NORTHANTS A made it two wins out of two in their quest to regain the English Bowling Federation’s Derbyshire Trophy with a dramatic and exciting 100-92 (10-4) win away to North Cambs at March.
The situation appeared bleak when the hosts stormed into a substantial early lead, but Northants showed dogged determination and resilience to gradually erode the deficit before edging in front late on to secure the bulk of the points.
The rink of Chris Ballard, Brian Martin and Peter Brown were the mainstays of the fightback with a 32-18 victory, while the rink of Stuart Agger, Paul Dalliday and Simon Law edged home 26-24 after a topsy-turvy struggle.
While the rinks of Adam Warrington (Michael Humphreys and Wayne Morris) and Graham Agger (Martyn Dolby and Mick Linnell) were beaten 17-23 and 25-27 respectively – the latter were 4-18 down – they produced fighting performances to come back from substantial early deficits to enable Northants to claim the overall spoils at the expense of a strong North Cambs line-up.
Northants are not in action again until February 1st when they visit Hunts before rounding off the campaign with home matches against Norfolk and North Essex.
Michael Humphreys, Wayne Morris, Adam Warrington lost 17-23; Martyn Dolby, Mick Linnell, Graham Agger lost 25-27; Chris Ballard, Brian Martin, Peter Brown won 32-18; Stuart Agger, Paul Dalliday, Simon Law won 26-24.
SAD to report the recent passing of well-known and highly respected bowler Wilf Redhead, a prominent member of the Peterborough & District club for many decades and a stalwart of the local county and league bowls scene.
Apart from playing in the Northants Bowling Federation competitions, he also followed the fortunes of their representatives in the national finals at Skegness for many years.
A private cremation is being held on Friday, November 21st, but those wishing to toast his memory are welcome to attend the Cathedral Green Court retirement home in Crawthorne Road, Peterborough, where Wilf resided, between 2.00pm and 4.00pm for what the family are describing as a ‘going away party’.
FORMER president Joan Robinson has been honoured by the NWBF for her long and dedicated service to the county both as a player and administrator.
The current Donald Steward Trophy team captain received a life membership at the NWBF annual meeting from president Jess Bolam.
The new president is Sheila Craig (Conservative), who received the chain of office from outgoing president Jess Bolam. The deputy president is Rita Downs (Blackstones).
In her report, secretary Terri Handley advised that the committee were disappointed that no nominations were received for the roles within the committee, neither new nominations nor nominations for the existing officers.
“It is just not possible for the present committee members to continue indefinitely and therefore there is a need to have a succession plan in force,” she told the club delegates.
She urged members to consider joining the committee and/or shadow an existing officer in a role they might be interested in.
It was agreed that the NWBF would register black and white trousers as part of the county uniform to enable ladies playing in the mixed competitions to wear black trousers if they wished to do so.
It was also announced that competition fees for the 2027outdoor season will increase from £2.50 to £3.00 and handbooks from £2.00 to £2.50.
County dates for next season:
Monday, May 18th – away to Norfolk; Tuesday, June 9th – away to North Essex (DST only); Wednesday, June 17th – home to Hunts; Saturday, July 4th – away to North Cambs (DST only); Wednesday, July 15th – home to Suffolk.
Officers elected: President, Sheila Craig; deputy president, Rita Downs; secretary, Terri Handley; treasurer, Elizabeth Hext; competition secretary, Valerie Du’Kett; match secretary, Shirley Suffling; Donald Steward captain, Joan Robinson; Silver Jubilee Vase captain, Vivienne Hempsell.
BELOW: Joan Robinson receives a NWBF life membership for her long and dedicated service to the county from president Jess Bolam.
BELOW: New president Sheila Craig receives the chain of office from outgoing president Jess Bolam.
NORTHANTS A have made one enforced change for the second Derbyshire Trophy fixture of the season away to North Cambs at March on Sunday, November 23 (10.00am).
Chris Ballard has been called up to replace the unavailable Tom Newman-Borrett, otherwise the team is the same as opened the campaign with an 11 points to three win against their own B team.
Northants A: Chris Ballard, Brian Martin, Peter Brown; Stuart Agger, Paul Dalliday, Simon Law; Martyn Dolby, Mick Linnell, Graham Agger; Michael Humphreys, Wayne Morris, Adam Warrington.
Meanwhile, Northants B are in action away to Norfolk on Sunday, December 7th and captain Dudley Smith has two changes from the opening match with Adam Emery and Ben Wilson replacing Peter Linnell and Martin Prudhoe.
Northants B: Tien Ngo, Dudley Smith, Ben Wilson; John Holroyd, Andy Cox, Trevor Collins; Peter Smith, Adam Emery, Kevin Vinter; Ally McNaughton, Mike Anderson, Roger Martin.
