BOWLS: Northants produce a fantastic fightback to sink Leicestershire

In the most prestigious of all the national competitions, the Liberty Trophy is a competition which the County won for the first time in 2015, and both they and Leicestershire were semi-finalists last year.

It was expected to be a tight contest, and that is exactly what transpired.

The lead was generally in Leicestershire’s favour for the majority of the match, but the last few ends saw a very good upsurge of fortune for Northants, and in taking 17 shots to just seven conceded in the last two ends across the six rinks, the deficit was turned into a great victory.

The County had four winning rinks and two losing, with the highest scoring of the County’s winners being that skipped by Connor Cinato that posted a 23-17 win.

Northants will now travel to play Warwickshire in the next round on Saturday, December 16.

Rink details as follows, Leicestershire skips only:

Rink 1: Dave Love, David Walker, Matt Pownall & Connor Cinato 23 – Chris Rodgers 17

Rink 2: Danny Walker, Chris Bland, Mick Sharpe & Jamie Walker 14 – Chris Moore 25

Rink 3: Bob Fuller, Mark Tompkins, Vernon Gearey & Andrew Manton 21 – Martin Allsopp 17

Rink 4: Callum Height, Jason Bryan, Darren Childs & Neil McKee 18 – Les Gillett 20

Rink 5: Adam Pitfield, Richard Mann, Andy Smith & Neil Corbyn 18 – Joe Dawson 15

Rink 6: Curtis Johnson, Dominic Graham, Ben Sharpe & Paul Broderick 23 – M Allinson 20

Ladies lose out in Leicestershire clash

NORTHANTS Ladies were beaten 130-104 by Leicestershire in the Atherley Trophy at Barwell IBC.

The County found their opposition too strong, apart from the one winning rink, and that skipped by Joan Watts, which scored a very impressive win by 22 shots, which reduced the overall losing margin for the County.

The first quarter of the match was pretty even, and after around four or five ends played by each rink, the County had a small lead at 24-19.

But it was not long before that lead was changed in their favour by the home team, for after 10 ends of play it was 56-53 and that lead gradually grew to the end, with a 13 shots lead after 15 ends, and a 28 shots lead after 18 ends.

The last three ends across the whole team did see the County outscore Leicestershire 15-13, but it was too little too late.

Rink scores as follows, Leicestershire skips only:

Rink 1: Joyce George, Pat Starsmore, Wilma Walker & Hilary Sharpe 10 – Jamie-Lea Winch 25

Rink 2: Celia Morris, Denise Carlin, Audrey Height & Sharon Tansley 14 – Barbara Lewis 25

Rink 3: Billie Swift, Chloe Weston, Alison Dring & Tina Broderick 18 – E Radford 23

Rink 4: Lynn Upton, Brenda Bishop, Jeannie Flippance & Joan Watts 35 – Sue Sharpe 13

Rink 5: Julie Spreadbury, Chris Cooper, Jan Hunt & Yvonne McKee 14 – Penny Stevenson 18

Rink 6: Linda Warren, Louise Haladij, Di Brumwell & Joyce Porter 13 – Ann Neale 26

Over-60s able to ease past Hertfordshire

THERE was a big win for Northants Over-60s as they beat Hertfordshire 128-99 in their inter-county competition clash.

This competition is played with three rinks at home and three rinks away.

The County’s home rinks were at Wellingborough BC and the away rinks at Watford IBC, with both venues providing two winning rinks and one losing rink for Northants.

At Wellingborough, the three rinks won 65-47, in large measure thanks to the very good win by Mick Cooper’s rink which posted a 22 shots victory,

and the Watford three rinks won 63-52, with the highest scoring rink skipped by Jim McKee.

Rink details as follows, Herts skips only named:

At Wellingborough:

Rink 1: Dennis Collins, John Leggett, Norman Gibb & Tony Weston 10 – Roy Rodgers 23

Rink 2: Jim Diver, Mick Richardson, Bob Fuller & John Haines 23 – Terry Barker 14

Rink 3: Paul Coley, Pete Mellor, Walt Winsor & Mick Cooper 32 – Malcolm Ingram 10

At Watford:

Rink 4: Roger Summers, Colin Incles,

Paul O’Beirne & Jim McKee 24 – Tony Howard 13

Rink 5: Will Clelland, Pete Morris, Alan Dunkley & Ron Morland 15 – Richard Pearce 20

Rink 6: Tony Dicks, Moulton, Tony O’Leary & Mick Worthington 24 – Brian Tomlinson 19

Men cruise to win in challenge match

NORTHANTS Men enjoyed a handsome 156-74 win over Northants Ladies in their annual challenge match at Northampton & District IBA.

The men had five winning rinks and one losing, and that by just one shot.

The highest scoring rink for the men was that skipped by George Warren, with an advantage of 28 shots, but not far behind was that skipped by Terry James that recorded a 21 shots win.

The sole winning rink by the ladies was that skipped by Joyce Porter.

