NORTHANTS’ Adams and Newton teams suffered comprehensive defeats away to Suffolk in their opening county championship fixtures of the season.

Suffolk are nearly always the team to beat if you are to challenge for the southern section title, and that fact that both teams were scrambling around for players on the night before the match far from helped their cause.

Consequently, the Adams collected just four points from their long trip to Leiston in a 198-140 defeat, while the Newton team, playing at Laxfield, picked up only three in a 210-131 mauling.

The rinks of Mick Linnell and Trevor Collins gained the points for the Adams, while Barry Lawrence’s trio edged home by one shot in the Newton, with Kevin Vinter’s finishing all square.

Both teams are on the road again this Saturday with a visit to near neighbours Hunts.

RESULTS

ADAMS TROPHY

Northants 140 (4), Suffolk 198 (18) – (Northants rinks only):

Darren Middleton, Dusty Miller, Martyn Dolby lost 23-27; Roger Stevens, Steve Roden, Graham Agger lost 27-31; Stuart Agger, Robert Heath, Mick Linnell won 33-28; Dave Roberts, Ally McNaughton, Roger Strong lost 13-39; Howard Shipp, Craig Campbell, Trevor Collins won 29-25; Martin Prudhoe, Duncan Lee, Roger Martin lost 15-43.

NEWTON TROPHY

Northants 131 (3), Suffolk 210 (19) – (Northants rinks only):

Les Sharp, Melvyn Beck, Brian Bassam lost 13-51; Andy Cox, Alec Emery, Paul Buckley lost 16-32; Jon, Martin & Paul Bailey lost 30-37; Michael Humphreys, John Holroyd, Kevin Vinter drew 24-24; Philip Burbridge, Andy Cook, Peter Smith lost 20-39; Steven Shaw, Andy Dyer, Barry Lawrence won 28-27.

THE Northants ladies county teams opened their English Women’s Bowling Federation county championship programme with defeats away to local rivals Hunts.

The Donald Steward team were beaten 113-98 at Hemingford, while the Silver Jubilee Vase side went down 126-86 at Houghton & Wyton.

Both teams recorded two rink wins apiece to return with four points each, the successful Steward rinks being county president Shirley Suffling, Pat Jones and Angela Cox (26-17) and Viv Hempsell, Moira Holroyd and Gill King (33-14), while Christine Frost, Sue Mansbridge and deputy president Liz Hext (26-20) and Jan McDougall, Wendy Stevens and Marlene Osborne (24-19) claimed the points for the Vase team.

Next up is a Steward only match against North Cambs at City of Peterborough on Wednesday, June 7.

RESULTS

DONALD STEWARD TROPHY

Northants 98 (4), Hunts 113 (14) – (Northants rinks only):

Shirley Suffling, Pat Jones, Angela Cox won 26-17; Viv Hempsell, Moira Holroyd, Gill King won 33-14; Terri Handley, Linda Kemp, Linda Toms lost 12-29; Elizabeth Wallace, Emma Providence, Sharon Green lost 13-29; Angela Kenny, Penny Hart, Val Du’Kett lost 14-24.

SILVER JUBILEE VASE

Northants 86 (4), Hunts 126 (14) – (Northants rinks only):

Christine Frost, Sue Mansbridge, Liz Hext won 26-20; Jan McDougall, Wendy Stevens, Marlene Osborne won 24-19; Miriam Hulbert, Kate Heath, Joyce Needham lost 15-26; Sally Albany, Chris Ryan, Carol Grief lost 13-21; Ann Northen, Barbara Talbott, Ann Cooper lost 8-40.

There are six changes to the Donald Steward team for the home match with North Cambs at the City of Peterborough club on Wednesday, June 7.

Northants: Shirley Suffling, Myra Lansburgh, Liz Hext; Marlene Osborne, Moira Holroyd, Gill King; Elizabeth Wallace, Sally Albany, Chris Ford; Penny Hart, Val Du’Kett, Angela Kenny; Terri Handley, Linda Toms, Carol Grief.

A NORTHANTS Bowling Federation team featuring players from both the Adams and Newton squads defeated a Hunts Bowls side in an inaugural match at Whittlesey Manor to become the first winners of the Dick Noble and Malcolm Squires Memorial Shield.

The match, which is hoped to become an annual fixture on the local bowls calendar, enables the selectors to run the rule over prospective county players in advance of their respective county championship fixtures.

The respective county presidents, Martyn Dolby (NBF) and Martin Francis (Hunts), were in attendance and Sheron Noble and Norma Squires, widows of the former Northants stalwarts who sadly passed away last year, were on hand to present the shield to the Adams and Newton team captains Roger Stevens and Dave Corney respectively.

Northants open their county fixtures away to Suffolk on Saturday, June 3, and on the same day Hunts travel to Bedfordshire for their opening Middleton Cup match.

NORTHANTS begin their women’s county championship away to Hunts on Thursday, May 25.

Joan Robinson and Ann Cooper are the respective captains of the Donald Steward and the Silver Jubilee Vase squads.

Donald Steward team: Shirley Suffling, Pat Jones, Angela Cox; Terri Handley, Linda Kemp Linda Toms; Elizabeth Wallace, Emma Providence, Sharon Green; Vivienne Hempsell, Moira Holroyd, Gill King; Angela Kenny, Penny Hart, Valerie Du’Kett.

