West End bowler Jamie Walker, who is 16, and 17-year-old Callum Height from Thrapston BC will be receiving their Middleton Cup Blazer 'Flash' ahead of the match at Chesterton BC, together with Express bowler Ray Castle, who earns his flash for Northants having been awarded the same for Middlesex a few years ago.

Two other Middleton Cup players of a few years ago also receive their call-up, Sam Wade of Kingsthorpe and Jonathan Brown of Abington.

Rink 1: Jamie Walker (West End), Alan Ashby (West End), John Freeman (Abington), Vernon Gearey (Kingsthorpe)

Rink 2: Peter Ward (Desborough), Ray Castle (Express), Darren Childs (Thrapston), Jim McKee (Kingsthorpe)

Rink 3: Richard Lemon (Express), Jonathan Brown (Abington), Andrew Hunter (Kingsthorpe), Sam Wade (Kingsthorpe)

Rink 4: Alun Withers (Desborough), Colin Fowkes (Kingsthorpe), Chris Bland (Express), John Haines (Desborough)

Rink 5: Neil Rees (Wellingborough), Richard Mann (Kingsthorpe), Mick Diggin (St Crispin), Phil Reeve (Kingsthorpe)

Rink 6: Callum Height (Thrapston), Mick Malins (Irchester), Roger Tansley (Kingsthorpe), Neil Corbyn (Wellingborough)

Travelling Reserves: Martin Walker (West End), Dominic Graham (Express), Tony O'Leary (Abington), Malcolm Paul (Desborough).

Non-Travelling Reserves: Jeff Newitt (Desborough), Carl Haines (Desborough), Michael Chester (Wellingborough), Steve Norman (Higham Ferrers), Alan Coleman, (Abington), George Warren (Corby S&L)

Northants got back to winning ways in the Midland Counties as they beat Lincolnshire by 44 shots at Wellingborough BC
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After the disappointment of the one shot defeat at the hands of Warwickshire the previous week, the players of the Jackson Grundy NBA were back on song.

On a bright, sunny and windy day, the County players were positive from the outset and after five ends they had already built up a lead of 16 shots.

The dominance continued throughout the match, with the County taking a handsome victory.

Team manager John Church was delighted with the result which sends the County to the first Middleton Cup match on Saturday in a confident mood.

The final score was Northants 134 Lincolnshire 90, and with four winning rinks and two losing, only by one and two shots respectively, the County picked up 18 points to four points picked up by Lincolnshire.

Rink scores, Lincolnshire skips only, as follows:
Rink 1: Peter Ward, Ray Castle, Darren Childs, Jim McKee beat D Skelton 22-14

Rink 2: Callum Height, Mick Malins, Roger Tansley, Neil Corbyn beat M Asplen 23-10

Rink 3: Tony O'Leary, Richard Mann, Mick Diggin, Phil Reeve beat I Sutton 33-16

Rink 4: Jamie Walker, Alan Ashby, John Freeman and Vernon Gearey lost 19-18 to A Bird

Rink 5: Richard Lemon, Jonathan Brown, Sam Wade and Paul Broderick beat S Dunham 21-12

Rink 6: Alun Withers, Colin Fowkes, Chris Bland and John Haines lost 19-17 to P Cranage