BOWLS: Walker gets England call for Australia tour

Bowls England has named a 14-strong squad to participate in a series of matches in Australia to signal the start of preparations for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

The matches in Australia will include a three-day Test match at Broadbeach BC against the hosts from April 26-28.

This will be followed by a series of one-day events against representative teams from across the Gold Coast from April 30 to May 5.

Selected players: Women: Natalie Chestney (Devon); Ellen Falkner (Cambridgeshire); Rebecca Field (Norfolk); Sian Honnor (Kent); Wendy King (Kent); Katherine Rednall (Suffolk); Sophie Tolchard (Devon)

Men: David Bolt (Durham); Jamie Chestney (Devon); Andy Knapper (Berkshire); Robert Paxton (Devon); Louis Ridout (Devon); Sam Tolchard (Devon); Jamie Walker (Northamptonshire)

The series will form the first part of Bowls England’s preparation programme that will ultimately lead to the selection of 10 players (five men and five women) to represent England at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Defeat to Devon sees Northants exit Trophy

NORTHANTS Men are out of the Liberty Trophy after they suffered a 110-95 semi-final defeat to Devon at MidGlos IBC on Saturday.

Boss Jim McKee was forced to make a couple of changes due to Neil Corbyn falling ill, with Darren Childs being moved to skip in place of Corbyn, and John Haines coming in to replace Childs at No.3 on Jamie Walker’s rink.

The County started really well and Andrew Manton’s rink scored seven shots on the first end.

Unfortunately this promising start could not be maintained, and after three ends the County were nine shots down at 25-16.

Walker’s rink was having a particularly difficult time as potentially high scoring ends for the County were being killed by the Devon skip Louis Ridout, while Childs’ rink was eight shots down after five ends.

Neil Mckee’s rink 
was doing well and Paul Broderick was having a close match with Sam Tolchard’s team, but it was apparent that whenever the County scored two or three shots on one rink, Devon replied with similar or better on another rink.

After eight ends the County were 13 shots behind, and however hard the team tried, the gap was rarely reduced to fewer than 10 shots in Devon’s favour.

Paul Broderick and Neil Mckee won on both their rinks, but it was not enough as the County lost on the other four.

Rink Scores, County names first, as follows:

Rink 1: Curtis Johnson, Ben Sharpe, Dominic Graham, Paul Broderick 17 - Sam. Tolchard 16

Rink 2: Neil. Rolfe, Chris Bland, Callum Height, Andrew Manton 16 – Ryan Whitlock 23

Rink 3: Tony Dicks, Richard Mann, Connor Cinato, Neil Mckee 22 - Ian. Bond 12

Rink 4: Jason Bryan, David Walker, John Haines, Jamie Walker 13 - Louis Ridout 18

Rink 5: Adam Pitfield, Andy Smith, Darren Lyman, Darren Childs 13 – Danny Denison 24

Rink 6: Dave Love, Mark Tompkins, Matt Pownall, Vernon Gearey 14 – John Evans 17

Under-25s secure win at first time of asking

NORTHANTS Under-25s won the Neville Auker Trophy at Peterborough IBCon Sunday.

This competition is for two rinks of players from counties from the east of England area, with Northants taking on teams from Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire.

It was the first time Northants had entered, and they won it.

The County team was as follows:

Rink 1: Abby Woodward, Kieran Rollings, Billie Swift and Danny Walker

Rink 2: Lois Woodward, Paige Johnson-Young, Curtis Johnson & Will Walker

There is four points awarded for an overall win and two points for a winning rink and one point for a tied rink.

There were four ‘round robin’ matches, and the County’s record was as follows:

Match 1 - beat Suffolk 22-13 (7 points). Rink 1: 10-10; Rink 2: 12-3

Match 2 - beat Norfolk 25-9 (7 points). Rink 1: 5-5; Rink 2: 20-4

Match 3 - beat Essex 15-13 (6 points). Rink 1: 5-8; Rink 2: 10-5

Match 4 - drew 18-18 with Cambridgeshire (4 points). Rink 1: 10-7; Rink 2: 8-11

The tournament went down to the last game with both Norfolk rinks needing a win and both of Northants’ likewise to be sure of the win.

In the event, Norfolk’s second rink lost on the last end and the trophy was won by the County with 24 points, followed by Norfolk with 23.

Northants Under-25 squad named for Lincolnshire battle

THE following players have been selected for the Northants Under-25s Double Rink team to take on Lincolnshire on Sunday.

Rink one will play at Wellingborough BC, with the second rink travelling to Boston IBC.

