BOWLS: Northants closing in on Midland Counties League title glory

Both teams went into the match defending 100 per cent records, and they knew a win would go a long way to cementing the championship.

For Leicestershire, this was their sixth and final match in the league, but for Northants it was the fourth of six matches, with contests still to come against Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire.

Manager Vernon Gearey was obliged to make a few changes to his team from the previous outing, and it worked a treat as Northants collected 20 points and restricted Leicestershire to just two.

This gives the County a fantastic chance of taking the trophy, subject to winning their final two matches.

Northants are 26 points behind Leicestershire so the County needs 27 points to be champions as no other county can now overtake them.

Northants had five winning rinks, and just one losing, and then by the modest amount of seven shots, and the highest scoring of those rinks was the one skipped by Roger Tansley which posted a 23 shots win.

Rink details, Leics skips only, are as follows:

Rink 1: Adam Brown, Jonathan Brown, Will Walker & Roger Tansley 32 – Tom Alcock 9

Rink 2: Kieran Rollings, Martin Gearey, Peter Ward & Matt Pownall 28 – Peter Hobbs 13

Rink 3: Tony O’Leary, John Freeman, Richard Lemon & Callum Height 13 – Joe Dawson 20

Rink 4: Connor Rollings, David Walker, Paul Broderick & Jamie Walker 28 – Alistair Hollis 14

Rink 5: Keith Height, Ashley Linnell, Darren Lyman & Darren Childs 26 – Steve Wade 23

Rink 6: Danny Walker, Daniel Height, Andrew Manton & Vernon Gearey 26 – Roger Cooper 15

NORTHANTS men played a friendly against a strong Essex side at Brackley and suffered a 159-89 hammering.

There was just one winning rink for Northants, and that by a modest seven shots by the rink skipped by Ken Court.

Rink details as follows, Essex skips only:

Rink 1: Don Scott, Bob Tingle, Colin Barnes & George Willmott 18 – David Jarrold 29.

Rink 2: Harvey Fruish, Geoff Jordan (a guest player from Essex!), Peter Kitchener & John Church 17 – Mike Cornwell 32

Rink 3: Peter Hoad, John Davies, Dave Williamson & Ken Court 19 – Pat Finney 12

Rink 4: Brian Hunt, Peter Byworth, Dave Lovell & Malc Mattinson 11 – Graham Smith 37

Rink 5: Paul Cooke, Don Styles (another guest player from Brackley) Bob Blencowe & Mossy Waters 9 – Ray Searle 28

Rink 6: Trevor Tilley, Dave Garland, Trevor Gregory & Richard Somerton 15 – Les Mercer 21

NORTHANTS men have named their team for a friendly against Bedfordshire at Linslade BC next Tuesday (start 2pm).

Rink 1: John Carson, Corby Seagrave House BC/Peter Gilkes, Robin Frost, both Bugbrooke BC/Richard Somerton, Brackley & District BC

Rink 2: Gordon Morris, Northampton West End BC/George Donegan, Corby Seagrave House BC/Reg Jones, Abington BC/George Willmott, Irchester BC

Rink 3: Harvey Fruish, Abington BC/Malcolm Pell, Irchester BC/ Peter Mercer, West Haddon BC/Norman Gibb, Corby Seagrave House BC

Rink 4: Peter Kitchener, Dave Lovell, both Irchester BC/Colin Barnes, Abington BC/Geoff Hayter, Bugbrooke BC

Rink 5: Peter Hoad, Northampton Express BC/Ian Watts, West Haddon BC/Neville Bodily, Northampton Whyte Melville BC/Malcolm Mattinson, Thrapston BC

Rink 6: Laurie Harrison, Earls Barton BC/Ray Ward, Corby Seagrave House BC/Dave Williamson, Northampton BBOB BC/Bob Tingle, Kettering Midland Band BC

Reserves: Tony Warren, Northampton Express BC/Trevor Tilley, Irchester BC/David Francis, Bugbrooke BC

THE following players have been selected to represent Northants Vice Presidents Bowling Association in a friendly against Gloucestershire VPs next Wednesday (July 27) at Cheltenham Spa BC in Cheltenham.

Travel is by coach, picking up at Kettering Athletic Club at 9.30am and St Crispin’s Social Club at 10.15am.

