BOWLS: Northants start their season in superb style

The match was staged at Kingsthorpe BC, and Northants made the most of home advantage as they won on all six rinks to claim maximum points.

The match went well for the County from the very start, with an advantage of 20 shots after the first five ends at 41-21, and it continued in that vein for the remainder of the match.

The highest scoring rink was the very youthful one skipped by David Walker, which posted a 20-shots victory, but his was closely followed by the rink skipped by Roger Tansley, which had an 18 shots advantage.

The result saw Northants claim 22 points, and Derbyshire none.

Rink details as follows, Derbyshire skips only:

Rink 1: Adam Brown, Martin Gearey, John Haines & Vernon Gearey 22 – A Clipston 15

Rink 2: Danny Walker, Kieran Rollings, Sam Gamble & David Walker 32 – I Wilkinson 12

Rink 3: Adam Pitfield, Shaun Marriott, Peter Ward & Andrew Manton 21 – P Broughton 12

Rink 4: David Iddles, Jonathan Brown, Connor Cinato & Paul Broderick 20 – D Smith 16

Rink 5: Chris Gray, John Freeman, Richard Lemon & Darren Childs 20 – J Bowley 16

Rink 6: Neil Rolfe, Tom Wellburn, Alan Ashby & Roger Tansley 33 – J Arnett 15

Team named for the Midland match-up

THE following players have been selected to represent Northants Men against Lincolnshire in a Midland Counties Championship at Kettering Lodge BC this Saturday (2pm).

Team manager Phil Reeve will be looking to add to the excellent win against Derbyshire, and to give him an opportunity to view more players and combinations, prior to his selection for the all important Middleton Cup campaign to come.

Rink 1: Dave Love, Wellingborough BC/Simon Coles, Northampton Express BC/John Haines, Desborough Town BC/Darren Childs, Northampton West End BC

Rink 2: David Iddles, Kingsthorpe BC/Steve Norman, Higham Ferrers Town BC/Peter Ward, Desborough Town BC/Andrew Manton, Kingsthorpe BC

Rink 3: Tony O’Leary, Abington BC/Mick Spear, Kingsthorpe BC/Roger Tansley, Kingsthorpe BC/Vernon Gearey, Kingsthorpe BC

Rink 4: David Walker, Kingsthorpe BC/Ashley Linnell, Northampton West End BC/Chris Bland, Northampton Express BC/Jamie Walker, Northampton West End BC

Rink 5: Keith Height, Burton Latimer Town BC/John Freeman, Abington BC/Matt Pownall, Burton Latimer Town BC/Callum Height, Burton Latimer Town BC

Rink 6: Connor Rollings, Burton Latimer Town BC/Kieran Rollings, Kettering Lodge BC/Adam Pitfield, Burton Latimer Town BC/Sam Gamble, Kettering Lodge BC

Reserves: Alan Ashby, Northampton West End BC/Martin Gearey, Kingsthorpe BC/Chris Gray, Burton Latimer Town BC/Danny Walker, Northampton West End BC

Ladies lose out despite a determined display

NORTHANTS Ladies travelled to Cambridge to take on Cambridgeshire in the Middle England League and, despite winning four of the six rinks, were beaten 121-111.

That was because one of the two rinks that did lose went down by whopping 33 shots, and that was enough to see Cambridgeshire to victory.

It was very close for most of the match with just two shots the difference after five ends, one shot after 10 ends and two shots after 15 ends, but Cambridgeshire just had the better of things over the last six ends of play.

The highest scoring of the County’s winning rinks was shared by that skipped by Tina Broderick, and that skipped by Brenda Bishop, which both had an 11 shots advantage.

Although defeated, the points allocation was not too disastrous with Cambridgeshire collecting nine points and the County eight.

Rink details, Cambs skips only, as follows:

Rink 1: Linda Warren, Marlene Armitage, Alison Dring & Tina Broderick 23 – S Pinder 12

Rink 2: Maggie Edwards, Val Scott, Velda Cooper & Di Brumwell 21 – J Sketes-Wilson 17

Rink 3: Joyce George, Chloe Weston, Wilma Walker & Sharon Tansley 14 – S Alexander 25

Rink 4: Celia Morris, Elaine Urquhart, Jill Welch & Hilary Sharpe 21 – V Hughes 13

Rink 5: Chris Cooper, Julie Spreadbury, Sandra Mawson & Val Betts 8 – C Salisbury 41

Rink 6: Brenice Willmott, Jo Johns, Eleanor Winters & Brenda Bishop 24 – J George 13

VPs are beaten in the Burton Latimer game

NORTHANTS Vice-Presidents took on Lincolnshire VPs in a friendly at Burton Latimer, and were beaten 116-102.

