ADAM Marsden (Eccleshill) won the Wednesday Merit, defeating clubmate Paul Hillam 21-10 in the final.

Former Peel bowler Marsden, who also triumphed in the event in 2011, played well throughout, beating Paul Gill (Clayton) 21-18, Sylvia Halliday (Crowghyll) 21-11, Bailey Rice (Shipley Club) 21-13, John Armitage (Littlemoor) 21-10 and Nino Esposito (Clayton) 21-9 to make it to what was a one-sided final.

This is the one local title that has eluded Hillam but both finalists will be invited to play in the end-of-season Victor Ludorum Invitational Merit (Champion of Champions).

Scores – Semi-finals: Adam Marsden (Eccleshill) 21, Nino Esposito (Clayton) 9; Paul Wilczynski (Shipley Club) 18, Paul Hillam (Eccleshill) 21. Final: Marsden 21, Hillam 10.

Sharon Gadd (Shipley Club) and Stuart King (Asa Briggs), winners in 2013, have again won the Mixed Pairs Merit, sponsored by Hove Edge Bowling Club, narrowly defeating Dave Tinker (Whitkirk) and Nicky Stocks (Peel) in the final.

Entries were low this year, but credit must go to the competition secretary Martin Hayton, who changed the format to a round-robin, meaning that all pairs played a minimum of three games.

Mixed Pairs Merit (Semi-Finals): Martin Hayton (Shipley Club) & Audrey Healy (West) 11, Sharon Gadd (Shipley Club) & Stuart King (Asa Briggs) 21; Richard & Janet Hunter (Birkenshaw) 9, Nicky Stocks (Peel) and Dave Tinker (Whitkirk) 21; Final: Gadd & King 21, Stocks & Tinker 18.

The latest qualifiers in the Cleckheaton Sports Classic were Josh Mordue (Pudsey) and Lee Lawton (Failsworth) last Friday, and Michael Leach (Preston) and Callum Wraight (Shropshire) last Saturday.

The finals take place on Saturday, with practice from 4.45pm for a 5.30pm start.

Finals night draw: Chris Kelly (Sheffield) v Lee Schofield (Hanging Heaton), Harry Seehra (Lower Hopton) v Chris Brown (Sheffield), Ryan Clark (Sheffield) v James Hanson (Pudsey), Gary Ellis (Whitefield) v Michael Leach (Preston), Josh Mordue (Pudsey) v Conor Chamberlain (Swadlincote), Martin Gilpin (Kendal) v Graeme Wilson (Manchester), Lee Lawton (Failsworth) v Callum Wraight (Shrewsbury), Wayne Ditchfield (Eccleston) v Kevan Shaw (Westhoughton).

Hove Edge shocked Eccleshill in the qualifying round of the Howarth Cup, winning 167-141 and carding five winners, despite a great 21-6 from Adam Marsden.

Next up for Hove Edge is a match against last year's winners Shipley Club.

Qualifying round scores: Asa Briggs A (10) 169, Tyersal (50) 168; Shipley Club A (0) 151, Wyke (30) 141; Wibsey B 50 (167), Brackenhill (60) 218; Harold Park (40) 191, Bradford Moor (60) 201; Eccleshill (0) 141, Hove Edge (30) 167; Wibsey A (30) 165, Asa Briggs B (40) 185; Clayton A (0) 168, Horton (70) 130; Salts (60) 185, Clayton B (30) 188; Birkenshaw (50) 188, West Bradford (40) 181.

With nine teams in both the Howarth and Supplementary Cup, a qualifying round match for both competitions will take place on Friday, July 17, with the quarter-finals for both to be played on Friday, August 7.

Howarth Cup – Qualifying round (Friday, July 17): Clayton B (30) v Birkenshaw. First round (to be played on Friday, August 7): Clayton B or Birkenshaw v Asa Briggs B (40), Shipley Club (0) v Hove Edge (30), Brackenhill (60) v Bradford Moor (60), Clayton A (0) v Asa Briggs A (10). Venues to be confirmed.

Supplementary Cup – Qualifying round (Friday, July 17): Salts (60) v Eccleshill (0). First round (to be played on Friday, August 7): Salts or Eccleshill v Wyke (30), Tyersal (50) v Horton (70), West Bradford (40) v Wibsey B (50), Wibsey A (30) v Harold Park (40). Venues to be confirmed.