BOWLS: Northampton Express claim Manfield Cup glory

The historical inter club competition, which was first introduced in 1906, was held on July 1.

The Manfield Cup is always a keenly contested competition and it is steeped in history, being the event which instituted the Northamptonshire Bowling Association in 1906, when the Manfield brothers James and Harry, put up the trophy which is still played for today. It has been competed for every year since 1906 with the exception of the first and second World War years.

A total of 35 county clubs entered a team, which consists of four rinks of men, and they were drawn to play all over the county, on greens other than their own. After all the scores were verified, the winners were declared to be Express.

The club’s four rinks played against Wellingborough BC at Cogenhoe BC; Irchester BC at Roade BC; Geddington & Newton BC at Kettering Lodge BC; and Wellingborough Old Grammarians BC at Geddington & Newton BC.

Express recorded four winning rinks, and a plus aggregate of 54 shots. With four winning rinks and a plus aggregate of just two shots less at 52, second place went to Northampton West End BC.

These two clubs were the only ones with a 100 per cent winning record, and in third place with three winning rinks and one drawn rink, and a plus shots aggregate of 43, was Kettering Midland Band BC

Express has won this trophy on four previous occasions, in 1955 and 1995 when the club was called Express Lifts BC, and in 2002 following the change of name.

Johns campaign over despite County win

NORTHANTS Ladies claimed a thrilling 125-124 win over Suffolk at Wellingborough BC - but it wasn’t enough to see them progress from the group stage of the Johns Trophy.

The ladies knew that only an overwhelming victory would give them a chance of progressing further in the competition, and then that depended on results from other matches in the group.

The match was even for the first 10 ends with Suffolk leading by four shots, before the County opened up a 20-shot lead with 36 ends left in the match. Suffolk dug deep and the deficit quickly came down to single figures with just a couple of ends left.

When the last but one County rink to finish dropped four shots on its last end, the County officers and supporters hoped Hilary Sharpe and her players would not drop more than two shots in order to secure a win.

The rink did enough and kept the score to just two shots against for the County to record an overall match win by one shot.

The County had three winning and three losing rinks, and the highest scoring for Northants was that skipped by Sharpe which posted a 20-shots win.

Rink details, Suffolk skips only as follows:

Rink 1: Julie Spreadbury, Chris Cooper, Emma Gray & Sharon Hall 20 – J Paternoster 22

Rink 2: Janet Ashby, Sandra Mawson, Alison Dring & Yvonne McKee 20 – J Rowe 28

Rink 3: Margaret Watts, Jeannie Flippance, Ann-Marie Gearey & Rebecca Wigfield 24 – A Baison 16

Rink 4: Celia Morris, Maggie Edwards, Di Brumwell & Hilary Sharpe 31 – S Bernard 11

Rink 5: Pat Starsmore, Pat Bodily, Jill Welch & Barbara Haseldine 11 – Katherine Rednall 35

Rink 6: Joyce George, Audrey Height, Katie Smith & Tina Broderick 19 – A Lyne 12

Middlesex too strong for Northants men

NORTHANTS Men lost 115-86 against Middlesex in a friendly at Bugbrooke.

The County had just one winning rink, that skipped by Terry James which posted a six-shots victory.

Rink details, Middlesex skips only, as follows:

Rink 1: Paul Cooke, Bob Sullivan, Geoff Harris & Terry James 27 – Eric Prior 21

Rink 2: Colin Barnes, John Cooper, Geoff Hunt & Richard Somerton 17 – Andy Knott 18

Rink 3: Laurie Harrison, Neville Bodily, Geoff Hayter & George Willmott 11 – Andy Docker 19

Rink 4: Harvey Fruish, John Chester, Peter Gilkes & Tim Robinson 22 – David Todd 27

Rink 5: Peter Kitchener, Trevor Tilley, Robin Frost & Mark Courtney 9 – Peter Picknell 30

County name team for Surrey friendly

THE following players have been selected to represent Northants Men in a friendly against Surrey BA at Kislingbury BC next Wednesday (July 19, 2pm).

Rink 1: Laurie Harrison, Earls Barton BC/John Chester, Kettering Lodge BC/Will Keeney, Corby Seagrave House BC/Mossy Waters, Rushden Town BC

Rink 2: Stuart Lowe, Brackley & District BC/Bill Humphries, Woodford-cum-Membris BC/Peter Mercer, West Haddon BC/Richard Somerton, Brackley & District BC

Rink 3: Harvey Fruish, Abington BC/Dave Francis, Bugbrooke BC/Brian Jones, Heyford BC/George Willmott, Irchester BC

Rink 4: Roger Summers, Northampton West End BC/John Elphee, Kislingbury BC/Dave Williamson, Northampton BBOB BC/Terry James, Thrapston BC

Rink 5: Peter Gilkes, Bugbrooke BC/Don Scott, Brackley & District BC/Brian Hunt, Burton Latimer Town BC/Geoff Hayter, Bugbrooke BC

Rink 6: Peter Hoad, Northampton Express BC/George Donegan, Corby Seagrave House BC/Bob Tingle, Kettering Midland Band BC/Geoff Hunt, Wellingborough BC

Reserves: Robin Frost, Bugbrooke BC/Dave Lovell, Irchester BC/Dave Garland, Kingsthorpe BC/Peter Kitchener, Irchester BC/Trevor Tilley, Irchester BC

Northants gearing up for Notts challenge

NORTHANTS Men have named their team for Saturday’s Midland Counties match against Nottinghamshire at Kettering Lodge BC (2pm).