The County won on two rinks and lost on four, with the highest scoring for the County VPs rinks were those skipped by Trevor Wright and Peter Kitchener, which both recorded nine shots wins.

Rink details as follows, Lincs skips only:

Rink 1: Tony Hancock, Roger Atkins, Will Keeney & Dave Williamson 17 – Bill Patterson 19

Rink 2: Albert Julyan, Len Marshall, Ian Loseby & Dave Betts 14 – Brian Diver 22

Rink 3: Ollie Pearson,Colin Incles, Dennis Sansome & Tim Robinson 16 – Mick Faulkner 25

Rink 4: Phil Bates, Derek Essam, Bryan Audis & Trevor Wright 23 – Gordon West 14

Rink 5: Maurice Tyler, Jeff Talbot, Tom Black & Jack Brown 10 – Tony Windsor 23

Rink 6: Brian Robbins, Ken Legan, Slim Pitts & Peter Kitchener 22 – Peter Godding 13

Northants name team for a friendly clash

THE following players have been selected to play for the Northants VPs in a friendly against The Imps Bowling Association next Wednesday (May 30) at Kislingbury BC (2pm).

Rink 1: Tony Hancock, Roger Atkins, Dennis Sansome & Dave Betts

Rink 2: Derek Essam, Ken Legan, Slim Pitts & Jack Brown

Rink 3: Bill Price, Andrew Bosworth, Colin Incles & Barry Hogston

Rink 4: Maurice Tyler, John Murkett, Peter Byworth & Richard Dyball

Rink 5: Paul Cooke, Gerry Fitzhugh, Dick Lovesay & Dave Williamson

Rink 6: Brian Robbins, John Allen, Will Keeney & Jack Brown

Reserves: Albert Julyan, Ian Loseby, Len Marshall, Bryan Audis, Ollie Pearson & Richard Tyack

Battle of the sexes to take place on Sunday

THE annual ‘crunch match’ between Northants Men and Northants Ladies takes place at Wellingborough BC this Sunday (May 27, 2pm), and the following are the respective teams:

Northants Ladies

Rink 1: Billie Swift, Abbey Park BC/Elaine Munton, Northampton Whyte Melville BC/Lisbeth Milburn, Abington BC/Brenda Bishop, Kingsthorpe BC

Rink 2: Joyce George, Wellingborough BC/Jo Johns, Geddington & Newton BC/Chris Cooper, Burton Latimer Town/Jan Hunt, Wellingborough BC

Rink 3: Marlene Armitage, Wellingborough BC/Phyll Parry, Wellingborough BC/Sian Hughes-Jones, Kettering Lodge BC/Eleanor Winters, Corby Forest BC

Rink 4: Pat Coles, Geddington & Newton BC/Margaret Fairs, Corby Forest BC/Karon Kerr/Wilma Walker, Corby Forest BC

Rink 5: Velda Cooper, Irchester BC/Margaret Tyler, Burton Latimer Town BC/Nancy Tebbutt, Thrapston BC/Liz Keeney, Corby Seagrave House BC

Northants Men

Rink 1: Stuart Lowe, Brackley & District BC/John Chester, Kettering Lodge BC/Will Keeney, Corby Seagrave House BC/John Church,, Higham Ferrers Town BC

Rink 2: Jonathan George, Wellingborough BC/John Cooper, Burton Latimer Town BC/Geoff Harris, Higham Ferrers Town BC/Geoff Hunt, Wellingborough BC

Rink 3: Malcolm White, Rushden Town BC/Chris Hawkins, Rothwell Manor Park BC/Dave Stewart, Rushden Town BC/Mossy Waters, Rushden Town BC

Rink 4: Paul Cooke, Carlsberg BC/Richard Somerton/Peter Kitchener, Irchester BC/Terry James, Thrapston BC

Rink 5: Harvey Fruish, Abington BC/Dave Lovell, Irchester BC/Kevin Mawson, Kislingbury BC/George Warren, Corby Seagrave House BC

Reserves: Laurie Harrison, Earls Barton BC/ /Geoff Simmons, Wellingborough BC

Cavaliers claim a big Wellingborough win

THE Cavaliers BA entertained the English Fire Service in a friendly match at Wellingborough BC and claimed four winning rinks as they won 126-95.

