THE Northants women’s county teams made an unsuccessful return to action after a three-year absence with defeats away to Norfolk.
Both teams returned with just two points from a maximum 18, with the Donald Steward team losing 147-83 at Acle, while the Silver Jubilee Vase side went down 147-83 at Martham.
The successful rink for the Donald Steward team was Hazel Bass, Gill King and team captain Joan Robinson with an 18-17 win, while Silver Jubilee Vase captain Ann Cooper figured in her team’s only winning rink alongside Gina Shoebridge and Christine Pell, the score 24-20.
The Donald Steward team are next in action away to North Cambs on June 1.
Carol Warters, Shirley Suffling, Chris Ford lost 18-31; Elizabeth Wallace, Val Du’Kett, Liz Hext lost 16-27; Joan Robnson, Gill King, Hazel Bass won 18-17; Norma Squires, Penny Hart, Jessica Phillips lost 21-27; Terri Handley, Moira Holroyd, Angela Cox lost 19-22.
Sally Albany, Veina Slater, Carol Grief lost 13-36; Kate Heath, Moira Osborne, Joyce Needham lost 17-26; Karen Porter, Maureen Stone, Viv Hempsell lost 13-29; Tina Tinklin, Linda Toms, Wendy Stevens lost 16-36; Christine Pell, Gina Shoebridge, Christine Pell won 24-20.
THE annual early season match between Whittlesey Manor and the Northants Bowling Federation for the John Dickenson Memorial Shield finished all square at 105-105.
The Federation team was made up of Newton Trophy squad players under the new leadership of Dave Corney, and they won on two of the five rinks, courtesy of the rinks of Alec Emery and Kevin Vinter.
John’s widow Mary was on hand to present the shield to Dave Corney and Manor club captain Graham Agger, and John’s son Gareth was in the Federation team.
AFTER a two-year absence owing to the pandemic, the John Dickenson Memorial match returns on Saturday, May 7 when Whittlesey Manor, his first club when he moved to the area, host a Northants Bowling Federation select team.
John was a much respected bowls administrator and Federation stalwart, having held the positions of EBF president and chairman, as well as holding several offices within the county, including that of president.
The inter-county matches get under way on Saturday, June 4, with a full programme of fixtures for the first time since 2019. Adams Trophy home matches are being held at Parkway, with the Newton fixtures at Whittlesey Manor.
COUNTY FIXTURES
Saturday, June 4: Both teams home to Suffolk; Saturday, June 11: Both teams home to Hunts; Saturday, June 18: Both teams away to Lincs (Boston & Grantham); Saturday, June 25: Adams team away to North Essex (Radwinter) with the Newton team away to North Cambs (March Town); Saturday, July 2: Both teams away to Norfolk (Holt & R.G. Carters).
NORTHANTS women are getting their county squads together at Yaxley on Wednesday, May 4 in preparation for the inter-county campaign – their first for three years.
The county open their programme away to Norfolk on May 16, but while the Donald Steward team have five fixtures, the Silver Jubilee Vase only have three, with North Essex and North Cambs unable to field two teams.
Donald Steward home matches are being hosted by the City of Peterborough club, with the Vase matches at Yaxley, home club of county president Viv Hempsell.
COUNTY FIXTURES
Monday, May 16: Both teams away to Norfolk (Acle & Martham); Wednesday, June 1: Steward team away to North Cambs (March Town); Wednesday, June 15: Both teams home to Suffolk; Tuesday June 28: Steward team away to North Essex (Cornard); Wednesday, July 13 – Both teams home to Hunts.
OLLIE Jeapes has won the English Bowling Federation’s indoor under 25 open singles title for Northants…. at the tender age of 12!
The prodigious schoolboy talent from Chesterton, who plays his indoor bowls at the powerful Spalding club under the watchful eye of long-time England international Graham Smith, swept all before him at Newark, winning 21-4, 21-11 and 21-11.
It means Northants have retained the under 25 crown, with Stephen Harris having won it last year in his final season as a junior.
He quickly established a 15-7 lead in the final against Derbyshire’s Morgan Topliss and such was the youngster’s relentless pressure that his opponent was given few opportunities to recover.
Apart from receiving the under 25 singles trophy, he also shared the award for the junior player of the championships with Hunts’ 16-year-old Jorge Jackson, who won the ladies singles.
Northants narrowly missed out on a second national title when the Stamford pair of Shirley Suffling and Chris Ford, winners of the outdoor senior pairs title last year, lost 16-15 on the last end to Derbyshire’s Karen Chapman and Pauline Marples.
