BOWLS: Joy for Northampton's Walker as he gets another England call

The Northampton West End bowler has won two national titles in 2016, claiming the Men’s Under 25 Singles and being part of the successful Mixed Fours team.

The tournament will be held over two weeks from November 29 to December 11, and sees the best international bowlers battling it out across Burnside, Fendalton, Canterbury Centre and Bowls Papanui greens in pursuit of victory.

The championship sees the top 34 qualified countries compete across four disciplines - singles, pairs, triples and fours, with Walker playing in the singles and triples.

Walker is joined in the England team by another Northants player in Desborough’s Rebecca Wigfield, who will play in the triples and fours.

The England teams are as follows, showing the disciplines of each member:

Women

Singles: Sophie Tolchard (Devon)

Pairs: Sophie Tolchard & Ellen Falkner (Cambridgeshire)

Triples: Jamie-Lea Winch (Leicestershire), Rebecca Wigfield (Northamptonshire) & Wendy King (Kent)

Fours: Jamie-Lea Winch, Rebecca Wigfield, Wendy King & Ellen Falkner

Men

Singles: Jamie Walker (Northamptonshire)

Pairs: Louis Ridout (Devon) & Sam Tolchard (Devon)

Triples: Jamie Walker, Andy Knapper (Berkshire) & Robert Paxton (Devon)

Fours: Louis Ridout, Andy Knapper, Robert Paxton & Sam Tolchard

Northants Women name team to face Leicestershire

THE following players have been selected to represent Northants Women in a Midland Counties match against Leicestershire on Sunday (Nov 20, 12.30pm) at Desborough IBC.

Rink 1: Pat Starsmore, Kettering Lodge BC/Chris Cooper, Wellingborough BC/Yvonne McKee, Kingsthorpe BC/Joan Watts, Daventry IBC

Rink 2: Lynn Upton, Brackley & District BC/Debbie Watkins, Kingsthorpe BC/Jeannie Flippance, Desborough IBC/Audrey Height, Kettering Lodge BC

Rink 3: Joyce George, Wellingborough BC/Elaine Urquhart, Brackley & District BC/Alison Dring, Wellingborough BC/Tina Broderick, Wellingborough BC

Rink 4: Julie Spreadbury, Daventry IBC/Vicki Rushall, Daventry IBC/Di Brumwell,Kingsthorpe BC/Brenda Bishop, Kingsthorpe BC

Rink 5: Marlene Armitage, Wellingborough BC/Phyll Parry, Wellingborough BC/Joan Sidebottom, Northampton & District IBC/Sharon Tansley, Kingsthorpe BC

Rink 6: Celia Morris, Kingsthorpe BC/Linda Warren, Northampton & District IBC/Wilma Walker, Desborough IBC/Hilary Sharpe, Kingsthorpe BC

Reserves: Rita Smith-Nolan, Rushden Town BC/Glenys Emery, Kingsthorpe BC/Dorothy Diver, Desborough IBC/Denise Carlin, Desborough IBC

Express earn team of the year accolade

THE Northampton Express BC fours team were named the Community Team of the Year at the Northamptonshire Sports Awards at Sywell Airport last week.

The Express quartet were nominated after they won the national fours title, and they claimed the award.

The team of Rob White, Ian Bland, Wayne Stanley and Dominic Graham were on hand to receive their gong.

Men prove too strong in the rout at Rushden

NORTHANTS Men were too strong for Cambridgeshire in their friendly clash at Rushden Town IBC as they won 140-96.

The County only suffered one losing rink, and the highest scoring was a triple skipped by Richard Somerton, which won by 12 shots, but not far behind were the two skipped by Geoff Harris and Terry James, which had 11 shots and nine shots wins respectively.

Details as follows, Cambs skips only:

Rink 1: Alan Diver, John Chester, Roy Cave & Terry James 27 shots – R Smith 18 shots

Rink 2: Trevor Tilley, Peter Kitchener, Brian Langton & Brian Diver 19 shots – V Rule 13 shots

Rink 3: Stuart Lowe, Keith Pick, Colin Barnes & Geoff Hunt 18 shots – J Charlton 19 shots

Rink 4: Don Scott, Eddie Short & Richard Somerton 24 shots – P Hayes 12 shots

Rink 5: Malcolm White, John Streather & Malc Mattinson 24 shots – P Horley 17 shots

Rink 6: John Nolan, Roland Smith, Andy Hogg & Geoff Harris 28 shots – J Witfield 17 shots

Cinato suffers defeat in the Scottish Open

KINGSTHORPE indoor section bowler Connor Cinato lost his second round match in the Scottish International Open in Perth in Scotland.

Cinatio, who enjoyed an excellent first-round win over former world champion Jason Greenslade of Wales, was beaten by Devon’s Robert Paxton.

The event is played in two sets of nine ends, followed, if necessary, by a three-end tie break set.

Cinato played well, but lost the first set 11-5 and the second 9-3 to go down 2-0.

Team named as bid to retain trophy begins

THE following players have been selected to represent Northants in the National Men’s Over 60 Inter County competition.

The County continue their quest to retain the trophy won last year when they play Leicestershire next Tuesday (Nov 22, 12.30pm) with three rinks playing at Wellingborough BC and three playing at Leicester IBC.

