GOLF: Collingtree Park set up final chance

Rob Stevenson was the Kettering hero as he defeated Andy Limbert on the first extra hole, after losing to the same player 4&3 in the regular match.

Sean Suddards, Neil White, Mark Hastie and Nick Keech had earlier picked up points for Kettering, while Northampton’s wins came from Lawrence Ryan, Dean Roberts and Brad Jarvis.

Collingtree needed two extra holes to book their place in the final as Arjun Shah overcame his 4&2 defeat to Joe Griffiths to edge the team home.

Trevor Twelftree, Conor Rosling and Neil Abery were successful for Collingtree, Paul Hughes and Mike Gilbrook bagged Wellingborough’s two other victories, while the remaining two games were halved.

The final will take place at a neutral venue on Sunday, October 9.

Shires Junior Golf Tour

Kingsthorpe’s Thomas Freeman was in devastating form in the last event of the regular season on Shires Junior Golf Tour as he won the Silver Division with 44 points at Market Harborough.

Freeman, who turned 14 years of age earlier in the week, carded five pars and a birdie on the seventh hole as he finished five ahead of Frazer Jones (Lingdale) and Baylie Pyke (Overstone).

Another birthday boy Ethan La Porta grabbed an impressive tally of 43 points to finish runner-up in the Bronze Division - just a single point behind Thomas Dziuba (Beedles Lake).

With scoring conditions more difficult in the wet and windy conditions early on, Rushden’s Callum Gant coped best as he took the honours in the top section with 35.

Roisin Scanlon (Bedfordshire) won the Copper category, while Amy Nunn (Overstone) and Jack Meakin (Priors Hall) compiled the joint-second best score of 38 point in the Diamond.

The Grand Final will take place at The Leicestershire on Sunday, October 23.

Scratch League

Peterborough Milton blew their chances of going level with Northants County at the top of the division one table after fielding just five players in their away match with Overstone as they crashed to a 6-2 loss.

Rory Edwards and Ian Wicks gave the visitors hope of a remarkable win by taking the first two points.

But Overstone proved too strong as Luke Barney, James Barker and Richard Dalton bagged the other points as they moved off the foot of the standings.

In division two, Priors Hall are now just one victory away from promotion into the top flight after securing an excellent 4-4 draw at Kingsthorpe.

Ian Abrahams and Marc Asher recorded big away wins in the opening two ties, Rab Wilson added another point in game five, before Mikey Chambers secured a share of the team spoils on the 18th hole.

Staverton’s hopes of going up are over after they crashed to an 8-0 reverse at Cold Ashby, who now sit in mid-table.

James Gibson, Paul Fuller, Gareth Dolman, James Lovett, Dennis Mathers, Jack Hall, Stuart Nicholas and Fraser Carnihan grabbed the points for Ashby.

Ladies Bouverie Bowl

TWO strokes was the margin of victory in the Ladies Bouverie Bowl as Denise Brady took the top prize with a net 72 on her home course at Northants County.

Overstone’s Gill Hodgson was runner-up on countback from Claire Lindsay, with fellow Northampton members Roseanne Youngman and Charlie Astbury next on 75 apiece.

Ladies Charity Medal

Staverton Park enjoyed a double success in the Ladies County Charity Medal as Paula Teckkam and Elaine Loydall took the plaudits in the Silver and Bronze Divisions respectively at Rushden GC.

Teckkam was particularly impressive as she fired a net 67 to finish four ahead of Kirsty Critchley (Kettering), while Loydall’s net 72 was enough for victory in the high-handicap category.

County KO

Tony Lord is one victory away from another crown after the Northants County member reached the final of the NGL County Matchplay Singles.

The experienced golfer defeated Mark Bazeley (Kingsthorpe) to set up a meeting with Kettering’s James Northern, who beat Chris Savage (Peterborough Milton) in the other semi-final.

With Finals Day taking place on Sunday, October 2 at Wellingborough GC, the Fourball Betterball match sees Craig Cotterill and Gary Osborne (Hellidon Lakes) take on Karl Byron and Mark Conway (Cold Ashby).

Cotterill and Osborne beat Adrian Miller and Bradley Wardell (Farthingstone) 3&2 in the last four, while Byron and Conway edged a tight semi-final with Lewis MacLoon and Joshua Smith (Rushden).

Collingtree pairing Andy Billson and Jason Hall take on Paul James and Guiseppe Melia for the right to face Wellingborough duo Paul Hughes and Chris Ludwig in the Foursomes KO Final.

England international Charlie Salter (Northants County) is through to the quarter-finals of the Boys Singles KO, alongside Luke Barney (Overstone), Liam McNeela (Collingtree) and Stephen Field (Brampton Heath).

Whittlebury’s Natasha Ainsley-Thomas and Rayner Edwards have reached the last four of the NGL Girls Singles KO.