After convincing wins against pairs from Cleveland and Durham, they led 10-5 in the final before the Derbyshire duo switched positions which produced an immediate reaction to the extent that the match went into the final end all square at 15-15, but unfortunately for Northants the all-important shot went the way of their opponents.
Among other notable results for Northants, Paul Dalliday, James Harford and Simon Law reached the semi-finals of the men’s rinks, defeating Northumberland 23-16 and North Essex 25-11 before running into the all-conquering Durham trio, who powered home 21-4.
Elizabeth Wallace and Stephen Harris reached the semi-finals in the women’s senior singles and men’s singles respectively, Wallace winning 21-20 against North Essex before a 21-8 last four defeat at the hands of Durham, who incidentally won the final 21-0, while Harris had 21-5 and 21-20 wins against North Cambs and Derbyshire respectively before a 21-17 reverse against the eventual winner from Lincs, Kevin Rands.
Other Northants results:
Men’s senior singles: Tony Barwell lost 21-18 to Northumberland; Men’s pairs: Chris Ballard and Brian Martin defeated North Essex 21-18, but then lost 23-15 to Derbyshire in the quarter-finals. Mixed pairs: Tom Newman and Joan Robinson lost 19-9 to Derbyshire; Mixed rinks: Moira and John Holroyd, Kevin Vinter lost to Durham.
Women’s singles: Joan Robinson lost 21-18 to Northumberland; Women’s rinks: Elizabeth Wallace, Shirley Suffling, Chris Ford lost 21-15 to Durham,
In the Harry Carver Trophy, the women’s competition for current officers and past presidents, Northants finished fifth of 11, but only one point behind the winners, Durham.
Northants rinks: Elizabeth Wallace, Shirley Suffling, Chris Ford; Joan Robinson, Terri Handley, Val Du’Kett.
NORTHANTS men finished fifth of nine in the English Bowling Federation’s Eversley Trophy, the double rink competition for current county officials, past presidents and life members.
They won three matches out of four, beating Humberside, Suffolk and Norfolk, but only won on three of the eight rinks played and so finished on 12 points, level with North Cambs, who inflicted Northants’ only defeat.
Notts won the title, with Derbyshire second and last year’s winners Norfolk third.
Northants rinks: Les Sharp, Melvyn Beck, Graham Agger; Malcolm Squires, Barry Lawrence, Cliff Watson.
THE timetable for the English Bowling Federation and English Women’s Bowling Federation national indoor finals being held at Newark from April 19-24 has been released.
How the timetable affects the Northants representatives.
MEN
Singles: Stephen Harris v North Cambs (Thursday, April 21 at 9.30am). Next round on the Friday at 2.30pm.
Senior singles: Tony Barwell v Northumberland (Thursday, April 21 at 12.30pm). Next round on Saturday at 12.00 noon.
Under 25 singles: Ollie Jeapes v Norfolk (Saturday, April 23 at 2.30pm). Next round the same day at 5.00pm.
Pairs: Chris Ballard & Brian Martin v North Essex (Thursday, April 21 at 9.30am). Next round on Friday at 2.30pm.
Rinks: Paul Dalliday, James Harford, Simon Law v Northumberland (Wednesday, April 20 at 9.30am). Next round the same day at 3.30pm.
LADIES
Singles: Joan Robinson v Northumberland (Wednesday, April 20 at 9.30am). Next round on Friday at 12.00 noon.
Senior singles: Elizabeth Wallace v North Essex (Friday, April 22 at 7.30pm). Semi-finals on Saturday at 12.00 noon.
Pairs: Shirley Suffling & Chris Ford v Cleveland (Saturday, April 23 at 9.30am). Semi-finals the same day at 2.30pm.
Rinks: Elizabeth Wallace, Shirley Suffling, Chris Ford v Durham (Wednesday, April 20 at 12.30pm). Next round the same day at 3.30pm.
MIXED
Pairs: Joan Robinson & Tom Newman v Derbyshire (Thursday, April 21 at 3.30pm. Next round on the Friday at 9.30am.
Rinks: Moira & John Holroyd, Kevin Vinter v Durham (Wednesday, April 20 at 12.30pm. Next round the same day at 6.30pm.
FOUR ladies completed title doubles at the Northants Bowling Federation county indoor finals hosted by the Stamford club.
The rink of Elizabeth Wallace, Shirley Suffling and Chris Ford closed the proceedings with a 21-15 win against Rose March, Pat Jones and Denise Mackie having all won titles earlier in the day, with Suffling and Ford combining to win the pairs, 22-13 against county officials Terri Handley and Val Du’Kett, while Wallace came from behind to defeat Ford 21-17 in the senior singles.