At Wellingborough: Rink 1: Dennis Collins, Wellingborough BC/Colin Barnes, Northampton & District IBC/Walt Winsor, Wellingborough BC/Mick Sharpe, Kingsthorpe BC

Rink 2: Tony Dicks, Daventry IBC/Alan Dunkley, Brackley & District BC/Maurice Allen, Wellingborough BC/Mick Cooper, Wellingborough BC

Rink 3: Jim Diver, Desborough IBC/Mick Richardson, Kingsthorpe BC/Bob Fuller, Wellingborough BC/John Haines, Desborough IBC

At Leicester: Rink 4: Will Clelland, Desborough IBC/Pete Morris, Kingsthorpe BC/Mick Worthington, Daventry IBC/Roger Tansley, Kingsthorpe BC

Rink 5: Roger Summers, Northampton & District IBC/Colin Jones, Kingsthorpe BC/Paul O’Beirne, Jim McKee, Kingsthorpe BC

Rink 6: Dougie Cooper, Desborough IBC/John Leggett, Northampton & District IBC/Norman Gibb, Desborough IBC/Tony Weston, Northampton & District IBC

Chloe, Joan and Linda move into next round

IN the National Triples, Chloe Weston, Joan Sidebottom and Linda Warren of Northampton & District IBC progressed into the second round with a 16-14 win over Desborough’s Abby Woodward, Jeannie Flippance and Rebecca Wigfield.

In the National Mixed Pairs, there were second round wins for Kingsthorpe’s Debbie Watkins and David Walker, who beat club-mates Marilyn Oram & Jason Bryan 21-20, and Kingsthorpe’s Hilary Sharpe and Andrew Manton. They too beat another Kingsthorpe pair in Maggie Edwards and Darren Lewis 23-10.

In the National Fours, there was a 16-11 win for the Northampton & District team of Linda Warren, Billie Swift, Chris Bland and Dominic Graham against Kingsthorpe’s Katie Smith, Dena Bryan, Neil McKee and Jamie Walker. In the Egham Trophy, Kingsthorpe beat Northampton & District IBC 72-55.

Details as follows, skips only, Kingsthorpe names first:

At Kingsthorpe: Rink 1: Mick Sharpe 22 – Kieran Rollings 8

Rink 2: Andrew Manton 9 – John Leggett 17

At Northampton: Rink 3: Connor Cinato 16 – Andy Smith 17

Rink 4: Vernon Gearey 25 – Chris Bland 13

In the men’s National Triples, Andy Smith, Richard Lemon and Chris Bland of Northampton & District IBC beat Kingsthorpe’s Jason Bryan, Jim McKee and Vernon Gearey 19-4, while in the Over-50s Triples, Mick Sharpe’s Kingsthorpe triple beat Tony Dicks’ Daventry triple 17-14.

Northampton side are too good for Kettering

In the National Over-60 Club Double Rinks competition, Northampton & District IBC A beat Kettering Lodge BC 46-17 shots

Details as follows, Northampton names first:

At Northampton: Rink 1: Tony Ellis, Bob Reynolds, Reg Jones & John Leggett 30 – Dave W Smith, Barry Grant, Brian Briggs & Brian Barnicoat 8

At Kettering: Rink 2: Roger Summers, Colin Barnes, Dave Fage & Tony Weston 16 – Tom Forward, John Rigby, John Beal & Pete Morgan 9

Desborough IBC beat Northampton & District IBC B 39-23.

Details as follows, Desborough names first:

At Desborough: Rink 1: Will Clelland, Alex McKim, Norman Gibb & George Warren 23 – C Hopkins, Peter Gilkes, Dave Williamson & Terry Brown 5

At Northampton: Rink 2: Jim Diver, Martin Underwood, Pete Mellor & John Haines 16 – T Martin, Alan Ward, Mick Hall & Rod Rigby 18

Kingsthorpe BC A beat Wellingborough BC A 36-29.

Details as follows, Kingsthorpe names first:

At Kingsthorpe: Rink 1: Pete Maloy, Pete Morris, Roger Tansley & Mick Sharpe 23 – Les Johnson, Barry Melville, John Towell & David Bailey 10

At Wellingborough: Rink 2: Mick Richardson, Paul O’Beirne, Colin Jones & Jim McKee 12 – Terry Martin, Pete McDowell, Peter Boulden & Tony Asher 19

Squad is selected for Kingsthorpe friendly

THE following players have been selected to represent Northants IBA in a friendly against the Northamptonshire Retired Police BA on November 23 at Kingsthorpe BC (2pm).

Rink 1: Dougie Ainsworth, Desborough IBC/Jim Brumwell, Kingsthorpe BC/Roy Cave, Rushden Town BC/Richard Somerton, Brackley & District BC

Rink 2: Roger Miller, Desborough IBC/Peter Kitchener, Rushden Town BC/Allan Watts, Daventry IBC/Geoff Hunt, Wellingborough BC

Rink 3: Alan Diver, Desborough IBC/Tony Warren, Northampton & District IBC/Brian Langton, Rushden Town BC/Norman Gibb, Desborough IBC

Rink 4: Don Scott, Brackley & District BC/Dave Garland, Kingsthorpe BC/John Streather, Rushden Town BC/Tony Weston, Northampton & District IBC

Rink 5: Peter Byworth, Wellingborough BC/Bob Sullivan, Desborough IBC/Bob Tingle, Desborough IBC/Terry James, Rushden Town BC

Rink 6: Will Clelland, Desborough IBC/Eddie Chapman, Wellingborough BC/Robin Frost, Northampton & District IBC/Brian Sherwood, Rushden Town BC

Reserves: John Carson, Desborough IBC/Dave Williamson, Northampton & District IBC/Eddie Short, Desborough IBC/Roland Smith, Desborough IBC