Rink 1: Maurice Tyler, Jim Walvin, Ken Legan & Dick Howell

Rink 2: Tony Hancock, Derek Essam, Len Marshall &Dave Stewart

Rink 3: Brian Robbins, Bill Humphries, Dave Betts & Michael Moulton

Rink 4: Mike McKeown, Tony Coles, John Cooper & Paul Cooke

Rink 5: Peter Kitchener, Charles Longstaff, Peter Oliver & Colin Incles

Rink 6: Richard Pitts, Dick Lovesay, Peter Byworth & Jack Brown

Resserves: Barry Basford, Tony Essam, John Chester & Vic Wallace

Unbeaten West End are on title course

The Northampton Area Monday night triples league has reached its halfway stage with Northampton West End A the only unbeaten team in all four divisions.

West End heads division one by four points with a game in hand over their nearest rivals Kingsthorpe A who are, for once, not dominating the league - but are not to be written off just yet!

At the other end of the table, Daventry Town A have yet to win a match but are hoping for a better second half of the season

In division two the leaders are Bugbrooke, holding a three-point advantage over second-placed Wootton A with the next four teams being separated by just 1.5 points.

Even bottom-placed Heyford are only six points away from safety with a game in hand so there is everything to play for in the return matches.

Carlsberg are in a strong position, leading division three by 4.5 points over Kingsthorpe B who are heading third-placed Cold Ashby by 2.5 points.

Again this is a very tight division with third to seventh positions having only a two points margin.

Northampton Express B are somewhat adrift in eighth position but there are still a lot of points to be won.

Division four sees St Crispin B at the helm by 2.5 points with a game in hand over second-placed Byfield.

With Harpole B in seventh spot on 16.5 points, having played a game fewer than their higher-placed rivals, this division is still wide open.

Only Daventry Town B have yet to open their winning account, which they will hopefully put right in the second part of the season.

The Dalepak-sponsored knockout competition is down to the quarter-final stage with Northampton West End dominating the top half of the draw with both A and B teams set to play each other in a semi-final, although Daventry Town A and Whyte Melville A will have to be overcome before then.

The bottom half of the draw has a similar look with Abington A and B teams both still there but needing to deal with substantial threats from both Bugbrooke and Kingsthorpe B to earn a place in the other semi-final.

Knock Out Competition Results: First round: Northampton West End ‘A’ beat Brackley 58-53 shots; Roade beat Byfield 63-61 shots; Daventry Town ‘A’ beat Harpole ‘B’ 99-25 shots; Harpole ‘A’ beat Heyford 86-53 shots; Northampton Express ‘B’ beat Kislingbury ‘B’61-56 shots; Northampton West End beat Cogenhoe 70-51 shots; Northampton Whyte Melville ‘A’ beat Wootton Grange ‘A’ 67-59 shots; Earls Barton beat Daventry Town ‘B’ 125-24 shots; St Crispin ‘A’ beat Kislingbury ‘A’ 85-48 shots; Kingsthorpe ‘B’ beat West Haddon 64-49 shots; Abington ‘A’ beat Desborough 73-46 shots; St Crispin ‘B’ beat Northampton Whyte Melville 73-68 shots; Abington ‘B’ beat Cold Ashby 79-43 shots; Daventry Tigers beat Carlsberg 57-57 (after extra end); Bugbrooke beat Wootton Grange ‘B’ 99-32 shots; Northampton Express ‘A’ beat Kingsthorpe ‘A’ 55-53 shots

Second round: Northampton West End ‘A’ beat Roade 65-42 shots; Daventry Town ‘A’ beat Harpole ‘A’ 71-47 shots; Northampton West End ‘B’ beat Northampton Express ‘B’ 96-41 shots; Northampton Whyte Melville ‘A’ beat Earls Barton 62-58 shots; Kingsthorpe ‘B’ beat St Crispin ‘A’ 58-49 shots; Abington ‘A’ beat St Crispin ‘B’ 75-47 shots; Abington ‘B’ beat Daventry Tigers 75-44 shots; Bugbrooke beat Northampton Express ‘A’ 61-59 shots

NORTHANTS VPs went down 110-100 in their five-rink friendly against South Warwickshire at Roade.

The County men had two winning rinks, the highest scoring of which was that skipped by Paul Cooke, which recorded a 12 shots win.

The County also had Steve Cooper, Irchester BC, playing his first match for the VP’s.

