APPLEBY Bowling Club trio Dave Cannon (right), Bob Dent (centre) and Pete Metcalfe (skipper) won the Cumbria County Triples Championship at Wigton beating the favourites from Courtfield (Carlisle) 18-10 with one end to play.

The Courtfield team of county player Kenny Johnston and English internationals Trevor Taylor and Stewart Airey were never allowed to dominate and were mainly confined to singles.

After six ends Appleby led 4-3 and by the 13th end led 9-8.

The 14th end clinched the match for the Eden Valley side when they scored a six to lead 15-8.

Courtfield conceded at the 17th end with the score at 18-10.

All the matches were played on neutral greens throughout the county and Appleby's victims up to the semi-final were Castle Park, Edenside, Silloth (where Dave Thompson substituted for the injured Bob Dent) and Workington.

The semi-final at Subscription (Carlisle) was against their close neighbours and rivals, Paul Fleming, Jim Rudd and John Baird of Shap.

The game hung on the last ball of the last end from Shap.

Fortunately for Appleby, it missed its target and the Appleby trio reached the final by 16-13. The last time Appleby won the county triples was in 1967.

They represented Cumbria at the county championships at Worthing last Wednesday.