THE NWBF’s Donald Steward team ended the season on a winning note in the battle of the ‘wooden spoon’ with visiting North Essex at the City of Peterborough club.

Their 119-104 (15-3) success, their first of the season, lifted them off the bottom of the southern section at the expense of North Essex.

No fewer than three of the five rinks ended in draws, but wins for the rinks of Chris Ford and Val Du’Kett tipped the scales in favour of the hosts.

RESULT

DONALD STEWARD TROPHY

Northants 119 (15), North Essex 104 (3) – (Northants rinks only):

Penny Hart, Viv Hempsell, Gill King drew 23-23; Sally Albany, Shirley Suffling, Myra Landsburgh drew 20-20; Fiona Richardson, Angela Kenny, Val Du’Kett won 24-18; Elizabeth Wallace, Moira Holroyd, Chris Ford won 26-17; Jessica Phillips, Linda Toms, Sharon Green drew 26-26.

THE Northants Bowling Federation joint county finals take place at Whittlesey Manor this Sunday (July 23) starting at 10.00am.

Three bowlers – Emma Providence (Market Deeping) and Whittlesey Manor pair Peter Brown and Roger Stevens -are all chasing a hat-trick of titles.

Former national winners Les Sharp and Gill King (Yaxley) will be defending their senior mixed pairs title, while Angela Cox (Langtoft) and Melvyn Beck (Whittlesey Manor) bid to retain their respective secretary singles titles.

Ann Holmes (Stamford) seeks to retain the 3b triples crown, with two different players this time – Chrissie Baker and Sue Seed – and, ironically, one of her team-mates from last year, Moira Holroyd, will be in opposition this time in an all-Stamford final.

COUNTY TIMETABLE

10.00am

Men’s veterans singles: Graham Agger (Whittlesey Manor) v Kevin Vinter (Stamford); Men’s 2b singles: Roger Stevens (Whittlesey Manor) v Michael Jeapes (Parkway); Men’s 3b triples: Adam Emery, Ean & Tristan Morton (Parkway) v Steve Roden, Steve Lander, Peter Brown (Whittlesey Manor); Ladies 4b singles: Angela Cox (Langtoft) v Emma Providence (Market Deeping); Men’s Champion of Champions singles: Neil Wright (Parkway) v Robert Heath (Yaxley); Ladies Champion of Champions singles: Ann Northen (Langtoft) v Joy Winfield (Deeping).

12.00 noon

Men’s senior pairs: Tony Scarr & Trevor Collins (Parkway) v John Suffling & Bob Warters (Ketton); Mixed triples: Sophie Morton, Simon Law, Tristan Morton (Parkway) v Stuart Agger, Lynne Betts, Peter Brown (Whittlesey Manor); Men’s pairs: Roger Stevens & Tom Newman (Whittlesey Manor) v Sam Downs & Paul Buckley (Blackstones); Ladies senior singles: Sue Moir (Langtoft) v Helen Tilley (Ketton); Senior mixed pairs: Sue Seed & Kevin Vinter (Stamford) v Les Sharp & Gill King (Yaxley); Ladies 2b triples: S. Wilson, Linda Kemp, Emma Providence (Market Deeping) v Elizabeth Wallace, Moira Holroyd, Chris Ford (Stamford).

2.00pm

Ladies secretary singles: Terri Handley (County) v Angela Cox (Langtoft); Men’s secretary singles: Melvyn Beck (Whittlesey Manor) v Mike Ramsden (Empingham); Men’s 4b singles: Paul Dalliday (Parkway) v Andrew Cooper (Yaxley); Mixed pairs: Mitch Willoughby & Ally McNaughton (Wittering) v Katie Bailey & John Earl (Blackstones); Ladies 2b singles: Val Du’Kett (Ketton) v Karen Porter (Crowland).

4.00pm

Ladies pairs: Carol Warters & Shirley Suffling (Ketton) v Linda Kemp & Emma Providence (Market Deeping); Ladies 3b triples: Chrissie Baker, Sue Seed, Ann Holmes (Stamford) v Elizabeth Wallace, Moira Holroyd, Chris Ford (Stamford); Ladies senior pairs: Ann White & Sue Moir (Langtoft) v Vivienne Hempsell & Gill King (Yaxley); Men’s 2b triples: Mike Robertson, Tony Scarr, Trevor Collins (Parkway) v Roger Stevens, Tom Newman, Peter Brown (Whittlesey Manor).

Umpire: Les Sharp.

DRESS CODE

Men: outdoor club shirts, white trousers or white EBF shorts.

Ladies: White or cream bowling skirt, long or cropped trousers or shorts supplied by an EWBF approved bowlswear manufacturer with or without EWBF logo. Plain white shirt or long-sleeved top with a collar or registered club shirt (all must wear the same). Predominantly white bowls shoes (coloured flashes are acceptable).