FOR the second year running the NBF will not have a President after no nominations were received for the post at the annual general meeting.
The NBF were one of only two counties out of the 13 affiliated to the EBF who operated without a President this year and to have the role vacant again will do little for the county’s standing within the EBF.
As proved this year it is possible to function without a figurehead, but it does add increased pressure on the executive officers who have to undertake presidential duties between them in addition to fulfilling their existing roles.
Martyn Dolby, who took over as NBF chairman last year after completing a two-year tenure as President, told the club delegates that it was disappointing not to have a nomination for the post and added that it was embarrassing when hosting presidents from visiting counties.
In his report, secretary Melvyn Beck informed the meeting that Barnack had affiliated to the NBF which means there are now 18 clubs on board and he also expressed the wish for a few more prize winners to attend the presentation luncheon which was once again a success.
The NBF are planning to get tougher with players who give walkovers after progressing from their opening matches and for those who fail to attend county and national finals. In both instances a one-season ban will apply from that one competition, subject to an appeal if the offending party feels they have a genuine case.
A change to the competition rules will require players to accept dates from opponents within two days and not three as it currently stands. It was felt that ways of communication had increased significantly since the rule was introduced some years ago and therefore a maximum two days should be sufficient to contact other team members.
As from next season, players will be have the option of wearing black trousers or shorts in county finals as an additional option to white or a club uniform, but all team members must wear the same colour.
With triples from Hunts and North Cambs at Skegness not wearing their respective county shirts for whatever reason, the NBF have decided to include a rule to ensure that all their players in national finals wear a county shirt.
One significant change in the club competitions next year will see teams in the Dan Duffy Trophy playing 25 ends instead of 21 and there is the prospect of the final, along with the Adams Cup decider, being played on a Sunday afternoon late in the season.
The winner of the Dan Duffy Trophy progresses to the regional round of the Durham Centenary Trophy the following year and that competition is played over 25 ends so therefore it made sense to adopt the the same number of ends for our county event.
Competition secretary Melvyn Beck confirmed that next year’s outdoor finals at Parkway would be held over the weekend of July 18/19, a week later than this year owing to the fact that Skegness is going back a week to August 22.
The new concept of a weekend finals is aimed at easing the physical demands on players who qualify in several finals and will allow them to compete in them all rather than having to bring in substitutes because of a congested one-day programme.
The indoor finals will be hosted by the Stamford club on Sunday, March 8th, two weeks later than last season. The national finals start at Lincoln on April 20th
Treasurer Andy Cox, presenting his first set of accounts after taking over the reins last year from Les Sharp, reported a deficit on the year of £1,650.18, which left the county with a balance of £6,168.95.
With Les Sharp standing down from the committee after a number of years service, including ten years as treasurer, plus more than a 100 county appearances and service to the county and nationally as an umpire, chairman Martyn Dolby presented him with a farewell gift to add to the life membership he received last season.
All the officers were elected en-bloc, while new faces on the management committee are new Adams team captain Adam Emery – he takes over from Dave Corney who stood down – and John Holroyd.
Officers elected: chairman, Martyn Dolby; secretary, Melvyn Beck; treasurer, Andy Cox; match secretary, Graham Agger; competition secretary, Melvyn Beck; results secretary, Ally McNaughton; minutes’ secretary, Linda Toms; safeguarding and welfare officer, Peter Brown; press officer and NDC delegate, Melvyn Beck; Adams captain, Adam Emery; Newton captain, Brian Bassam; Derbyshire A captain, Simon Law; Derbyshire B captain, Dudley Smith; management committee, Dudley Smith, Adam Emery, John Holroyd.
Below: Les Sharp receives his farewell gift from NBF chairman Martyn Dolby.
SIMON Law’s Northants A team opened their bid to regain the English Bowling Federation’s Derbyshire Trophy they won last year by defeating their own B side 116-75 at Stamford to secure 11 of the 14 points on offer.
However, the match was much more competitive than the final scoreline suggests as at the halfway stage Dudley Smith’s B team led on three of the four rinks before the A side took control in the second half.
The rink of Stuart Agger, Paul Dalliday and Simon Law powered their way from 6-2 down to demolish Smith’s rink of Martin Prudhoe and Tien Ngo 42-17, a result that more or less guaranteed the A team would win overall from some way out.
Not far behind was the rink of Martyn Dolby, Mick Linnell and Graham Agger who from 13-13 after 14 ends against Peter Linnell, Ally McNaughton and Mike Anderson scored 24 shots to two over the last 11 ends to win 37-15.