At Wellingborough BC: Rink 1: Curtis Johnson, Will Walker, Adam Pitfield (all Wellingborough BC) & David Walker (Kingsthorpe BC)

At Boston BC: Rink 2: David Iddles, Conor Bryan (both Kingsthorpe BC), Danny Walker (Wellingborough BC) & Connor Cinato (Kingsthorpe BC)

Reserves: Tom Wellburn, Kingsthorpe BC, Kieron & Connor Rollings, both Northampton & District IBA

Northants claim win in Kingsthorpe clash

NORTHANTS Men hosted Hertfordshire in a friendy at Kingsthorpe BC and claimed a 15-shot victory.

They won four rinks, drew one and lost one. The highest scoring of the County’s winning rinks was Peter Mellor’s which won by 24 shots.

Rink details as follows, Hertfordshire skips names only:

Rink 1: Keith Howlett, Jim Brumwell, Dave Williamson & George Warren 21 – Tony Howard 16

Rink 2: Roger Miller, Dave Garland, Alan Watts & Geoff Hunt 11 – Roy Rodgers 31

Rink 3: Colin Barnes, Don Scott, Brian Diver & Pete Mellor 35 – Malcolm Ingram 11

Rink 4: Stuart Lowe, Bob Tingle, Geoff Harris & Norman Gibb 20 – Barry Bowman 18

Rink 5: Will Clelland, Chris Hawkins, Tony Warren & Tony Weston 15 – Brian Smith 15

Rink 6: Trevor Tilley, Bob Sullivan, John Streather & Richard Somerton 27 – Richard Pearce 23

Kingsthorpe cruise to Wessex League win

KINGSTHORPE cruised through their first Wessex League play-off match to ease into the last eight, seeing off Moonfleet IBC from Weymouth in Dorset 77-65.

The four rink wins were shared as follows, skips names only, Kingsthorpe first:

Jim McKee 24 – D Rumble 15; Mick Sharpe 25 – M Gale 11; Ben Sharpe 15 – B Patterson 21; Vernon Gearey 13 shots – D Curtis 18

County results

LATEST county competition results.

Ladies singles: Vicki Rushall, Daventry IBC beat Brenda Bishop, Kingsthorpe BC 21-14

Ladies Under-2 singles: Louise Haladij, Northampton & District IBA beat Lois Woodward, Desborough IBC 21-6

Ladies triples: Joan Watts, Julie Spreadbury & Vicki Rushall, Daventry IBC beat Chloe Weston, Joan Sidebottom & Linda Warren 22-16

Men’s singles: Connor Cinato, Kingsthorpe BC beat Scott Johnson, Wellingborough BC 21-18; Andy Smith, Northampton & District IBA beat Dave Love, Wellingborough BC 21-13

Men’s Under-25 singles: Tom Wellburn, Kingsthorpe BC beat Jack Lee, Northampton & District IBA 21-18

Men’s unbadged singles: Peter Dymond, Daventry IBC beat Tom Wellburn, Kingsthorpe BC 21-7

Men’s pairs: Conor Bryan & Connor Cinato, Kingsthorpe BC beat Chris Wilson & Malc Mattinson, Rushden Town BC 13-8

Men’s triples: Conor Bryan, Jason Bryan & Connor Cinato, Kingsthorpe BC beat Ian Dunn, Alan Dunkley & Ron Morland, Brackley & District BC 20-8

Men’s fours: Jamie Walker’s rink, Kingsthorpe BC beat Malc Chambers’ rink, Wellingborough BC 27-2

National results

LATEST national competition results.

David Cornwell Under 25 Double Rink competition: Kingsthorpe BC beat Rugby Thornfield IBC 46- 20.

Details as follows, Rugby skips only:

At Kingsthorpe: Rink 1: Jasmin Spear, Trudy Beard, Tom Wellburn & David Walker beat Craig Carter 19-13

At Rugby: Rink 2: Katie Smith, David Iddles, Conor Bryan & Connor Cinato 27 – Oliver Fowler 7

Men’s pairs Area 6 Final: Andrew Manton & Neil McKee, Kingsthorpe BC lost to Shaun Jones & Ryan Atkins, Malvern Hills IBC 17-10

Men’s fours: Area 6 Zone 1 Final:Andrew Manton, Connor Cinato, Neil McKee & Jamie Walker, Kingsthorpe BC beat Brian Lees, Peter Bryan, Mick Hawkins & Andrew Walters, Welford-on-Avon IBC 14-13

Men’s Over-60s fours: Area 6 Zone 1 Final: Tony Dicks, Bernard Spreadbury, Ray Rumble & Mick Worthington, Daventry IBC beat Fred Coleman’s triple, Welford-on-Avon IBC 21-20