Only victory on all rinks against North Essex at Ketton next Wednesday (July 17) and
an overall winning margin of at least 32 shots will see Northants through to the final of the Donald Steward Trophy at Skegness in August for the first time in 25 years.
That’s the target they must set themselves after defeating Hunts at St Ives 108-83 and picking up 12 crucial points thanks to just two rinks claiming enough shots to carry the match in Northants’ favour.
With Suffolk dropping five points at struggling North Essex in an overall victory, it leaves Northants with a lifeline to make the final for the first time in a quarter of a century.
And it was the Yaxley and Ketton rinks who secured the triumph for Northants, each winning comprehensively against a stubborn home side who battled to pick up points from the remaining three rinks.
The experienced Doris Flowers was drafted in to bolster Yaxley clubmates Kath Browning and Gill King and it proved a key move with the trio extending a 15-end 24-8 advantage to 38-10 by the completion of 25 ends to take the rink honours.
Meanwhile, the Ketton trio of Carol Warters, Shirley Suffling and Christine Ford built up a 10 shots advantage by the midway mark and kept up the pressure to extend it to 25-12 by the close.
Elsewhere credit must be given to the other Northants rinks who fought to keep their deficits manageable for the team and conceded only 16 shots overall in three defeats.
The Northants Silver Vase team lost to Hunts at Somersham 127-91, conceding 16 of the 18 points available.
Only the rink of Joyce Needham, Linda Toms and Wendy Humphreys emerged with a victory, by 24-20.
Results (Northants names only):
Donald Steward Trophy (at St Ives BC): Hunts 83 (6pts) Northants 108 (12). K Browning, D Flowers, G King (all Yaxley) won 38-10; T Tinklin , L Hext (both Conservative), S Moir (Langtoft) lost 17-81; F Richardson (City of Peterborough), E Wallace (Ketton), J Robinson (Yaxley) lost 13-20; T Handley (Deeping AS), N Squires (City of Peterborough), J Masters (Parkway) lost 15-23; C Warters, S Suffling, C Ford (all Ketton) won 25-12.
Silver Jubilee Vase (at Somersham) Hunts 127 (16 pts) Northants 91 (2). M Holden (Ketton), J Padley, M Osbourne (both Yaxley) lost 16-35; C Grief (Crowland), C McCarthy, H Bass (both Yaxley) lost 17-20; J Needham (Yaxley), L Toms (Conservative), W Humphreys (City of Peterborough) won 24-20; V Slater, A Cox ( Langtoft), V Hempsell (Yaxley) lost 20-24; V Du’Kett (Ketton), M Andrews (Barnack), A Northen (Langtoft) lost 14-28.
FOOTNOTE: For the final home match at home to North Essex at Ketton on Wednesday, Donald Steward Trophy captain has made a couple of changes, replacing herself with Myra Landsburgh (City of Peterborough) and switching Norma Squires to lead on Julie Masters’ rink.
