ANDREW Murphy has won the Evesham Championship on the River Avon for the second time in four years.

Drawn on peg 44 at the popular Evesham Festival, Murphy caught a double-figure barbel on chopped worm plus smaller roach and chublets on a combination of waggler and maggot and bloodworm tactics.

The Shakespeare Superteam angler said: “It still hasn’t sunk in. Obviously, the trophy means the most to me but the £3,000 winner’s purse will come in handy too.

“I have had some bad luck with my health over the last few months so this couldn’t have come at a better time.”

Preston Innovations and Sonubaits angler Lee Kerry was second with 11-5 from peg seven and Sensas North’s Johnny Freeborn finished third with 7-5 from peg two.

Scott Geens (7-1) and Steve Hemingray (6-14) were fourth and fifth respectively.

England international Dean Barlow won the Wychavon Championship with 9-10 from peg six.

The Drennan angler, whose late father Frank won the competition in 1983, banked roach to 1½lb on bloodworm tactics.

The runner-up from peg 51 was Kerry with 8-3 from peg 51 as he won £2,750 in two days and Evesham Bait Box’s Jeff Spiers was third with 7-7 from peg one.

Kamasan Starlets won the Match Fishing Team Championship, finishing with 62 points ahead of second-placed Daiwa Dorking (55).

Drennan Barnsley occupied the last of the money places level on points with Dorking, but losing out on section win count-back.

Starlets captain and England co-manager Mark Downes was joined by Darran Bickerton, Geens, Hadrian Whittle and Cam Hughes.

In the individual stakes, Dave Harpin won with 9-13 from peg 72 with roach on bloodworm and then a 5lb bream at the end for Drennan Oxford in sixth position.

Second was Barlow with 9-5 for fourth-placed Team Drennan (50), again from his Wychavon-winning peg six on the Crown Meadow, and Starlets’ Bickerton finished third with 7-6 from peg 31.

EVESHAM Jubilee AS members enjoyed a match at Tirley Court with six members catching weights of more than 100lb.

Mark Birbeck was first with 170lb 13oz ahead of Jason Evans (139-14) and Andy Mitchell (127-0), while section victors were Graham Scott (123-6), Phil Seedhouse (121-5) and Martin Smith (88-0).

The Grant Davis Memorial Cup match is on Saturday at Jubilee Fishery, which is also open to non-members wishing to donate a minimum of £15 to the fund.

The roving draw is at 8.30am with a barbecue at around 4pm.

ALAN Stephens won the Evesham Veterans’ Championship with a 4-0 net from peg 53.

The Alcester Tackle rod caught perch on maggot feeder tactics, fishing just past the marginal weed. Second was Chris Wade with 3-15 from peg eight ahead of Drennan Leicester’s Stan Piecha from peg one with 3-12.

Richard Lear caught 3-10 for fourth.

RESULTS – MOSELLA MANOR FARM LEISURE Island pool: 1 Steve Partington (Arthur’s Angling Supplies, peg 17) 87-0, 2 Mike Lane (Cotswold Angling, peg 13) 82-14, 3 Chris Goergen (France, peg 15) 77-0, 4 Chris Telling (Colmic, peg 23) 72-12. 13 fished.

Boundary pool, Affordable Open: 1 Partington (peg 40) 51-14, 2 Telling (peg 17) 50-0, 3 Steve Beard (Shipston AC, peg 32) 46-0, 4 Mark Malin (Colmic, peg 36) 37-4. 13 fished.

Middle and Ash pools: 1 Tony Gregorjevs (Angling Times, peg 19 Middle) 117-12, 2 Gary Waldron (Smith’s, peg 12 Ash) 105-0, 3 Steve Rich (Cotswold Angling, peg 5 Middle) 85-12, 4 Phil Hardwick (Banbury Gunsmiths, peg 23 Middle) 85-6, 5 Phil Smith (Throckmorton AC, peg 27 Middle) 83-2, 6 Malin (Colmic, peg 7 Middle) 79-6. 17 fished.

Island pool: 1 Norman Finch (Mears, peg 4) 92-0, 2 Jason Morris (Shipston AC, peg 12) 68-2, 3 Dave Simpkins (Swindon Enterprise Angling, peg 36) 60-4, 4 Jason Wellington (Permalli, peg 6) 57-8, 5 Partington (peg 19) 54-4, 6 Beard (peg 7) 52-4. 18 fished.