York and District Indoor Bowls Club moved a step closer to retaining the Egham Trophy by beating Swinton 92-59 in the zone final.

This was thanks mainly to a 38-11 victory by Paul Mooring, Graham Brooke, Carol Instone and Dot Kennelly against Alan Leach's rink. The York rink's total included scoring a six and a five

In the other rink played at York, David Stroughair, Gordon Smith, Joyce Chelin and Joan Jackson scored five on the 20th end to take the lead for the first time. A single on the last end gave them a 19-17 win against Ken Davey's rink.

Playing at Swinton, Mick Parker, Dave Hewick, Melanie Brooke, and Michelle Mooring led from start to the finish. They led 15-7 after 15 ends and went to beat Gary Harrington's rink 18-14.

Iain Boyle, Stuart Bryan, June Clayton and Shirley Stacey led 10-5 lead after 11 ends in their rink at Swinton, but their oppoents scored eight shots in the next five ends to go 13-11 up.

Four shots on ther penultimate end put Boyle's team 17-14 ahead but they dropped three shots on the last end and drew 17-17.

York play Darlington, who they met at the same stage last season, in the area final on Sunday, February 18.

York Ladies moved into the quarter-finals of the Vivienne Trophy national competition with an 86-67 victory over Hartlepool, York winning all four rinks.

Playing at York, Clarice Johnston, Doreen Arnett, Pat Ellis and Pat Lofthouse led 15-16 after nine ends and 22-13 after 18, but then the visitors scored six shots and two to narrow the margin to one shot going into the last end, on which York scored one shot win the game 23-21.

In the other rink played at York, Cath Blease, Jean Williams, Janet Marden and Norma Reed led 17-10 after 13 ends and 20-15 with two ends to go. Their opponents then scored three shots and one but York held on to win 20-19.

Playing at Hartlepool, Doreen Fennell, Margaret Smith, Linda Mokes and Pat Teasdale won 22-14, while Pat Bracken, Marilyn Andrews, Sylvia Walker and Marjorie Elvidge led from the first end and won 21-13.

York's next match in the competition is against Leicester on Thursday, February 15.

Four players from York club - Mal Harrison, Barry Walker, Tex Stevens and John Emmerson - and two from New Earswick - Barry Johnson and Harry Rhodes - helped Yorkshire beat Gloucestershire 146-92 in a friendly match at Ryedale.

Harrison and Johnson played in Yorkshire president Tony Frosdick's rink and scored seven, six and five shots on their way to a 38-12 victory. Yorkshire won five rinks and lost only one.

Emmerson's rink were 20-2 up after 12 ends and 25-5 ahead after 18 and won easily.

Walker was in the 24-15 winning rink skipped by Scarborough's Dickens. Rhodes was in the 26-18 winning rink led by Huddersfield's Alan Atkinson. Stevens was in the rink skipped by Thornaby's Peirson, scoring three shots on the last two ends to win 19-15.

Yorkshire Men beat Yorkshire Ladies 175-105 in a friendly encounter at Thornaby, the men winning all rinks but one.

New Earswick were represented by Barry Johnson, Ray Clark, Pat Walker, Gill Clark and Margaret Moss, while the only York player was Phil Parsons.

Johnson's rink won all but three ends on their way to a 32-4 victory, while Parsons won 27-10.

Ray Clark's rink scored four shots on the last two ends to win 16-15.

Moss, Clark and Walker were winning 11-6 after 11 ends but the men scored ten shots in the next four ends and won 21-12.

Updated: 13:02 Thursday, February 08, 2001