NORTHANTS made county history by winning the English Bowling Federation’s Eversley Trophy for the third year in a row.

They completed the hat-trick in this double rink event for county executives and officers at Lincoln, pipping near neighbours North Cambs on shots difference (+22 to +16) after both teams had finished level on 19 points.

Northants won on both rinks against Humberside and Hunts, won one and lost one against Lincs and tied on both rinks against Norfolk – it’s two points for each winning rink and two points for the overall score.

The successful rinks were: Andy Cox, Martyn Dolby and Graham Agger; Bob Warters, Ally McNaughton and Simon Law.

Pictured below (left to right) Bob Warters, Graham Agger, Martyn Dolby (chairman), Ally McNaughton and Andy Cox.

THE draws for the EBF and EWBF national indoor finals at Lincoln from April 22-27 have been released.

For Northants, Yvonne Monaghan faces a hectic time having qualified in three events, while Martyn Dolby and Ollie Jeapes will be defending their national senior and junior singles titles respectively.

The Harry Carver double rink event for county officers and executives takes place on the opening day (Tuesday, April 22).

The men’s equivalent, the Eversley Trophy which Northants have won for the past two years, is being held on Sunday, April 13 at Lincoln.

NORTHANTS DRAWS

WOMEN

Singles: Yvonne Monaghan v North Cambs, second round on the Friday at 5.00pm.

Senior singles: Yvonne Monaghan v Hunts or Northumberland, second round on the Friday at 2.30pm.

Pairs: Vicky Simpson & Yvonne Monaghan v Notts or Suffolk, second round, on the Friday at 12 noon.

Triples: Elizabeth Wallace, Sue Moir, Chris Ford v North Essex, first round on the Wednesday at 12.30pm

MEN

Singles: Stephen Harris v Suffolk or Northumberland, second round on the Thursday at 3.30pm.

Senor singles: Martyn Dolby v Notts or Durham, second round on the Saturday at 2.30pm.

Pairs: Brian Martin & Chris Ballard v North Cambs or North Essex, second round on the Friday at 2.30pm

Triples: Paul Dalliday, Simon Law, Tristan Morton v Lincs or Cleveland, second round on the Wednesday at 3.30pm.

MIxed pairs: Liz Hext & Tom Newman-Borrett v Northumberland, first round on the Thursday at 12.30pm.

Mixed rinks: Paul Dalliday, Louise Harris, Simon Law v Derbyshire, first round on the Wednesday at 12.30pm.

SAD to report the passing of Daphne Kew, a life member and former president of the Northants Women’s Bowling Federation at the age of 92.

She was a stalwart figure in the Federation movement for many years, and represented the county both as a player and team manager.

She was also a prominent member of the Peterborough & District club for many years, along with her late husband Eric, which included the role of secretary.

The funeral service will take place at the Peterborough Crematorium on Wednesday, April 23rd at 11.30am.

THE annual indoor challenge match between Northants ladies and the men for the Ean Eagle Trophy at Peterborough & District ended in an overwhelming victory for the men.

They won across all six rinks of three-bowl triples for a 176-48 victory.

The teams were led by ladies president Jess Bolam and men’s chairman and immediate past president Martyn Dolby.

RESULT

NORTHANTS MEN 176, NORTHANTS LADIES 48 (Men rinks first):

Mick Porter, Brian Bassam, Paul Buckley 17, Julie Bates, Pam Seymour, Judith O’Neill 16; Ally McNaughton, Dudley Smith, Simon Law 45, Terri Handley, Val Du;Kett, Chris Ford 2; John Suffling, Neil Wright, Kevin Vinter 37, Penny Hart, Gill King, Marlene Osborne 3; Pete Linnell, Andy Cox, Martyn Dolby 27, Karen Porter, Shirley Sufflling, Rita Downs 7; Dave Corney, Melvyn Beck, Graham Agger 17, Fiona Richardson, Hazel Brewin, Liz Hext 13; Michael Humphreys, Malcolm Mitchell, John Earl 33, Sue Mansbridge, Jess Bolam, Sheila Craig 7.

Below: NWBF president Jess Bolam and NBF chairman Martyn Dolby with the trophy.

YVONNE Monaghan claimed a hat-trick of titles at the Northants Bowling Federation indoor finals held at the Peterborough & District club.

She retained the senior singles at the expense of Chris Ford; defeated Elizabeth Wallace in the open singles and then partnered Vicky Simpson to victory in the pairs against defending champions Shirley Suffling and Lin Tuck.

She missed out on a fourth title when beaten in the triples with Jean Baker and Pam Seymour against last year’s winners Elizabeth Wallace, Sue Moir and Chris Ford.

National title holder Martyn Dolby retained his county senior singles title against Kevin Vinter, while Stephen Harris claimed the open singles crown against John Holroyd.