In mixed competitions, ladies must wear their own outdoor club registered shirt or plain white top, which may differ from their male partners.

*Bar and refreshments will be available throughout the day, including a barbeque from lunchtime.

*Raffle prizes would be appreciated as the money collected will be shared between the men and the ladies.

* Please return any outdoor and indoor trophies you may have in your possession.

* Direction of play will be changed after the opening two sessions.

* County dinner ticket order forms, containing menu choices, will be available on the day.

IT may have been a disappointing season in general, but at least the NBF county teams signed off their county championship campaigns with home wins against Norfolk.

The Adams team secured their first win of the season with a narrow 176-174 (16-6) victory at Blackstones which dashed Norfolk’s southern section title ambitions , while the Newton team romped to 217-132 (20-2) at Whittlesey Manor to lift them off the bottom and into fourth place.

The Adams wins came from the rinks of Adam Warrington, Trevor Collins and Mick Linnell, while the Newton had no fewer than four rinks topping forty shots – Peter Smith, Roy Mercer. Barry Lawrence and Kevin Vinter, whose rink of John Holroyd and Michael Humphries were unbeaten in the five-match programme. The other rink win came from Paul Buckley.

RESULTS

ADAMS TROPHY

Northants 176 (16), Norfolk 174 (6) – (Northants rinks only):

Dusty Miller, Ally McNaughton, Adam Warrington won 39-27; Duncan Lee, Mal Smith, Trevor Collins won 29-20; Stuart Agger, Stephen Harris, Mick Linnell won 41-24; Roger Stevens, Tom Fielding, John Earl lost 31-36; Jeff Clipston, Mick Greaves, Ray Keating lost 17-33; Martin Prudhoe, Adam Emery, Dudley Smith lost 19-34.

NEWTON TROPHY

Northants 217 (20), Norfolk 132 (2) – (Northants rinks only):

Graham Patrickson, Andy Cook, Jon Bailey lost 24-26; Brian Bassam, Martin Bailey, Peter Smith won 41-23; Les Sharp, Paul Bailey, Roy Mercer won 40-25; John Holroyd, Michael Humphries, Kevin Vinter won 41-19; Andy Dyer, Steven Shaw, Barry Lawrence won 41-18.

IT was frustration for the NBF county teams in their home matches against North Essex (Adams) and North Cambs (Newton) as they were narrowly beaten by 12 shots and two respectively.

The Adams team picked up six points from their 176-164 defeat at Blackstones, but that’s four defeats on the trot, while the Newton team also claimed six points in a 159-157 reverse at Whittlesey Manor.

The rinks of Ray Keating, Trevor Collins and Tom Fielding were responsible for the Adams points, while the Newton winning skips were Kevin Vinter, Peter Smith and Paul Buckley.

Both teams complete their southern section programmes on Saturday (July 1) with home matches against Norfolk.

RESULTS

ADAMS TROPHY

Northants 164 (6), North Essex 176 (16) – (Northants rinks only):

Jeff Clipston, Mick Greaves, Ray Keating won 24-22; Duncan Lee, Stephen Harris, Trevor Collins won 33-25; Owen Aspinall, Roger Stevens, Tom Fielding won 37-25; Jim Ruddy, Neil Wright, Ally McNaughton lost 29-33; Dusty Miller, Darren Middleton, Dave Smith lost 26-34; Martin Prudhoe, Mick Linnell, Robert Heath lost 15-37.

NEWTON TROPHY

Northants 157 (6), North Cambs 159 (16) – (Northants rinks only):

Jon Bailey, Andy Cook, Paul Bailey lost 27-31; John Holroyd, Michael Humphries, Kevin Vinter won 25-22; Andy Dyer, Steven Shaw, Barry Lawrence lost 18-28; Philip Burbridge, Martin Bailey, Peter Smith won 34-21; Dave Corney, Alec Emery, Paul Buckley won 28-24; Les Sharp, Brian Bassam, Roy Mercer lost 25-33.

THE NWBF county teams are still seeking their first wins of the season in the Donald Steward Trophy and Silver Jubilee Vase following a double defeat in Suffolk.

The Steward team picked up four points from their 119-86 defeat at Kessingland, the wins coming from the rinks of Chris Ford and Myra Landsburgh.

The Vase team could only muster 12 players because of illness and unavailability, and so had to play one player short on three of the five rinks at Halesworth, hence the scoreline of 194-51 and a nil return.

RESULTS

DONALD STEWARD TROPHY

Northants 86 (4), Suffolk 119 (16) – (Northants rinks only):

Marlene Osborne, Viv Hempsell, Gill King lost 13-30; Shirley Suffling, Sally Albany, Myra Landsburgh won 22-20; Terri Handley, Linda Toms, Carol Grief lost 20-21; Elizabeth Wallace, Moira Holroyd, Chris Ford won 22-18; Miriam Hulbert, Sharon Green, Pat Jones lost 9-29.