Rink scores as follows, South Warwicks skips only:

Rink 1: Ollie Pearson, Charles Longstaff, Richard Pitts & Dick Howell 16 – Boyd Sabin 30

Rink 2: Tony Hancock, Steve Cooper, Len Marshall & Dave Stewart 18 – Geoff Moran 25

Rink 3: Maurice Tyler, Bryan Audis, Ken Legan & Colin Incles 21 – Aubrey Brookhouse 16

Rink 4: Richard Dyball, Peter Byworth, Barry Hogston & Paul Cooke 27 – Peter Higgins 15

Rink 5: Derek Essam, Vic Wallace, Dave Betts & Dave Williamson 18 – Dick Allibon 24

Northants Ladies are tied up in Notts

Northants Ladies travelled to East Leake BC in Nottingham to take on Notts in the Middle England League, and slumped to a 126-116 defeat.

Although the rink wins were shared, the County came home disappointed to have lost.

The highest scoring of the County’s rinks was that skipped by Hilary Sharpe which posted a good winning score of plus 13 shots.

Rink details, Notts skips only, as follows:

Rink 1: Celia Morris, Pat Coles, Pat Mattinson & Val Betts 12 – S Offler 20

Rink 2: Marlene Armitage, Sandra Mawson, Pat Bodily & Brenda Bishop 14 – J Coddington 13

Rink 3: Pat Starsmore, Ann Stewart, Anita Petrucci & Di Brumwell 24 – A Duckworth 30

Rink 4: Velda Cooper, Trish Basford, Margaret McGillivray & Hilary Sharpe 25 – M Maidlow 12

Rink 5: Julie Spreadbury, Rhona Holland, Jill Welch & Wilma Walker 28 – T Wombell 25

Rink 6: Alison Dring, Heather Golding, Heather Lack & Barbara Haseldine 13 – A Porter 26

THE following players will represent Northants Ladies in a home friendly against Buckinghamshire BA next Tuesday (July 26) afternoon at Northampton West End BC (1.30pm).

Rink 1: Linda Warren, Abbey Park BC/Pat Symonds, Daventry Tigers BC/Alison Dring, Burton Latimer Town BC/Brenda Bishop, Kingsthorpe BC

Rink 2: Marlene Armitage, Wellingborough BC/Rhona Holland, Heyford BC/Ann Stewart, Irchester BC/Pat Bodily, Northampton Whyte Melville BC

Rink 3: Debbie Cox, Finedon Town BC/Heather Golding, Swanspool BC/Jill Welch, Heyford BC/Margaret McGillivray, Desborough Town BC

Rink 4: Pat Starsmore, Kettering Lodge BC/Elaine Munton, Northampton Whyte Melville BC/Val Betts, Higham Ferrers Town BC/Barbara Haseldine, Finedon Town BC

Rink 5: Velda Cooper, Irchester BC/Chris Cross, Byfield BC/Sandra Mawson, Northampton Whyte Melville BC/Joan Sidebottom, Roade BC

Rink 6: Chris Cooper, Burton Latimer Town BC/Pam Sallaway, Rushden Town BC/Heather Lack, Burton Latimer Town BC/Wilma Walker, Corby Forest BC

Reserves: Pat Coles, Geddington & Newton BC/Sylvia Downer, Wellingborough BC/Jo Johns, Geddington & Newton BC

NORTHANTS Under-25s suffered a heavy defeat in their Ron Barston’ trophy Midland Counties match against Warwickshire U25s on Sunday at Abington BC.

Northants had no winning rinks and lost by 23.25 shots.

Manager Peter Botterill was obliged to field a weakened team due to several of his more experienced players being unavailable, while Warwickshire fielded two over age players, both top County bowlers, in Andy Smith and Calvin Wells.

Warwick were also short and had to play a triple with the front two players

bowling three woods each, so on three rinks they had to lose 25 per cent of their score.

The highest scoring rink for the County was that skipped by Tom Wellburn, which, after deduction of 25 per cent of his opponent’s total score, due to them playing an over age player, lost by just one shot.

The final score was Northamptonshire 70 shots Warwickshire 93.25 shots.

Rink details as follows, Warwicks skips only:

Rink 1: Riley Marklew, Paul Gudgeon, Kieran Rollings & Louise Haladij 13 – L Horne 17

Rink 2: Charlie Franklin, Tom Manderson, Alice Moore & Tom Wellburn 14 – M Smith 15

Rink 3: Mark Waterfield, Bruce Sibbett, Tay O’Neill & Dan Waterfield 14 – M Smith 20.25

Rink 4: Connor Rollings, Zac Wilson, Billie Swift & Nathan Betts 17 – D Ward 23

Rink 5: Megan Rolfe, Shannon Swift, Connor Dolby & Jack Botterill 12 – Matt Wordingham 18

Northants Under-25s will next play against a Northants Executive team on Sunday at Kettering Lodge BC (2pm).