The competition was staged in heavy rain and wind, and the County champions – Wellingborough team Neil Rees, Darren Lyman and Paul Broderick – were in action against a triple from Frampton-on-Severn BC.

Unfortunately, they were not on their best form and lost 20-11.
For the County runners-up – Mann, Tansley and Gearey of Kingsthorpe BC – it was a very different story.

Playing in the same awful conditions, they beat Rookery BC 16-13, and thus started a magical run of matches spread over three days, which culminated in winning the National Triples title.

Their second round match saw them comfortably through 18-8 against a triple from Princes Risborough.

From there they beat Belvedere 21-12 to make it to the quarter finals, the second time Gearey has reached the last eight in a national championship, having done so in the pairs last year.

In the last eight, they picked up five shots on the last end to see off Railway Athletic 23-12.

Wootton Bassett BC stood between Kingsthorpe and the final but they saw them off 24-13 to book their place.

In the final, where they met Hornchurch BC, birthday boy Gearey celebrated in style by drawing the shot to win the title.

The team will now represent England at the British Isles Championships in 2009 at Belfast.

The Bowls England Men's National Championships got under way at Worthing on Saturday, and county interest on the first day centred on the under-25 singles event with Aaron Bell of Northampton Express setting off with a 21-15 win against Dean Gibbons of Wantage BC.

Adam Hawkings of Abington fell at the first hurdle, losing
12-21 to Kieron Delaney of Iver Heath BC.

Bell played his second-round match later the same morning and lost 14-21 to David Leighfield of Alderbury BC.

PSL Roade BC'S County Fours runners-up, Alex Hamilton, Don Muskin, Alan Dunkley and Martin Gearey, lost 23-7 to Holt in the National Fours.

Sam Wade and Phil Reeve, of Kingsthorpe, will play Weybridge duo Ian Honnor and Chris Young in the first round of the National Pairs.

The Kingsthorpe pair have a tough task as their opponents are both England International players.

The following players have been selected to play in a friendly for Northants against their counterparts from Cambridgeshire at Thrapston BC on Tuesday August 26.

Rink one: Mick Tate, Mick Galloway, David Bailey, Terry James
Rink two: Bill Foster, Mick Pullen, Derek Brewer, Doug Ainsworth
Rink three: John Ruff, Bill Kendall, Tony Coles, Geoff Harris
Rink four: Bob Tingle, John Scudder, Geoff Vincent, Mike King
Rink five: Brian Robbins, Eric Wareing, Bill Humphries, Richard Somerton
Rink six: Martin Horsham, Tony Fairmaner, Harvey Fruish, Geoff Hunt
Travelling reserves: Bill Russell, Robin Frost, Malcolm Tait

The Northamptonshire Vice-Presidents Association beat their VP colleagues from Cambridgeshire 92-89 at Kettering Lodge BC on Wednesday in a match curtailed to 18 ends per rink.

On Wednesday, the County take on Leicestershire at Hart of Fleckney.
The Ladies of Northampton Women's County Bowling Association lost to Bedfordshire 116-85 in a friendly match at West End on Wednesday.

Earls Barton entertained Kettering Lodge BC in a return men's fixture hoping to avenge their June defeat, and did so in style. A massive reversal of the 25-shot defeat in June was the outcome with a 52-shot victory this time.

This week at Abington BC, the ladies play the gentlemen on Wednesday, then the men visit Kingsthorpe on Friday.

Northants' Association of Retired Police Officers recaptured the annual Thom Nickolson trophy with victory over Kislingbury last week.

NARPO haven't lifted the crown since 2003, but finally won back the coverted prize with victory at Kislingbury.

Bill Tapp skippered the winning rink of Jim Hickman, Norman Cooper and Arnie Bell, who triumphed over their counterparts 19-8 to clinch the match 71-69.

Health end 11-year wait for title
The Racecourse League reached its conclusion with the final match between Health and Doddridge. Health were second going into it, needing just one-and-a-half points to seal the title.

Their rink of Ted Williams, Des Barker, Gary Hempstead and Dave Mains went a good way towards this number with their conclusive victory of 18-7.

Their second rink performed equally impressively, Pete O'Connell, Andy Hornby, Paul Hargreaves and Paul Harvey sealing a 19-9 win.

This left Health totally in charge of the match, despite Doddridge claiming a close victory of 16-15 on the final rink.

All this meant that Health became league champions for the first time in 11 years with a three-point victory.

The Ideal Motors Cup continued with Health losing a superb match to Primrose Hill.

The Hill rink of Mick Evans, Richard Lovesey, Kevin Evans and David Evans sealed the highest win of the night with a 22-13 win. A further Hill rink skipped by Keith Jones sealed a single-shot victory, while Hill skip Phil Aldridge and Health skip Ted Williams battled to a 14-14 draw.

Amateurs effortlessly moved top of the table with a plus-39 victory over 20th Century.