes (Castle Private) are the others two.
Vickers, a champion for the first time in 2008 when he was still a teenager, now joins Eric Duncan (Winnington Park) and Ken Winnington (Winnington Park and Owley Wood) on three Guardian Cup wins.
Earlier he defeated clubmate Dave Hamlett junior and Cornes – the latter by just two chalks – to reach the final.
Mackie proved too strong for Richard Binnersley (Castle Private) in the last eight before coming from behind to defeat surprise package and debutant Graham Powell (Lostock Graylams) in the semi finals.
Pick up Wednesday’s Guardian to read a full report, plus reaction, to the 66th annual Guardian Cup final, along with picture taken by photographer Matt Sayle.
