JERRY Thomas kept his cool, when most anglers were frying in the heat, to win Malvern Angling Club's Fitzwater Cup, fished on the Severn at Hanley Castle.

The blazing hot sun on the water made conditions far from ideal but Jerry made full use of a good draw, picking out peg 49 which is the last peg on the water.

The high number pegs have not been fished for two years but they benefit from deep water close in to the side. Using an open-ended feeder, he caught a superb bream of five pounds and was then unlucky, losing some bigger ones in a snag before adding some skimmers to weigh in at 11 pounds six ounces.

Veteran Dave Harris came second, doing well to tempt a big perch of one pound 15 ounces out of peg 26 and then adding some smaller fish to weight in at four pounds one ounce. Ken Yates came third; only having four bites in the match, he took three bream for three pounds three ounces.

The Wednesday evening scramble is a two horse race with Steve Davies in front with 19 points, just ahead of Paul Bick with 18 points with only two matches left.

The Saturday scramble fished on the Avon at Birlingham saw Tom Hawker win with five lbs, Dave Twigg second with four lbs four ozs and John Shaw third.