The other double was achieved by Joan Robinson, who defeated Michelle Smith 21-19 in the singles and then gained the upper hand again over the same opponent in the mixed pairs with Tom Newman, substituting for Ray Keating, winning 21-9 against Smith and husband Ian.
Tony Barwell took the veterans singles title with a 21-8 win against Cliff Watson, while Stephen Harris, who won the national under 25 singles title last year, defeated Michael Humphreys 21-9 in the singles, but when the pair combined in the rinks with Bob Warters, they were beaten 18-16 by Paul Dalliday, James Harford and Simon Law.
The biggest victory of the day came in the mixed rinks, where Moira and John Holroyd and Kevin Vinter stormed to a 29-4 win against Chris Ford, Martyn Dolby and Adam Warrington, which proved compensation for John who had earlier lost 24-14 in the pairs with Richard Allam at the hands of Chris Ballard and Brian Martin.
The winners will represent the county at the national finals at Newark from April 20-23.
During the finals, ladies president Viv Hempsell presented a NWBF life membership to former president Glenys Edwards, and national badges to Shirley Suffling and Chris Ford in recognition of their national senior pairs success at Skegness last August.
RESULTS
MEN
Singles: Stephen Harris bt Michael Humphreys 21-9; Veterans singles: Tony Barwell bt Cliff Watson 21-8; Pairs: Chris Ballard & Brian Martin bt Richard Allam & John Holroyd 24-14; Rinks: Paul Dalliday, James Harford, Simon Law bt Michael Humphreys, Bob Warters, Stephen Harris 18-16.
LADIES
Singles: Joan Robinson bt Michelle Smith 21-19; Senior singles: Elizabeth Wallace bt Chris Ford 21-17; Pairs: Shirley Suffling & Chris Ford bt Terri Handley & Val Du’Kett 22-13; Rinks: Elizabeth Wallace, Shirley Suffling, Chris Ford bt Rose March, Pat Jones, Denise Mackie 21-15.
MIXED
Pairs: Joan Robinson & Tom Newman (substitute for Ray Keating) bt Michelle & Ian Smith 21-9; Rinks: Moira & John Holroyd, Kevin Vinter bt Chris Ford, Martyn Dolby, Adam Warrington 29-4.
STAMFORD’S Chris Ford will be chasing a four-timer at the NBF/NWBF county indoor finals at Stamford on Sunday (March 20th).
She has qualified in four of the six events in which she was eligible and so will be playing in all four sessions in a bid to win the senior singles, pairs, triples and mixed triples.
Several other players will be chasing doubles, including Michael Humphreys, Michelle Smith, Elizabeth Wallace, Shirley Suffling, Joan Robinson, Stephen Harris and John Holroyd.
The winners will represent the county at the national finals being staged at Newark from April 20-23.
SUNDAY’S TIMETABLE
10.00am
Men’s singles: Michael Humphreys v Stephen Harris
Ladies singles: Michelle Smith v Joan Robinson
Ladies senior singles: Chris Ford v Elizabeth Wallace
Men’s veterans singles: Cliff Watson v Tony Barwell
12.00noon
Men’s pairs: Chris Ballard & Brian Martin v Richard Allam & John Holroyd
Ladies pairs: Shirley Suffling & Chris Ford v Terri Handley & Val Du’Kett
Mixed pairs: Michelle & Ian Smith v Joan Robinson & Tom Newman (substitute for Ray Keating)
2.00pm
Men’s triples: Paul Dalliday, James Harford, Simon Law v Michael Humphreys, Bob Warters, Stephen Harris
Mixed triples: Moira & John Holroyd, Kevin Vinter v Chris Ford, Martyn Dolby, Adam Warrington
4.00pm
Ladies triples: Elizabeth Wallace, Shirley Suffling, Chris Ford v Rosemary March, Pat Jones, Denise Mackie
FOR the second time running Northants have won the team award at the English Bowling Federation’s Bowls Week at the Potters Resort.
The rink of John and Shirley Suffling and Elizabeth and Mike Wallace reached the quarter-finals, while the rinks of Dick and Chris Ford, Rosemary and Alec March along with Rosemary Roberts, Melvyn Beck, Mick Linnell and Graham Agger narrowly missed out on the last 16 knockout stage after winning three of their four qualifying matches.
The other Northants rinks were: John Little, June Brennan, Ann and Paul Sampy; Reg and Jill Goode, Adrian and Julie Childs.
A total of 24 were in the Northants party and all were grateful for the arrangements made by Dick Ford..
