Holgate are on course to win the three major York Bowling Association club titles this season.

The Williamson Cup winners have a 25 point lead at the top of division one and are in the quarter finals of the county club knockout for the Marshal Shield.

Holgate showed their determination to win against Dunnington when the aggregate points were tied for a 5-3 score. Against his team's advice, John Emmerson bowled the last wood and secured the extra point for a 7-1 win.

Haxby Road are the only side with any chance of beating Holgate to the title, while at the other end of the table Harrogate and West Park trail by over 20 points and look certain to be relegated.

Despite losing to Poppleton Road WMC and Osbaldwick, Selby remain favourites to win division two. They have a ten point advantage over Stamford Bridge and Poppleton Road and will be helped as those two clubs play each other in the next match.

Only eight points separate the bottom four clubs and games in hand may be a deciding factor in the relegation struggle.

Poppleton are eight points clear of Holgate WMC at the top of division two and if they can win their last game against Wetherby 8-0 Holgate will then require two maximum scores against Scarcroft and Acomb to tie.

The defeat of Haxby Road by Harrogate in the first round of the Williamson Cup made Holgate favourites for that trophy and Haxby Road favourites for the plate competition.

Apart from Poppleton Road WMC, who had three winning rinks in the second round, Holgate had little difficulty making the final where they beat West Park 92-56.

Haxby Road were only given problems by Minster in their march to the final of the Freedom and Fellowship Cup.

Several matches in the pairs and triples competitions changed dramatically over the final ends.

I Quainton, F Pool and T Quainton (Selby) scored nine shots in the last three ends to beat B Bray (Shipton) 19-18.

Gerald Mackie and Noel Mallen (Holgate WMC) won the last four ends to win 20-19 after trailing 19-12 against L Jackson (Heworth Cons). K Nelson's (Poppleton Road) pair scored four on the last end for a one shot win over L Bateson and after winning five ends to be 18-18 on the final end. R Coulson (Dringhouses) lost to Jim Dalby (Poppleton Road WMC).

YABA Competitions

Fours semi-finals (Friday, August 6, 6.45pm): J Emmerson v P Reeves, P Godwin v J Stroughair (at Clarence Gardens).

Pairs quarter-finals (Sunday, August 8, 2pm): P Reeves v J Dalby, G Mackie v K Ryder (at Glen Gardens); J Caulfield v K Nelson, A Dunbar v D Dale (at Clarence Gardens).

Singles quarter-finals (Tuesday, August 10, 6.45pm): S Gill v M Foster, R Tiplady v T Stephens, J Dalby v A Dunbar, J Emmerson v T Quainton, D Preece v P Witherwick (at Clarence Gardens); A Cook v T Nicol, P Herridge v G Storey, H Whenham v J Stroughair. (at Glen Gardens).

Triples semi-finals: P Reeves v T Quainton, S Lea v A Cook (Venues to be arranged).

Clarence Gardens are hosting the Ron Craven and Alan Johnson Memorial Pairs Competition during late August and early September.

John Stroughair (01904 870766) will take entries up to Tuesday, August 10 and the entry fee £4 per pair includes green fees for private club members.

Updated: 11:08 Thursday, August 05, 2004