Rink 1: David Love, Wellingborough BC/Phil Reeve, Abington BC/Simon Coles, Northampton Whyte Melville BC/Vernon Gearey, Kingsthorpe BC

Rink 2: David Iddles, Kingsthorpe BC/Colin Barnes, Abington BC/Richard Lemon, Northampton Express BC/Jim McKee, Kingsthorpe BC

Rink 3: Curtis Johnson, Wellingborough BC/Andrew Burrows, Oundle BC/Paul Green, Northampton Express BC/Jonathan Brown, Abington BC

Rink 4: Keith Height, Thrapston BC/Dave Vernon, Abington BC/John Freeman, Abington BC/Andrew Manton, Kingsthorpe BC

Rink 5: Adam Brown, Abington BC/Connor Rollings, Kettering Lodge BC/Michael Moulton, Heyford BC/Roger Tansley, Kingsthorpe BC

Rink 6: Tony O’Leary, Abington BC/Kieran Rollings, Kettering Lodge BC/Martin Gearey, Kingsthorpe BC/Phil Exley, Burton Latimer Town BC

County results

LATEST county competition results.

Ladies Over-55s fours quarter-finals: Sandra Mawson, Brenda Bishop, Pat Bodily & Yvonne McKee, Kingsthorpe BC beat Lesley Singleton, Elaine Munton, Kathleen Moore & Sandie Horton, Northampton Whyte Melville BC 24-13; Linda Warren, Sue Lane, Janet Warr & Janet Swift, Abbey Park BC given walkover by Sue Collett’s rink, Woodford-cum-Membris BC

Semi-finals: Linda Warren, Sue Lane, Janet Warr & Janet Swift, Abbey Park BC beat Brenda Bishop, Sandra Mawson, Pat Bodily & Yvonne McKee, Kingsthorpe BC 23-7

Men’s Over-55 Fours quarter-finals: Garry Ellis, Dougie Gilbert, Graham Norman & Steve Norman, Higham Ferrers Town BC beat H McBride, Steve Rayner, Phil Manley & Mike Kirkland, Cogenhoe BC 31-7; Paul Stephens, David Blencowe, Bob Blencowe & Ron Morland, Brackley & District BC beat James Butts, Terry Williams, Neil Gould & Alan Jeyes, Earls Barton BC 23-14; Jim McKee and his men from Kingsthorpe BC were given a walkover by David Williamson’s rink, Northampton BBOB BC.

Ladies four-wood singles first round: Louise Haladij, Kislingbury BC beat Pat Bodily, Kingsthorpe BC 21-13; Chloe Weston, Abbey Park BC given a walkover by Sharon Tansley, Roade BC; Sue Graham-Hole, St Crispin BC beat Paige Johnson-Young, Northampton West End BC 21-9; Jill Welch, Heyford BC beat Gill Green, Northampton Express BC 21-7; Anita Gearey, Roade BC beat Hilary Sharpe, Kingsthorpe BC

Second round: Louise Haladij, Kislingbury BC beat Chloe Weston, Abbey Park BC 21-11; Sue Graham-Hole, St Crispin BC beat Jill Welch, Heyford BC 21-15; Abbi Johnson-Young, Northampton West End BC beat Anita Gearey, Roade BC 21-3; Ann-Marie Waters, Roade BC beat Lisbeth Milburn, Abington BC 21-9; Sandra Mawson, Kingsthorpe BC beat Victoria Stephenson, Northampton Whyte Melville BC 21-6; Billie Swift, Abbey Park BC beat Elaine Munton, Northampton Whyte Melville BC 21-14; Linda Warren, Abbey Park BC beat Janet Ashby, Northampton West End BC 21-13; Jackie Harrington, Brackley & District BC beat Elaine Cox, St Crispin BC 21-12

Ladies 55 & Over Singles third round: Elaine Cox, St Crispin BC beat Sue Graham-Hole, St Crispin BC 21-14; Maggie Edwards, Kingsthorpe BC beat Sandra Mawson, Kingsthorpe BC 21-5

