THE Wallasey Individual Merit Tournament was played last Sunday at Harrison Park's green in increasingly wet conditions.

After a good day's play, the winner was your correspondent, West Kirby Victoria's Bill Atkinson, who beat New Brighton Queens Royal's Geoff Lynch, the 2005 winner, in a very tight final.

At the quarter-final stage, Atkinson was just too consistent for New Brighton Quarry Viking's Jamie Box but the semi-final game against Manor Road's Sandra Astles was very tight until a run of four twos took the game out of Astle's reach.

Meanwhile Lynch had a very easy win over Hoylake Central's Peter Dodd but his victory over his team mate at Queens Royal, and the 2010 winner Craig Saville, was a much harder test.

In the final, Atkinson established a commanding 13-06 lead only for Lynch to fight back and at 19-15 he looked the favourite to take the title. However another run of points took Atkinson to a 21-20 win.

Results:

Quarter-finals: C Saville 21, M Bunting 04; G Lynch 21, P Dodd 03; S Astles 21, T Walker 20; W Atkinson 21, J Box 11. Semi-finals: Lynch 21, Saville 14; Atkinson 21, Astles 11. Final: Atkinson 21, Lynch 20.

The New Brighton Classic was played on Sunday, May 5, on the greens at the New Brighton Cricket and Bowls Club.

Over the years this event has tended to be dominated by local Wirral players, but this year it was a player from North Wales, John Bailey, a member of the Llanrwst Bowling Club, who took first prize. In the final he beat local player Jamie Fitzpatrick who plays for Tixalls.

Fitzpatrick had earlier beaten his team mate Matthew Gilmore before dominating against John Langford while Bailey had two excellent wins against Gladstone's Nick Burridge and then Tixall's Nigel Hughes.

The final was always tight but Bailey thoroughly deserved his win.

Results: Quarter-finals: J Langford 21, J Lloyd 07; J Fitzpatrick 21, M Gilmore 14; N Hughes 21, J Hignett Jnr 07; J Bailey 21, N Burridge 15. Semi-finals: Fitzpatrick 21, Langford 07; Bailey 21, Hughes 17. Final: Bailey 21, Fitzpatrick 16.

Bronze Bowling Club won the Wallasey Association Cup for the second time in three years on Thursday evening, after a fairly comfortable victory against last year's winners Marine Park 'B' at Manor Road Bowling Club.

Bronze took an early lead then continued their dominance throughout the match, eventually winning by 228-186.

The best performance by a Bronze player was a super 21-06 win for Tom Cummings while for Marine Park Derek Brierly top scored with a 21-11 win.

The Heswall RBL Singles Tournament, which has a total prize money of £2.700, gets under way next Saturday, May 18, with the first two qualifying sessions at 2.30pm and 6pm.

On the following Saturday, May 25, there are two more sessions at the same times and the finals tournament is on Saturday, June 1, with a 4pm start.

This tournament has attracted some of the top names in the game and is sure to provide a very high standard of bowls.