FOR only the second time since 2017, Northants bowlers returned empty handed from the individual portion of the English Bowling Federation national finals at Skegness.
Graham Agger (Whittlesey Manor) made a bold bid for a hat-trick of veterans singles titles only to lose 21-19 in the final to Lincolnshire’s Mick Thompson, while Shirley Suffling (Ketton) let slip an 18-13 lead in the two-bowl singles decider against Northumberland’s Naomi Scott.
Stephen Harris (Blackstones) reached the semi-finals of the four-bowl singles; the Ketton triple of Shirley Suffling, Elaine Upton and Helen Tilley made the last four in the two-bowl rinks as did Parkway’s Paul Dalliday, Simon Law and Tristan Morton in the men’s equivalent, although they played one short in the semi-final with Law and Morton having departed for the Bowls England fours at Leamington and Parkway’s Karen Martin and James Harford also fell at the semi-final stage.
Defending junior singles champion Ollie Jeapes (Parkway) went out in the opening round this time, while Stamford secretary Sue Seed, who had qualified in four events, unfortunately lost in the opening round of all of them, one on an extra end.
There was a very slight improvement in the standard of the greens, certainly from a visual perspective, but the levels still left something to be desired, which made line and length difficult to judge on many of the rinks.
MEN
2b singles – John Holroyd (Stamford) lost 12-21 to Suffolk in first round; 4b singles – Stephen Harris (Blackstones) lost 14-21 in the semi-finals to Derbyshire after wins against Cleveland 21-13 and Suffolk 21-17; U25 singles – Ollie Jeapes (Parkway) lost 12-21 to Suffolk in first round; Veterans singles – Graham Agger (Whittlesey Manor) lost 19-21 in the final wins against Notts 21-10, North Cambs 21-8 and Norfolk 21-15; Secretary singles – Andy Cox (City of Peterborough) lost 13-21 to Durham in the second round after beating Hunts 21-18; Champion of Champions singles – Stuart Agger (Whittlesey Manor) lost his opening round match 17-21 to Cleveland; Pairs – Paul Martlew & Martyn Dolby (Blackstones) lost 18-19 after extra end against Suffolk in first round; Mixed pairs – Karen Martin & James Harford (Parkway) lost 10-19 to Derbyshire in the semi-finals after wins against Norfolk 18-15 and Hunts 19-12; Senior pairs – Neil Crees & John Holroyd (Stamford) lost 11-16 to Humberside in first round; Senior mixed pairs – Kevin Vinter & Sue Seed (Stamford) lost 15-17 after extra end to Hunts in first round; 2b rinks – Paul Dalliday, Simon Law, Tristan Morton (Parkway) lost 6-23 to North Cambs in semi-finals after wins against Lincs 22-12 and Norfolk 19-12; 3b rinks – Michael Humphreys, Paul Buckley, Stephen Harris (Blackstones) lost 1-21 to Lincs in the second round after beating Cleveland 23-8; Mixed rinks – Sophie Morton, Simon Law, Tristan Morton (Parkway) lost 12-22 to North Essex in first round; Under 25 pairs – Ollie Jeapes (Parkway) & Owen Aspinall (Blackstones) lost 11-20 to North Cambs in first round.
WOMEN
2b singles – Shirley Suffling (Ketton) lost 18-21 in final to Northumberland after wins against North Essex 21-14 and Notts 21-10; 4b singles – Linda Toms (Conservative) lost 9-21 to North Essex in first round; U25 singles – Caitlin Dalliday (Parkway) lost 17-21 to Lincs in first round; Senior singles – Elaine Upton (Ketton) lost 11-21 to Northumberland in her first match; Secretary singles – Sue Seed (Stamford) lost 15-21 to Lincs in first round; Champion of Champions singles – Sue Seed (Stamford) lost 18-21 to North Essex in first round; Pairs – Tina Tinklin (sub) & Sheila Craig (Conservative) lost 17-18 to Humberside in first round; Senior pairs – Fiona Richardson & Jess Bolam (City of Peterborough) lost 6-25 to Suffolk in first round; 2b rinks – Shirley Suffling, Elaine Upton, Helen Tilley (Ketton) lost 19-23 to Lincs in the semi-finals after beating North Essex 28-12; 3b rinks – Chrissie Baker, Sue Seed, Chris Ford (Stamford) lost 8-23 to Durham in first round.
