ALTHOUGH there are still a few weeks of the current season remaining, the NBF management committee are already looking ahead to next year’s county championship campaign.
They are asking players, initially through the clubs, to register their interest in representing the county in next season’s Adams or Newton trophy teams, so they can gauge what kind of support there might be come next May.
Once the fixtures and dates have been established, the clubs will be issued with an availability chart which interested players can fill in before trial matches are arranged in early May.
The registration system is open to all, including existing county squad members, but the county are particularly keen to unearth some new talent to increase both competition and numbers.
If you want to bypass your club’s list, then you can contact the secretary direct on 07752 291103 or email: melvynbeckbowls@outlook.com.
THE draws for the opening rounds of the English Bowling Federation and English Women’s Bowling Federation national championships at Skegness have been released.
The finals week runs from Saturday, August 17 through to Saturday, August 24, but the individual portion of the championships doesn’t start until the Monday afternoon (August 19).
MEN
Two-bowl singles: Paul Dalliday (Parkway) v Cleveland, Thursday, 9.15am (second round same day at 3.15pm); Four-bowl singles: Ollie Jeapes (Parkway) v Northumberland, Tuesday, 4.45pm (second round, Wednesday, 9.15am); U25 singles: Ollie Jeapes (Parkway) v winner of Hunts or Notts, in second round on Thursday, 9.15am; Senior singles: Graham Agger (Whittlesey Manor) v winner of Hunts or Durham in second round on Wednesday, 11.45am; Secretary singles: Robert Heath (Yaxley) v Lincs, Tuesday, 11.45am (second round on Wednesday, 11.45am); Champion of Champions: Roger Stevens (Whittlesey Manor) v Derbys in second round on Thursday, 2.15pm; Pairs: Graham Agger & Peter Brown (Whittlesey Manor) v Humberside, Tuesday, 10.45am (second round, Thursday, 9.15am); Senior pairs: Dusty Millar & Martyn Dolby (Blackstones) v North Essex, Tuesday, 11.45am (second round, Wednesday, 2.15pm); Mixed pairs: Paul Dalliday & Michelle Coleman (Parkway) v Humberside, Tuesday, 9.15am (second round, Wednesday, 3.15pm); Two-bowl rinks: Michael Humphreys, Paul Buckley, Stephen Harris (Blackstones) v Durham or Lincs in second round on Wednesday, 9.15am; Three-bowl rinks: Adam Emery, Ean & Tristan Morton (Parkway) v Norfolk, Monday, 2.15pm (second round, Tuesday, 9.15am); Mixed rinks: Paul Dalliday, Michelle Coleman, Tristan Morton (Parkway) v Northumberland, Tuesday, 11.45am (second round, Wednesday, 11.45am; Under 25 pairs: Ollie Jeapes (Parkway) & Owen Aspinall (Blackstones) v Norfolk, Thursday, 10.45am (second round same day provisionally at 3.15pm).
WOMEN
Two-bowl singles: Jan McDougall (Crowland) v Humberside, Tuesday, 9.15am (second round, Wednesday, 2.15pm); Four-bowl singles: Angela Cox (Langtoft) v North Essex or Notts in second round on Thursday, 1.45pm); Senior singles: Chris Ford (Stamford) v Northumberland or Derbys in second round on Thursday, 12.15pm; Secretary singles: Angela Cox (Langtoft) v Lincs, Monday, 2.15pm (second round, Tuesday, 1.45pm); Champion of Champions: Elaine Upton (Ketton) v Suffolk, Thursday, 12.15pm (second round, Friday, 9.15am); Pairs: Pat Booth & Angela Cox (Langtoft) v Humberside, Wednesday, 3.15pm; (second round, Thursday, 10.45am); Senior pairs: Helen Tilley & Elaine Upton (Ketton) v Norfolk, Tuesday, 12.15pm (second round, Wednesday, 1.45pm); Two-bowl rinks: Carol Warters, Shirley Suffling, Helen Tilley (Ketton) v Norfolk, Tuesday, 2.15pm (second round, Wednesday, 9.15am); Three-bowl rinks: Carol Warters, Helen Tilley (sub), Shirley Suffling (Ketton) v Lincs, Monday, 2.15pm (second round, Tuesday, 9.15am).
WHITTLESEY Manor retained the NBF’s Adams Cup with a 70-39 victory over Conservative at Yaxley.
They won on all three rinks and gained some consolation for the previous week’s defeat in the Dan Duffy team championship final at the hands of Parkway.
Stuart Agger, Tom Newman-Borret, Zack Brown 32, Linda Toms, Tina Tinklin, Steven Shaw 14; Steve Lander, Mick Linnell, Peter Brown 20, James Welsher, Jean Scallon, Geoff Hutchinson 14; Roger Stevens, Tom Fielding, Graham Agger 18, Pat Brown, Liz Hext, Mark Feakins 11.
BELOW: Whittlesey Manor captain Peter Brown receives the Adams Cup from NBF president Martyn Dolby.
