The Parkway team which beat Warboys. From the left: Pat Reynolds, Emma Thurston, Michelle Coleman, Neil Wright, Tristan Morton, James Harford, Paul Dalliday, Stuart Reynolds, Brian Martin, Simon Law, Trevor Collins and Mike Robertson.
PARKWAY BOWLERS will represent Northants in the final of the Durham Centenary Trophy at Skegness next month after beating neighbours and local rivals Warboys White Hart at Sawtry by nine shots over 21 ends of two-bowls triples.
The Hunts team featured three internationals skipping three of their four rinks, including Nick Brett, Lewis Baker and Ed Elmore, but Parkway had just enough armoury to hold them off.
Special credit must go to the rink skipped by Pat Reynold’s who held Joe Randall’s rink to 18-19 when their team-mates put the result beyond doubt with an end to play.
Elsewhere Tristan Morton’s rink lost 18-21 to Ed Elmore and Brian Martin,Trevor Collins and James Harford drew with Lewis Baker.
The key to victory was the 28-13 demolition of Brett’s trio by Paul Dalliday, Neil Wright and Simon Law.
Parkway will play Northumberland’s New Delaval club who beat The Stute (Derbyshire) 94-69 in the northern section final.
Commented Wright: “It was a high quality game with all our other rinks keeping it tight to protect our lead A great great team effort against very experienced opposition.
“Now it’s on to Skegness to represent the Orange Army!”
DONALD STEWARD DREAM ENDS
Hopes of reaching the finals of the Donald Steward Trophy for the first time in 25 years were dashed for Northants women at Ketton, beaten by nine shots by bottom of the southern section table North Essex.
Northants needed to win all five rinks with a shots plus of at least 32 to make the national finals at Skegness next month but never looked in complete control and overall suffered in their line and length.
They won on only two rinks with Kath Browning, deputy president Viv Hempsell and Gill King taking the rink honours with a 24-14 win after stretching a narrow lead to 17-11 by the 15th.
Terri Handley, Doris Flowers and Julie Masters also finished on top by 28-23, though they shared 40 shots with five ends to play.
Results (Northants names only):
Donald Steward Trophy (at Ketton): Northants 99 (4 pts) North Essex 108 (14). T Handley ( Deeping Assn), Doris Flowers (Yaxley), Julie Masters (Parkway) won 28-23; Norma Squires (City of Peterborough), Tina Tinklin (Conservative), Sue Moir (Langtoft) lost 15-25; Carol Warters, Shirley Suffling, Chris Ford (all Ketton) lost 17-19; Kath Browning, Viv Hempsell, Gill King (all Yaxley) 24-14; Fiona Richardson ( Co P), Elizabeth Wallace (Ketton), Myra Landsburgh (Co P) lost 15-27.
