A STIFF westerly wind blowing across Bradnor Hill provided the best golfers in the Shropshire and Herefordshire with a stern test of their golfing skills when they contested the twin counties Amateur Championship at Kington.

Wrekin's Andrew Stephenson was up to the challenge and his two-round total of 140 (70,70) earned him the trophy and the privilege to have his name inscribed with such golfing luminaries as Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam.

Had Stephenson, playing in the final group, slipped up, four local players, Ryan Cadwallader (Kington), Matthew Davies (Kington), Andrew Lambert (Burghill Valley) and Jim Payne (Burghill Valley) were in a group of five finishers on 142 who were poised to go into a four hole medal play-off to lift the splendid trophy.

Matthew Harrison (Burghill Valley) fired a 69 in the afternoon round to lift the Griffith-Price Cup, and together with Lambert and Payne carried off the Team Trophy.

Carl Rose (Burghill) also had a 69 in the morning round but missed out on taking the Hereford Times Cup on a card countback to former win counties skipper Barry Ruddick (Shrewsbury).

Results, Amateur Championship: 1 Andrew Stephenson (Wrekin) 140 (70,70), 2 Nigel Chesters (Hawkstone Park) 142 (72,70), 3 Ryan Cadwallader (Kington) 142 (72,70), 4 Matthew Davies (Kington) 142 (72,70), 5 Andrew Lambert (Burghill) 142 (71,71), 6 Jim Payne (Burghill) 142 (71,71).

Hereford Times Cup: Barry Ruddick (Shrewsbury) 69.

Griffith-Price Cup: Matthew Harrison (Burghill) 69.

Team Trophy: Burghill Valley 427 (Lambert 142, Payne 142, Harrison 143); runners-up Kington 437 (Cadwallader 142, Davies 142, Alan Williams 153).