Rink details as follows, men’s names first:

Rink 1: Stuart Lowe, Bob Brogden, Alan Watts & Tony Weston 24 – Marion Mackie, Maxine Belski, Pam Page & Liz Keeney 12

Rink 2: Colin Barnes, Robin Frost, Geoff Hunt & Terry James 30 – Marlene Armitage, Elsie Hatton, Elaine Urquhart & Audrey Height 9

Rink 3: Don Scott, Richard Upton, Brian Diver & John Haines 26 – Julie Spreadbury, Jo Johns, Linda Warren & Wilma Walker 15

Rink 4: Keith Howlett, Will Keeney, Mark Courtney & Bernard Spreadbury 16 – Lynn Upton, Margaret Tyler, Denise Carlin & Joyce Porter 17

Rink 5; Harvey Fruish, John Chester, Richard Somerton & George Warren 35 – Dorothy Diver, Val Scott, Barbara Oliver & Joan Watts 7

Rink 6: Alan Diver, Tony Warren, Geoff Harris & Jim McKee 25 – Pat Starsmore, Sue Lomas, Pam Sallaway & Jan Hunt 14

McKee and Watts lead ladies to huge triumph

NORTHANTS Ladies travelled to Desborough IBC for a friendly match, and scored a huge win by 107 shots, seeing off their hosts 182-75.

The County won on all six rinks, with the highest scoring being those skipped by Yvonne McKee and Joan Watts, both having 27 shots wins.

Rink scores, County names first:

Rink 1: Joyce George, Wen Hill, Jan Hunt & Yvonne McKee 36 – Jenny Helliwell, Jill Nutt, Jean Hallum & Shirley Loach 9

Rink 2: Pat Starsmore, Rhona Holland, Chris Cooper & Brenda Bishop 26 – L Fontaine, N Mason, Denise Carlin & Liz Keeney 20

Rink 3: Linda Warren, Susan Lomas, Sian Hughes-Jones & Joyce Porter 35 – Diane Talbot, Dorothy Diver, Jo Johns & Wilma Walker 14

Rink 4: Lynn Upton, Elaine Urquhart, Pam Sallaway & Joan Watts 35 – Beryl Wright, S Coe, Maxine Belski & Zoe Eisler 8

Rink 5: Celia Morris, Elsie Hatton, Audrey Height & Sharon Tansley 25 – Lynn Duff, Isobel Bingham, Keira Hill & Carol Brooker 11

Rink 6: Marlene Armitage, Heather Lack, Glenys Emery & Hilary Sharpe 25 – Carol Steadman, S Knibbs, Ann Woolston & Pam Page 13

Northants name squad for friendly

THE following players have been selected to represent Northants Men for a friendly against Cambridgeshire next Tuesday (Nov 7) at St Neots & District IBC.

Rink 1: Don Scott, Brackley & District BC/Dave Williamson, Northampton & District IBA/Richard Upton, Brackley & District BC/Brian Sherwood, Rushden Town BC

Rink 2: Rob Hyde, Kettering Lodge BC/Rod Douglass, Kettering Lodge/Peter Kitchener, Rushden Town BC/Brian Langton, Rushden Town BC

Rink 3: Roger Miller, Desborough IBC/Tom Black, Desborough IBC/John Chester, Desborough IBC/Richard Somerton, Brackley & District BC

Rink 4: Ian Dunn, Brackley & District BC/John Davies, Brackley & District BC/Bob Sullivan, Desborough IBC/Terry James, Rushden Town BC

Rink 5: Keith Howlett, Desborough IBC/Phil Page, Kettering Lodge BC/Tony Warren, Northampton & District IBA/Dave Stewart, Rushden Town BC

Rink 6: John Barber, Desborough IBC/L Lawrence, Kettering Lodge BC/Andy Hogg, Northampton & District IBA/Mark Courtney, Desborough IBC

Reserve: Kip Frankson, Daventry IBC

Kingsthorpe claim big Egham Trophy victory

KINGSTHORPE mixed team were 115-64 winners over Kettering Lodge in the Egham Trophy, which is a national inter-club competition for four rinks, two playing away and two playing at home.

Rink details as follows, skips only, Kingsthorpe names first:

At Kingsthorpe: Rink 1: Jamie Walker 31 – Adrian Harris 21

Rink 2: Mick Sharpe 24 – Mark Turner 16

At Kettering: Rink 3: Andrew Manton 34 – Paul Harris 11

Rink 4: Connor Cinato 26 – Steve Mason 16

Northampton & District were beaten in their clash with Desborough, going down 99-62.

Details as follows, Desborough names first:

At Desborough: Rink 1: Abby Woodward, Jo Johns, Iain Walker & Richard Mann 23 – Chloe Weston, Connor Rollings, Louise Haladij & Andy Smith 17

Rink 2: Lois Woodward, Margaret Watts, Pete Mellor & John Haines 18 – Linda Warren, Connor Dolby, Billie Swift & Chris Bland 18

At Northampton: Rink 3: Denise Carlin, Jeannie Flippance, George Warren & Carl Wigfield 23 – Tony Ellis, Shannon Swift, Colin Barnes & Joyce Porter 22

Rink 4: Emma Muir, David Flippance, Rebecca Wigfield & Peter Ward 35 – Sue Lane, Elaine Cox, David Jones & John Leggett 5