Cheshire count on more tournament success

Mar 25 2008 by Harold Brough, Liverpool Daily Post

CHESHIRE and Lancashire Boys meet tomorrow in the annual Four Counties Junior Tournament, the two likely championship favourites set for a dramatic encounter.

Cheshire have been away on warm weather coaching in Menorca and if their past record is a reliable guide might appear favourites when, after the practice day at Stanton-on-the-Wolds, Nottinghamshire today, the real action starts tomorrow morning.

Cheshire have won the championship on more occasions than any of their Four Counties rivals, 12 times since the first tournament was launched 35 years ago and four times in the last seven years, a tribute to the county coaching system so much admired it has become a model for others. Against that impressive record, Lancashire, like Nottinghamshire, have won it nine times.

But Lancashire will go into the 2008 championship with confidence at a high level. They are the current Four Counties champion after winning at Fairhaven last year. Also their line-up includes England’s under-18 squad player Tommy Fleetwood who has again started the season in dazzling form.

The Formby Hall teenager finished eighth in the Portuguese Amateur where a second round four-under 68 equalled the best round of his life and this month, with 16-year-old Scott Campbell from Yorkshire, he reached the quarter-finals of the Sunningdale Foursomes.

Fleetwood plans to play the top men’s events this year, including the Lytham Trophy, the St. Andrews Links and the Brabazon, part of his long-term graduation he hopes will put his name clearly before the Walker Cup selectors for 2009.

In his assessment of the Lancashire opposition for the Four Counties, Cheshire’s team manager Michael Jones admits that Fleetwood is among the elite. But he adds: “Apart from him we are pretty level with Lancashire.”

The Menorca training programme was a new idea for Cheshire and says Jones: “It was a very good exercise. The boys enjoyed it, worked hard and we are hoping to see the benefits of it in the coming season.”

More than 30 Cheshire Boys have been for a pre-season get-together and a game at Warrington before the team was then finalised.

The team is: Martin Thomas, Tom Boys (Royal Liverpool) Josh Evans (Mere) Martin Leese (Astbury), John Little, Dominic Barnes (Heswall), James Gutterman (Warrington) and Sam Connor (Sandiway).

All were involved in the pre-season training in Menorca. All have represented Cheshire in the past and four, Little, Boys, Gutterman and Barnes are new in the Four Counties. Barnes was a later call-up, a replacement Charlie Berry of Heswall who has a shoulder problem following a water-skiing accident in Mauritius at Christmas.

“It is a good side, fully committed,” says Michael Jones. “Lancashire are strong at the moment but we are confident we can pull it off and pip Lancashire. It is matchplay and anything can happen on the day.”

Lancashire Boys preparations have included winter training with coaches including Jim Payne, the Southport and Ainsdale professional and also a practice round at Stanton on the Wold.

The team is Adam Andrews (Ashton-in-Makerfield) Jack Brooks (Pleasington) Scott Fitzgerald, Paul Howard (Southport and Ainsdale) Tom Stuart (St Annes Old Links) James Wilson (Formby) Nathan Dunn (Clitheroe) and Tommy Fleetwood.