SILVER JUBILEE VASE

Northants 51 (0), Suffolk 194 (20) – (Northants rinks only):

Christine Frost, Sue Mansbridge, Liz Hext lost 12-39; Kate Heath, Ann Northen, Joyce Needham lost 13-35; Wendy Stevens & Val Du’Kett lost 7-41; Karen Mercer & Ann Cooper lost 11-46; Linda Starbuck & Althea Taylor lost 8-33.

THE NBF county teams both suffered defeats at the hands of visiting Lincolnshire in the Adams and Newton Trophy competitions.

It’s three defeats in a row for the Adams team following their172-146 defeat at Blackstones which yielded just four points, while the Newton side came crashing down to earth following the previous week’s first win as they slumped to a 208-152 defeat at Whittlesey Manor.

The rinks of Trevor Collins and Ally McNaughton were in credit for the Adams team, the former for the second match running, while the rinks of Roy Mercer and Kevin Vinter were again successful for the Newton team.

Both teams are at home again on Saturday (June 24) with North Essex at Blackstones in the Adams and North Cambs at Whittlesey Manor in the Newton.

RESULTS

ADAMS TROPHY

NORTHANTS 146 (4), LINCS 172 (18) – (Northants rinks only):

Roger Stevens, Owen Aspinall, Adam Warrington lost 22-24; Jeff Clipston, Duncan Lee, Ray Keating lost 21-32; Martin Prudhoe, Robert Heath, Mick Linnell lost 25-36; Dusty Miller, Darren Middleton, Dave Smith lost 20-36; Howard Shipp, Craig Campbell, Trevor Collins won 29-27; Adam Emery, Neil Wright, Ally McNaughton won 29-17.

NEWTON TROPHY

NORTHANTS 152 (4), LINCS 208 (18) – (Northants rinks only):

Graham Patrickson, Martin & Paul Bailey lost 30-37; Dave Corney, Alec Emery, Paul Buckley lost 22-37; Philip Burbridge, Andy Cook, Peter Smith lost 20-56; John Holroyd, Michael Humphries, Kevin Vinter won 28-24; Andy Dyer, Steven Shaw, Barry Lawrence lost 24-33; Les Sharp, Brian Bassam, Roy Mercer won 29-21.

THE NBF Newton Trophy team got off the mark at the second time of asking by defeating Hunts 178-152 at Needingworth, but the Adams team are still seeking their first win following a 166-143 defeat against Hunts at St Ives.

Newton rink honours were shared, with the Northants successes coming from the rinks of Kevin Vinter, Peter Smith and Roy Mercer, while the rinks of Mick Linnell and Dudley Smith earned the Adams team their four points.

Both teams are in action against Lincolnshire on Saturday (June 17), with the Adams team at Blackstones and the Newton team at Whittlesey Manor.

RESULTS

ADAMS TROPHY

Northants 143 (4), Hunts 166 (18) – (Northants rinks only):

Martin Prudhoe, Robert Heath, Mick Linnell won 25-23; Howard Shipp, Craig Campbell, Trevor Collins lost 20-28; Duncan Lee, Stephen Harris, Dudley Smith won 31-24; Neil Wright, Ally McNaughton, Graham Agger lost 21-27; Dusty MIller, Darren Middleton, Martyn Dolby lost 22-32; Roger Stevens, Owen Aspinall, Adam Warrington lost 24-30.

NEWTON TROPHY

Northants 178 (16), Hunts 152 (6) – (Northants rinks only):

Jon, Martin & Paul Bailey lost 24-29; John Holroyd, Michael Humphreys, Kevin Vinter won 32-24; Steven Shaw, Melvyn Beck, Barry Lawrence lost 24-38; Philip Burbridge, Andy Cook, Peter Smith won 32-16; Les Sharp, Brian Bassam, Roy Mercer won 40-18; Andy Cox, Alec Emery, Paul Buckley lost 26-27.

THE NWBF Donald Steward team failed to register a point from their second match of the season when they entertained North Cambs at City of Peterborough.

They were beaten 121-93, but the margin of defeat for three of the five rinks was three shots or less.

They are next in action away to Suffolk on Wednesday, June 21, when the Silver Jubilee Vase team will also be involved.

RESULT

DONALD STEWARD TROPHY

NORTHANTS 93 (0), NORTH CAMBS 121 (18) – (Northants rinks only):

Terri Handley, Linda Toms, Carol Grief lost 14-17; Myra Landsburgh, Shirley Suffling, Liz Hext lost 25-26; Penny Hart, Val Du’Kett, Angela Kenny lost 19-27; Elizabeth Wallace, Sally Albany, Chris Ford lost 14-27; Marlene Osborne, Moira Holroyd, Gill King lost 21-24.