Ladies 55 & Over Pairs third round: Barbara Astle & partner, Kingsthorpe BC beat Jill Welch & partner, Heyford BC 24-7. Fourth round: Janet Swift & partner, Abbey Park BC beat Barbara Astle & partner, Kingsthorpe BC 22-4; Yvonne McKee & partner, Kingsthorpe BC beat Chris Cross & partner, Byfield BC 22-13

Men’s Four-wood Singles Area Final: Nathan Betts, Northampton West End BC beat Paul Green, Northampton Express BC 21-13

Under-25 Singles: Area Final: Tom Wellburn, Northampton Express BC beat D Trasler, Northampton West End BC 21-19; David Iddles, Kingsthorpe BC beat Jack Botterill, Northampton Express BC 21-10; Danny Walker, Northampton West End BC beat Nathan Betts, Northampton West End BC 21-11; David Walker, Northampton West End BC beat Will Walker, Northampton West End BC 21-14

Men’s Pairs second round: Martin Walker & partner, Northampton West End BC beat Jonathan Brown & partner, Abington BC 20-16; David Walker & partner, Northampton West End BC beat Dominic Graham & partner, Northampton Express BC 23-13; Jamie Walker & partner, Northampton West End BC beat Mark Courtney & partner, Northampton Whyte Melville BC 27-25

Third Round: Chris Bland & partner, Northampton Express BC beat Richard Somerton & partner, Brackley & District BC 26-9; Ben Sharpe & partner, Kingsthorpe BC beat Michael Moulton & partner, Heyford BC 28-13; Tim Dawkins & partner, Kingsthorpe BC beat Martin Walker & partner, Northampton West End BC 21-13; David Walker & partner, Northampton West End BC beat Danny Walker & partner, Northampton West E nd BC 22-15; Ashley Linnell & partner, Northampton West End BC beat Bill Humphries & partner, Heyford BC 24-11; Jim McKee & partner, Kingsthorpe BC beat Pete Milburn & partner, Abington BC 22-7; Alan Ashby & partner, Northampton West End BC beat M Cox & partner, Northampton West End BC 24-12; Jamie Walker & partner, Northampton West End BC beat Darrell Welch & partner, Daventry Town BC 27-15

Area Finals: Ben Sharpe & partner, Kingsthorpe BC beat Chris Bland & partner, Northampton Express BC 21-12; Tim Dawkins & partner, Kingsthorpe BC beat David Walker & partner, Northampton West End BC 18-15; Alan Ashby & partner, Northampton West End BC beat Jim McKee & partner, Kingsthorpe BC 22-4

Men’s Over-55 Fours third round: Mick Donohue’s rink, Kingsthorpe BC beat Pete Milburn’s rink, Abington BC 23-8

Area Finals: Jim McKee’s rink, Kingsthorpe BC beat John Freeman’s rink, Abington BC 25-18; David Blencowe’s rink, Brackley & District BC beat Mick Spruels’ rink, Bugbrooke BC 25-9; Phil Manley’s rink, Cogenhoe BC beat Alan Dunkley’s rink, Abington BC 25-20

Mixed Executive Triples second round: Chris Beck’s triple, Abington BC beat Paul Green’s triple, Northampton Express BC 18-16; D Hodgkinson’s triple, Daventry Town BC beat Darrell Welch’s triple, Daventry Town BC 25-11 shots; Jane Maloy’s triple, Kingsthorpe BC beat Pat Bodily’s triple, Northampton Whyte Melville BC 18-12

Mixed Pairs second round: Rob Archer & partner, Abington BC beat Tom Wellburn & partner, Northampton Express BC 24-19; Victoria Stevenson & Simon Coles, Northampton Whyte Melville BC beat Neville & Pat Bodily, Northampton Whyte Melville BC 25-24

National results

LATEST national results.

Ladies Senior Singles second round: Pat Bodily, Northampton Whyte Melville BC beat Janet Ashby, Northampton West End BC 21-9

Ladies Senior Pairs seond round: Linda Warren & partner, Abbey Park BC beat Sharon Tansley & partner, Roade BC 23-20

Men’s Champion of Champion Singles third round: Andy Fowkes, Northampton West End BC beat Alistair Melville, Corby Seagrave House BC 21-19

Mixed Pairs fourth round: Katie Smith & Jamie Walker, Northampton West End BC/Desborough Town BC beat Nicky Brett & partner, Warboys BC, Hunts 20-11

Family Pairs fourth round: Jamie Walker & partner, Northampton West End BC beat Martin & Connor Cinato, Kettering Midland Band BC 27-15 shots

Over-60 Double Rink Tony Allcock Trophy third round: Kingsthorpe BC A beat Wellingborough BC B 56-26.

Rink 1: Yvonne McKee, Brenda Bishop, Roger Tansley & Jim McKee 32 – Marlene Armitage, Pam Reynolds, Bryn Walker & Walt Winsor 12; Rink 2: Hilary Sharpe, Celia Morris, Peter Morris & Mick Sharpe 24 – Joyce George, Jan Hunt, Paul Coley & Mick Cooper