Twist in the tale for Richards

Darren Richards arrived at the Shropshire & Herefordshire Amateur Championships with no great expectations - but ended up writing a tale Charles Dickens would have been proud of.

The 25-year-old from Ludlow arrived at Shrewsbury Golf Club in patchy form and with only slim hopes of adding another major county title to his S & H Open Championship of 2002.

But the 44-strong field could find no answer to a solid morning round and a sparkling afternoon showing as Richards - who moved from Kington to Ludlow last year - clinched success.

"My form hasn't been brilliant over the last six weeks or so," admitted the scratch golfer after last Sunday's triumph. "I haven't been struggling badly but it's not been the type of form you need to be in contention for the County Championship.

"But the course was in as good a condition as I had seen it so I decided to go out and attack and see what happened.

"It came off and I'm delighted. It's given me some confidence for the rest of the season and got my appetite back to where it was.

"Hopefully this will help me keep my place in the Shropshire & Herefordshire team."

A Richards triumph hadn't appeared likely at the midway point on Sunday as he found himself down in fifth place - three shots adrift of the leaders.

Patshull Park duo Tim Roberts and Kris WIlliams, the defending champion, found themselves in a three-way tie at the top alongside talented Duncan Harris from Bewdley Pines.

Hawkstone's Billy Mills was also well placed after a morning 70 - but the afternoon belonged to Richards.

His faultless post-lunchtime card contained only threes and fours, and a round-of-the-day 67 gave him a 138 total and the chasing pack too much to do.

Harris clinched the runners-up spot on countback while Roberts was in third after both shot rounds of 72 in the afternoon.

A 69 from Hawkstone's Nigel Chesters helped him into fourth on 141, while Williams completed the top five a shot further back after carding a 74 after lunch.

But it was Richards who led the way to book a place in the S & H team for today's Midlands qualifier to the English County Championships at Coventry, as well as in the County Champions field at Woodall Spa in September.

Hawkstone Park won the team title - with Chesters, Billy Mills and Ricky Pharo returning 427.