There was a last end win for Tom Newman-Borrett and substitute Liz Hext in the pairs against Lin and Kevin Tuck, and a last bowl extra end success for Paul Dalliday, Simon Law and Tristan Morton in the rinks against title holders Michael Humphreys, Tom Newman-Borrett and Stephen Harris.

Dalliday and Law went on to win a second title when joining forces with Louise Harris to win the mixed triples against last year’s winners Chris Ford and Stephen Harris, this time in the company of Malcolm Mitchell.

It was second defeat on the day for Mitchell who earlier lost in the pairs with Neil Wright against Brian Martin and Chris Ballard.

Young Ollie Jeapes will be defending the national under 25 singles title following his 21-7 defeat of Owen Aspinall in the county final.

The winners will represent the county in the national finals at Lincoln at the end of April.

RESULTS

MEN

Singles: Stephen Harris bt John Holroyd 21-14; Senior singles: Martyn Dolby bt Kevin Vinter 21-15; Under 25 singles: Ollie Jeapes bt Owen Aspinall 21-7; Pairs: Brian Martin and Chris Ballard bt Malcolm Mitchell and Neil Wright 23-11; Triples: Paul Dalliday, Simon Law, Tristan Morton bt Michael Humphreys, Tom Newman-Borrett, Stephen Harris 20-19 (after extra end).

MIXED

Pairs: Tom Newman-Borrett & Liz Hext bt Lin & Kevin Tuck 19-18; Triples: Paul Dalliday, Louise Harris, Simon Law bt Malcolm Mitchell, Chris Ford, Stephen Harris 19-6.

WOMEN

Singles: Yvonne Monaghan bt Elizabeth Wallace 21-10; Senior singles: Yvonne Monaghan bt Chris Ford 21-10; Pairs: Vicky Simpson & Yvonne Monaghan bt Shirley Suffling & Lin Tuck 18-11; Triples: Elizabeth Wallace, Sue Moir, Chris Ford bt Jean Baker, Pam Seymour, Yvonne Monaghan 25-15.

NORTHANTS A ended their EBF Derbyshire Trophy campaign with a 90-81 defeat away to Norfolk in what was a ‘dead rubber’ with Hunts having already dethroned Northants as southern section winners.

Rink honours were shared at two apiece, the Northants successes coming from the rinks of Graham Agger and Martyn Dolby.

RESULT

NORTHANTS A 81 (4), NORFOLK 90 (10) – (Northants rinks only):

Dave Corney, Paul Dalliday, Simon Law lost 19-24; Ally McNaughton, Tom Newman-Borrett, John Earl lost 16-28; Michael Humphreys, Brian Martin, Martyn Dolby won 25-20; Stuart Agger, Melvyn Beck, Graham Agger won 21-18.

NO fewer than six titles are being defended on the day at the NWBF/NBF county indoor finals being hosted by the Peterborough & District club on Sunday (February 23rd).

On top of that, Yvonne Monaghan has qualified in all four women’s events, and she will be defending the senior singles title, while Stephen Harris will be chasing a hat-trick, including defences of the mixed triples with Chris Ford and Adam Warrington and the triples with Michael Humphreys and Tom Newman-Borrett.

Martyn Dolby hopes to make it through in the veterans singles so that he can defend his national crown at Lincoln in April; Chris Ford, Elizabeth Wallace and Sue Moir defend the women’s triples title, while Shirley Suffling and Lyn Tuck bid to retain the women’s pairs.

A seventh title being defended, but not on finals day owing to the finalists being in national action in York, will see national under 25 singles champion Ollie Jeapes facing his great rival Owen Aspinall.

TIMETABLE

10.00am: Women’s senior singles, Chris Ford v Yvonne Monaghan; Men’s singles: John Holroyd v Stephen Harris; Mixed pairs, Kevin & Lyn Tuck v Louise Harris (sub) & Tom Newman-Borrett; Men’s veterans singles, Martyn Dolby v Kevin Vinter.

12 noon: Women’s singles, Yvonne Monaghan v Elizabeth Wallace; Men’s pairs, Malcolm Mitchell & Neil Wright v Brian Martin & Chris Ballard; Men’s triples, Paul Dalliday, Simon Law, Tristan Morton v Michael Humphreys, Tom Newman-Borrett, Stephen Harris.

2.00pm: Women’s pairs, Shirley Suffling & Lyn Tuck v V. Simpson & Yvonne Monaghan; Mixed triples, Paul Dalliday, Louise Harris, Simon Law v Adam Warrington, Chris Ford, Stephen Harris.

4.00pm: Women’s triples: Jean Baker, Pam Seymour, Yvonne Monaghan v Elizabeth Wallace, Sue Moir, Chris Ford.

HERE are some key dates for you diary.