Silver Jubilee Vase team: Christine Frost, Sue Mansbridge, Elizabeth Hext; Sally Albany, Chris Ryan, Carol Grief; Jan McDougall, Wendy Stevens, Marlene Osborne; Joyce Needham, Kate Heath, Miriam Hulbert; Ann Northen, Barbara Talbott, Ann Cooper.

ROGER Stevens (Whittlesey Manor) has taken over from Neil Wright (Parkway) as captain of the NBF’s Adams Trophy team.

As a result of this late change, he has been given little time to put together a competitive team for the opening fixture away to Suffolk on Saturday, June 3.

He is hoping for full support from the players and he can be contacted on 07951 842777.

Would all competition players please note the new results secretary is Ally McNaughton, contact details as per NBF handbook

THE inaugural match between select teams from Northants Bowling Federation and Huntingdonshire Bowls takes place at Whittlesey Manor on Saturday, May 20 at 2.00pm.

The teams will be playing for the Dick Noble and Malcolm Squires Memorial Shield and the match will take the form of a trial for the NBF’s Adams and Newton teams and the Hunts’ Middleton Cup squad.

It is hoped that Sheron Noble and Norma Squires, widows of the former NBF presidents, will be on hand to present the shield to the winners.

WITH NBF results secretary Cliff Watson currently indisposed, Ally McNaughton has agreed to step into the role for the time being.

So all results and match queries should now be directed to Ally on 07834 409066 or email: allysaint@hotmail.co.uk.

NORTHANTS bowlers ended what had been a generally disappointing week at the English Bowling Federation indoor finals at Lincoln by winning the men’s Eversley double rink team competition for officers, past presidents and life members on the final afternoon.

Led by county president Martyn Dolby, they emerged unbeaten from their four 11-end matches with 22 points out of a possible 24 – two for each match won and two for each winning rink – edging Notts (20) into second place and receiving the trophy from national president Ian Bratton.

It was a fifth success in 14 years in this competition and the successful team was Cliff Watson, Bob Warters and Martyn Dolby; Les Sharp, Graham Agger and Peter Brown.

On the individual front, schoolboy Ollie Jeapes was narrowly denied a successful defence of his under 25 open singles title as he went down 21-17 in the final to Notts after wins against Hunts and Northumberland.

England international Stephen Harris reached the semi-finals of the singles, where he was beaten 21-18 by host club manager Danny Brown following convincing wins against Norfolk (21-5) and North Cambs (21-8).

Those two apart, there was no joy at all for the other Northants qualifiers as they failed to win one match between them in the nine remaining disciplines.

They all fell by the wayside in their opening matches, the vast majority by convincing scorelines, although Cliff Watson and Liz Hext lost by a single shot on the last end in the mixed pairs.

The women’s executive team in the Harry Carver Trophy – the ladies’ equivalent of the Eversley – finished joint third. County president Shirley Suffling led the team that contained Elizabeth Wallace, Terri Handley, Viv Hempsell, Liz Hext and Val Du’Kett.

RESULTS

MEN

Singles: Stephen Harris lost 21-18 in the semi-finals to Lincs after wins against Norfolk (21-5) and North Cambs (21-8); Veterans singles: Martyn Dolby lost 21-9 to Lincs; Under 25 open singles: Ollie Jeapes lost 21-17 in the final to Notts after wins against Hunts (21-18) and Northumberland (21-14); Pairs: Paul Dalliday & Tristan Morton lost 17-8 to Derbys; Triples: Paul Dalliday, Brian Martin (sub for Tristan Morton), Simon Law lost 21-17 to Suffolk.

WOMEN

Singles: Michelle Smith lost 21-9 to Notts; Senior singles: Elizabeth Wallace lost 21-14 to Notts; Pairs: Shirley Suffling & Chris Ford lost 26-4 to Durham; Triples: Margaret King, Moira Holroyd, Pat Jones lost 26-10 to Humberside.

MIXED

Pairs: Cliff Watson & Liz Hext lost 18-17 to Suffolk; Triples: Michelle Smith, Tom Newman, Ian Smith lost 20-12 to North Cambs.

Ollie Jeapes, pictured with county president Martyn Dolby, lost in the final of the under 25 open singles.

THE respective Northants county presidents have named their teams for the Harry Carver and Eversley Trophy competitions which book-end the English Bowling Federation national indoor finals at Lincoln later this month.

The one day events are restricted to county officials, past presidents and life members.

The women’s Harry Carver Trophy traditionally opens finals week, which this year is on Monday, April 24, and joining county president Shirley Suffling are Terri Handley, Elizabeth Wallace, Viv Hempsell, Valerie Du’Kett and Liz Hext.

With 11 of the 13 counties involved, the ladies have four matches – Cleveland, Notts, Humberside and North Essex.

The men’s Eversley Trophy closes the finals programme the following Sunday (April 30) and county president Martyn Dolby has selected Les Sharp, Graham Agger, Peter Brown, Cliff Watson and Bob Warters to join him.

Only nine of the men’s counties have entered, but Northants will have four fixtures – Humberside, Derbyshire, Norfolk and Notts