Adam Warrington’s rink of Wayne Morris and Michael Humphreys trailed Peter Smith, Kevin Vinter and Roger Martin 19-11 with just six ends left, but came back to draw 21-21.
The B team’s solitary rink success came from John Holroyd, Andy Cox and Trevor Collins who kept the rink of Brian Martin, Tom Newman-Borrett and Peter Brown at arm’s length after hitting the front on the eighth end before running out 22-16 winners.
RESULT
NORTHANTS A 116 (11), NORTHANTS B 75 (3) – (A team rinks first):
Brian Martin, Tom Newman-Borrett, Peter Brown 16, John Holroyd, Andy Cox, Trevor Collins 22; Martyn Dolby, Mick Linnell, Graham Agger 37, Peter Linnell, Ally McNaughton, Mike Anderson 15; Stuart Agger, Paul Dalliday, Simon Law 42, Martin Prudhoe, Tien Ngo, Dudley Smith 17; Michael Humphreys, Wayne Morris, Adam Warrington 21, Peter Smith, Kevin Vinter, Roger Martin 21.
THE EBF’s Derbyshire Trophy, the indoor county championship, gets under way on Saturday, October 11th, when the county’s A and B teams collide at Stamford (2.00pm).
The A team, under the captaincy of Simon Law, will be looking to regain the title they won at Lincoln last year.
He has named his team, which includes Mick Linnell, who has stepped up from the B side to replace unavailable John Earl.
Dudley Smith’s B team includes debutants Peter Smith and Tien Ngo.
Derbyshire A: Brian Martin, Tom Newman-Borrett, Peter Brown; Stuart Agger, Paul Dalliday, Simon Law; Martyn Dolby, Mick Linnell, Graham Agger; Michael Humphreys, Wayne Morris, Adam Warrington.
Derbyshire B: Malcolm Mitchell, Ally McNaughton, Mike Anderson; John Holroyd, Andy Cox, Kevin Vinter; Martin Prudhoe, Tien Ngo, Dudley Smith; Neil Wright, Peter Smith, Roger Martin.
THE second staging of the Cliff Watson Memorial indoor match saw an NBF representative team retain the Shield at the expense of host club Peterborough & District, the final result in a six rink three-bowl triples match was 120-103.
Cliff was a loyal and long-serving member of the NBF committee for close on thirty years, and also played for Peterborough & District indoors and out.
Cliff’s widow Sue was on hand to present the Shield to NBF chairman Martyn Dolby after the post-match buffet.
RESULT
Peterborough & District 103, NBF 120 (District rinks first):
George Kitchen, Tien Ngo, Dudley Smith 18, Wayne Aspinall, Wayne Morris, Trevor Collins 15; Martin Hawkes, Mick Thurling, Ben Wilson 29, Ally McNaughton, Paul Buckley, Mike Anderson 7; John Thurston, Brian Bassam, Joe Martin 8, John Holroyd, Paul Bailey, Kevin Vinter 28; Sam Hunter, Terry English, Mick Linnell 12, Michael Humphreys, Owen Aspinall, Adam Warrington 25; Dave Corney, Dick Fielding, Peter Brown 17, Paul Dalliday, Martyn Dolby, Simon Law 27; Peter Harvey, Steve Watson, Graham Agger 19, Melvyn Beck, Neil Wright, Roger Martin 18.
Below: Cliff Watson’s widow Sue presents the Memorial Shield to NBF chairman Martyn Dolby.
COUNTY bowlers celebrated a record haul of English Bowling Federation indoor national titles at the NBF/NWBF presentation luncheon held at the Ellindon Banqueting Suite, Bretton.
Young Ollie Jeapes and NBF chairman Martyn Dolby retained the junior and senior singles respectively at Lincoln in April; Paul Dalliday, Simon Law and Triston Morton claimed the triples crown and the county executive team won the Eversley Trophy for the third year running.
The outdoor finals at Skegness were not quite as successful, although Parkway became the first club from the county to win the Durham Centenary Trophy, the EBF’s club championship.
Graham Agger came agonisingly close to completing a hat-trick of veterans singles titles, losing 21-19 in the final, while Shirley Suffling reached the final of the two-bowl singles.
EBF president David Thomas was guest of honour at the luncheon and presented the national and county trophies. Unfortunately, EWBF president Beryl Beresford was unable to attend at the last minute owing to illness, so NWBF president Jess Bolam proposed a toast to the NWBF.
The EBF president proposed a toast to the NBF to which NBF chairman Martyn Dolby responded.
Graham Agger and Neil Wright were named Derbyshire A and B team ‘Players of the Year’ respectively, while Adam Warrington and Peter Smith received the accolades for the Adams and Newton teams respectively.