Sunday, February 23 – County indoor finals, Peterborough & District from 10.00am.

Sunday, March 23 – Ladies v Gents at Peterborough & District 2.00pm

Sunday, April 13 – Eversley Trophy at Lincoln.

Tuesday, April 22 – Harry Carver Trophy, at Lincoln.

Wednesday April 23 – EBF/EWBF indoor finals at Lincoln until April 27

Saturday, May 10 – NBF v Whittlesey Manor (John Dickenson Memorial Shield) at Whittlesey Manor

Wednesday, May 21 – NWBF away to Suffolk (both teams)

Saturday, May 24 – NBF v Hunts (Dick Noble & Malcolm Squires Memorial Shield) at Whittlesey Manor.

Saturday, May 31 – NBF home to Hunts, Adams at Blackstones, Newton at Whittlesey Manor.

Wednesday, June 4 – NWBF home to Norfolk, Steward at Blackstones, Vase at City of Peterborough.

Saturday, June 7 – NBF away to North Essex (Adams only)

Saturday June 14 – NBF away to Norfolk (both teams)

Wednesday, June 18 – NWBF home to North Cambs at Blackstones (Adams only)

Saturday, June 21 – NBF home to North Cambs at Blackstones (Adams only)

Saturday, June 28 – NBF home to Suffolk, Adams at Parkway, Newton at Whittlesey Manor.

Thursday, July 3 – NWBF away to Hunts (both teams)

Saturday, July 5 – NBF away to Lincs (both teams).

Sunday, July 13 – County finals at City of Peterborough from 10.00am.

Wednesday, July 16 – NWBF home to North Cambs at Blackstones (Steward only).

Saturday, August 16 – EBF/EWBF national finals at Skegness until August 23.

Sunday, September 21 – NBF/NWBF presentation luncheon, Ellindon Banqueting Suite 1.00pm

Sunday, September 28 – NBF v Peterborough & District (Cliff Watson Memorial Shield) at Peterborough & District.

What slender hopes Northants A had of retaining the English Bowling Federation’s Derbyshire Trophy were finally extinguished with an 86-84 defeat away to North Essex.

It was Northants’ second two-shot defeat of the campaign, the other coming against Hunts, who are now set to claim the southern section crown following their 98-75 home win against Northants B.

Rink honours were shared at the Turpins club, with the rinks of Simon Law and Tristan Morton responsible for Northants’ four points, but North Essex edged it overall to take the bulk of the points.

Meanwhile, Northants B took two points from Hunts, courtesy of Mick Linnell’s rink, although two of the other three rinks only had a deficit of six shots between them.

That was the B team’s final match of the season, but the A team are scheduled to conclude their programme away to Norfolk on Sunday (February 16) which may well be a ‘dead rubber.’

RESULTS

NORTHANTS A 84 (4), NORTH ESSEX 86 (10) – (Northants A rinks only):

Stuart Agger, Trevor Collins, Simon Law won 25-17; Wayne Morris, Brian Martin, John Earl lost 17-27; Michael Humphreys, Paul Dalliday, Tristan Morton won 23-19; Louise Harris, Graham Agger, Stephen Harris lost 19-23.

NORTHANTS B 75 (2), HUNTS 98 (12) – (Northants B rinks only):

Malcolm Mitchell, Ally McNaughton, Mike Anderson lost 20-24; Martin Prudhoe, Neil Wright, Mick Linnell won 21-18; Pete Linnell, Mick Porter, Roger Martin lost 15-35; Peter Smith, Dudley Smith, Kevin Vinter lost 19-21.

NORTHANTS A resume their Derbyshire Trophy programme away to North Essex on Sunday, February 9 with their hopes of retaining the English Bowling Federation’s indoor county championship hanging in the balance.

Having narrowly losing their last game to Hunts, they will be seeking maximum points to keep them in the southern section title picture.

There are three changes to the team with Tristan Morton, Trevor Collins and Stephen Harris coming in for the unavailable Peter Brown, Tom Newman-Borrett and Michael Jeapes.

Northants A: Stuart Agger, Graham Agger, Stephen Harris; Michael Humphreys, Paul Dalliday, Tristan Morton; Brian Martin, Martyn Dolby, John Earl; Wayne Morris, Trevor Collins, Simon Law.

The B team conclude their programme the same day away to Huntingdon A, who are now favourites for the southern section title following their 14-0 demolition of previous leaders North Cambs.

There’s one change from the team beaten by North Cambs wirh Mike Anderson returning for the unavailable John Holroyd.

Northants B: Malcolm Mitchell, Ally McNaughton, Mike Anderson; Neil Wright, Andy Cox, Kevin Vinter; Mick Porter, Jay Travis, Roger Martin; Martin Prudhoe, Dudley Smith, Mick Linnell.