The highest scoring rink for the Cavaliers was that skipped by Peter Mercer, which recorded an 18 shots victory.

Rink details, Fire Service skips only, as follows:

Rink 1: John Murkett, Bill Humphries, Peter Kneeshaw & Mick Hall 22 – H Fruish 12

Rink 2: Graham Casmore, Peter Byworth, Colin Incles & Ian Daverson 15 – P Ham 19

Rink 3: John Cooper, Len Marshall, Dick Howell & Peter Boulden 20 – M George 18

Rink 4: Peter Marsh, Stewart Laxton, Ron Fox & Richard Dyball 14 – K Croxon 22

Rink 5: Ken Legan, Brian Hayes & Dave Cox (played as a Triple) 24 – M Freebrey 11

Rink 6: Brian Collin, Mick Galloway, Malcolm O’Hanlon & Peter Mercer 31 – B Turner 13

Ladies select squad for game at Gilt Edge

THE following players have been selected to represent Northants Ladies in a friendly against Worcestershire next Wednesday at Gilt Edge BC in Kidderminster (1.30pm).

Rink 1: Linda Warren, Abbey Park BC/Dawn Owen, Desborough Town BC/P{am Sallaway, Rushden Town BC/Val Betts, Higham Ferrers Town BC

Rink 2: Marlene Armitage, Wellingborough BC/Sandra Mawson, Kingsthorpe BC/Pat Starsmore, Kettering Lodge BC/Brenda Bishop, Kingsthorpe BC

Rink 3: Velda Cooper, Irchester BC/Rhona Holland, Heyford BC/Jill Welch, Heyford BC/Margaret McGillivray, Desborough Town BC

Rink 4: Trish Basford, Geddington & Newton BC/Karon Kerr, Geddington & Newton BC/Heather Lack, Burton Latimer Town BC/Eleanor Winters, Corby Forest BC

Rink 5: Julie Spreadbury, Heyford BC/Wen Hill, Desborough Town BC/Emma Exley, Burton Latimer Town BC/Jan Hunt, Wellingborough BC

Rink 6: Maggie Edwatds, Kingsthorpe BC/Elaine Munton, Northampton White Melville BC/Chris Cooper, Burton Latimer Town BC/Pat Bodily, Northampton Whyte Melville BC

Reserves: Denise Carlin, Desborough Town BC/Liz Keeney, Corby Seagrave House BC

County are beaten at Brackley & District

NORTHANTS Men suffered a 136-104 defeat to Oxfordshire in a friendly at Brackley & District BC.

The County had two winning rinks, and four losing, with the highest of the County’s winning rinks being the one skipped by Michael Moulton which posted a seven shots victory.

Rink details as follows, Oxon skips only:

Rink 1: Alan Ashby, John Davies, Peter Kitchener & John Church 12 – Richard Barnett 35

Rink 2: Peter Court, Brian Lancaster, Paul Green & Michael Moulton 25 – Ian Whelpton 18

Rink 3: David Lovell, Tony Warren, Graham Prior & Malc Mattinson 16 – Melvin Brain 22

Rink 4: Colin Barnes, John Chester, Tim Robinson & Richard Somerton 20 – Alan Lay 22

Rink 5: Stuart Lowe, Dave Williamson, Bob Tingle & Geoff Hunt 20 – Brian Bloomfield 17

Rink 6: Don Scott, David Blencowe, Geoff Hayter & Terry James 11 – Paul Robbins 22

Under-25s cruise to comfortable success

NORTHANTS Under-25s took on Suffolk in the first round of the White Rose Trophy inter-county double rink competition at Stowmarket, and eased to a 44-26 win.

The win puts the County through to the regional finals against either Essex or Norfolk.

Details as follows, Suffolk skips only:

Rink 1: Adam Pitfield, Kieran Rollings, Will Walker & David Walker 18 – L Harris 16

Rink 2: Danny Walker, Sam Gamble, Nathan Betts & Connor Cinato 26 – C Leeks 10