CHESHIRE, already having to cope without David Horsey and Paul Waring because of international commitments, have been rocked by an injury to skipper Ray Hughes which could keep him out for the rest of the campaign.

He damaged his knee ligaments in the county matchplay championship playing his Caldy clubmate John Sims who then replaced him in the team that lost to Yorkshire at his home course on Saturday.

Hughes has been an inspirational leader since he took the helm four years ago, guiding the side to the Northern League title in 2004 and second place last season.

Another Cheshire casualty is Roy Smethurst who will not be defending the English Men's Senior Championship at Yelverton and Tavistock this week after undergoing surgery.

Cheshire, meanwhile, have been buoyed this week by the availability of England Under-21 cap Ian Winstanley for the Northern Counties Championship at Pleasington on Saturday.

The Warrington youngster, who's leading the Mitsushiba Northern Order of Merit which he won last year, heads the six-man team which includes Ashton-on-Mersey's Kevin Kean but not Hazel Grove's Iain Davie who beat him in the matchplay final.

Debut

Adding experience to a young line-up is Stockport's David Peel and long-serving Shrigley Hall stalwart James Murphy, who is making his debut in the tournament which is a qualifier for the English finals at Princes in September.

Lancashire captain Bob Bardsley will be on the sidelines as he continues to give his young bloods a chance to shine, naming 15-year-old Formby Hall prodigy Tommy Fleetwood, Shaw Hill's Jon Hurst and Hillside's Danny Belch.

Jon Carroll, the newly-crowned county champion from Huyton and Prescot, the host club's Michael Hunt and the ever-reliable Hopwood player Roger Smithies make up the rest if the side.

GARETH Hastie, from Dunscar, reproduced the form that helped him to a share of fourth place at Clitheroe when he won the Penwortham Rose Bowl with rounds of 69 and 70 for a one-over-par total

SIMON Edwards blitzed the course record six-under-par 64 in the the Bramhall pro-am.

The Wrexham-based professional won by three shots from Mobberley's Jon Cheetham.

ALAN and Kathy Leaver cashed in on local knowledge to win the South East Lancs GA mixed greensome at Ellesmere with 64.6.

ROSSENDALE moved 10 points ahead of Walmersley in the Bury League after beating bottom club Greenmount.