Wibsey's bowlers will have a 40-point advantage as they take on Eccleshill in the final of the Sharpes Estate Agents-sponsored Howarth Cup at Shipley Club on Sunday (2pm).

The draw has produced some exciting encounters, including Malcolm Wilkinson against Eccleshill captain Adam Mellor and Wibsey skipper Kevin Johnson tackling recently-crowned Hospital Handicap winner Richard Stockdale.

Eccleshill, playing off scratch, will fancy their chances of pulling back the 40 points to lift the title but a couple of early Wibsey winners would put them under pressure.

Draw (Wibsey names first, with odd numbered jacks): 1 D Lupton v A Gilroy, 2 JM Gill v A Firth, 3 R Exley v H Gilroy, 4 M Frost v S Alred, 5 JM Wilkinson v A Mellor, 6 B Cahill v D Tinker, 7 G Woodhead v N Bastow, 8 J Gibson v G Flower, 9 K Johnson v R Stockdale, 10 N Wormald v P Hillam.

  • Ian Howard (Meanwood) and Tracey Lawrence (Farsley) were this week's qualifiers in the db Commercial Finance-sponsored Pudsey Classic.
  • Howard had a walkover in the first round before beating Harry Seehra (Spen Victoria) 21-20 and David Scott (Lower Hopton) 21-17 to qualify, while Lawrence bowled superbly to beat Billy Holdsworth (Littlemoor) 21-19 in the last game.

First round: A Shaw (Derby) 21, M Taylor (Crossgates) 17; T Lawrence (Farsley) 21, L Foster (Crossroads) 14; B Holdsworth (Littlemoor) 21, G Hickey (Lower Hopton) 15; L Griffin (Eccleshill) 14, M Sweeney (Morton House) 21; J Edmondson (Brighouse) 13, H Seehra (Spen Victoria) 21; I Howard (Meanwood) w/o K Wolohan (absent); R Swift (Thongsbridge) 6, D Scott (Lower Hopton) 21; B Richards (Littlemoor) 16, P Hillam (Eccleshill) 21. Second round: Shaw 15, Lawrence 21; Holdsworth 21, Sweeney 11; Seehra 20, Howard 21; Scott 21, Hillam 20. Third round: Lawrence 21, Holdsworth 19; Howard 21, Scott 17.

  • Robert Hitchen (Halifax) and Philip Holroyd (Sowerby Bridge) were this week's qualifiers in the Re-New Windows Masters at Spen Victoria.
  • Hitchen would have been hot favourite to qualify but Holroyd showed the most impressive form as he eased through with wins over Craig Newton (Wakefield) 21-16, Robert Thompson (Sheffield) 21-6 and Jonathan Welsby (Warrington) 21-5.

First round: D Hartley (Sowerby Bridge) 7, P Cookson (Wharton Cons) 21; J Webster (Wakefield) 13, B Welsby (Warrington) 21; D Metcalfe (Shipley) 2, R Hitchen (Halifax) 21; N Jones (Huddersfield) 9, A Daykin (Huddersfield) 21; P Holroyd (Sowerby Bridge) 21, C Newton (Wakefield) 16; A Farmer (Swinton) 10, R Thompson (Sheffield) 21; J Welsby (Warrington) 21, A Heaume (Huddersfield) 10; R Whitfield (Brighouse) 21, V Senior (Sheffield) 7. Second round: Cookson 17, Welsby 21; Hitchen 21, Daykin 10; Holroyd 21, Thompson 6; Welsby 21, Whitfield 13. Third round: Welsby 15, Hitchen 21; Holroyd 21, Welsby 5;

  • The latest qualifiers in the Brighouse Classic were Graeme Wilson (Oldham) and Bernard Megson (Halifax).
  • Wilson was in tremendous form, winning his first two games 21-4 and 21-8 before overcoming Peter Wilcox (Crossgates) 21-17 in a high-quality game.

Megson also showed his liking for the green, qualifying for the second year running. He beat current all-England champion Andy Spragg (Chesterfield) 21-17 and Andy Hodgson (Pudsey) 21-11, who had played well in his first two games.

  • Yorkshire's juniors take on Staffordshire on Sunday in the semi-finals of the Inter-County Championship, with the home leg at Golcar Liberal Club, Huddersfield and the away leg at Woodfield S&S Club, Wolverhampton.
  • Bradford-based bowlers in the squads are James Hanson (captain, Pudsey), Stuart King (Asa Briggs), Connor Davis (Pudsey), Ryan Exley (Wibsey) and Jack Summers (Asa Briggs).
  • The final of the Wheatley Trophy between Rufford A and Guiseley A takes place at Baildon BC on Friday, the same day as Rawdon BC hosts the Sid Carlisle Shield final between Calverley and Tarnfield A. Both matches start at 6.30pm.
  • The semi-finals of two competitions take place on Saturday (2.30pm).
  • In the Jennings Crackles Trophy, Shipley Club A play Tarnfield A at Yeadon Park BC and Myrtle Park A face Yeadon Park A at Wharfemeadows BC.

And in the Dobson Challenge Shield, Ilkley take on Tarnfield B at Baildon BC and Shipley Club C play Menston B at Calverley BC.