BELOW: Beaten Adams Cup finalists Conservative with NBF president Martyn Dolby.
PARKWAY retained the NBF’s Dan Duffy team championship with an 82-50 win against Whittlesey Manor at City of Peterborough.
They won on three of the four rinks and now go forward to represent the county in next year’s EBF Durham Centenary Trophy.
Their rink wins came from Simon Law (27-8), Tristan Morton (19-11) and Ean Morton (19-12), while the rink of Zack Brown (19-17) produced a consolation win for the Manor.
Neil Wright, Mike Robertson, Tristan Morton 19, Steve Lander, Tom Fielding, Roger Martin 11; Sophie Morton, Paul Dalliday, Simon Law 27, Dave Corney, Phil Symonds, Tom Newman-Borret 8; Craig Campbell, Michelle Coleman, Ean Morton 19, Stuart Agger, Mick Linnell, Peter Brown 12; Ollie Jeapes, Adam Emery, Michael Jeapes 17, Wayne Hubbard, Philip Burbridge, Zack Brown 19.
BELOW: County president Martyn Dolby presents to Dan Duffy Trophy to Parkway captain Tristan Morton.
BELOW: Whittlesey Manor, beaten finalists in the Dan Duffy Trophy.
THE NWBF Donald Steward team ended their five-match county championship programme on a high note by gaining their first win of the campaign – 115-107 at home to Hunts at City of Peterborough.
There were wins for the rinks of county president Liz Hext, Carol Grief and Sue Moir as Northants claimed 14 of the 18 points on offer.
However, the Silver Jubilee Vase team were unable to end their losing sequence as they went down 84-136 to Hunts at Yaxley, with just one rink win to their name courtesy of Jan McDougall’s trio.
Fiona Richardson, Penny Hart, Myra Landsburgh lost 18-30; Terri Handley, Shirley Suffling, Liz Hext won 24-17; Val Du’Kett, Elizabeth Wallace, Chris Ford lost 19-32; Sally Albany, Karen Porter, Carol Grief won 31-12; Rita Downs, Jan Collishaw, Sue Moir won 23-16.
Kate Heath, Marlene Osborne, Gill King lost 24-28; Althea Taylor, Linda Toms, Jessica Bolam lost 14-29; Joyce Needham, Julie Nolan, Julie O’Neill lost 10-30; Ann Northen, Sue Seed, Sue Mansbridge lost 14-34; Chris Ryan, Caroline Bruc, Jan McDougall won 21-15.
TWO players completed title hat-tricks at the NBF/NWBF county finals held at Blackstones, and another will be also involved in three competitions in the national finals at Skegness beginning on August 17.
Paul Dalliday (Parkway) claimed the two-bowl singles at the expense of Stuart Agger (Whittlesey Manor) then teamed up twice with Michelle Coleman to win the mixed pairs against Louise and Stephen Harris and the mixed triples, where they were joined by Tristan Morton, substituting for the indisposed James Harford.
Angela Cox (Langtoft) retained the secretary singles against Carol Grief (Crowland) after defeating Sue Seed (Stamford) in the four-bowl singles, and then rounded off the day by joining forces with Patricia Booth to win the senior pairs against the Willoughbys from Wittering, Hannah and Michelle.
Schoolboy Ollie Jeapes (Parkway) defeated John Earl (Blackstones) 21-6 to win the four-bowl singles, and having already booked his place in both the under 25 singles and pairs , he also remains on course for a national hat-trick. He missed out on a fourth title when he was beaten in the two-bowl triples decider with his father, Michael, and substitute Adam Emery by home club trio Michael Humphreys, Paul Buckley and Stephen Harris.
Emery, though, did retain the three-bowl triples with the Morton brothers Ean and Tristan by beating father and son Steve and Gavin Jinks with substitute Bob Goodall (City of Peterborough).
Also retaining a title was Graham Agger (Whittlesey Manor), who will be hoping to successfully defend the national veterans singles crown. He defeated clubmate Roger Stevens, who had earlier beaten Neil Wright (Parkway) in the Champion of Champions singles, and Agger also came out on top again later in the pairs with Peter Brown in a second all Manor final against Stevens and Tom Newman.
The Ketton club won both the women’s triples against different Yaxley trios with Carol Warters and Shirley Suffling featuring in both, and club colleague Elaine Upton also landed a title double, winning the Champion of Champions singles and senior pairs with Helen Tilley, who also played in one of the successful triples.
Ketton’s John Suffling and Bob Warters narrowly missed out on retaining the senior pairs, losing by one shot to Dusty Millar and county president Martyn Dolby (Blackstones), Suffling also lost in the senior mixed pairs with Upton to Yaxley’s Jenny Mosley and Michael Gordon.
Mixed fortune for Chris Ford in two singles, beating Stamford colleague Elizabeth Wallace in the senior singles, but losing to Crowland’s Jan McDougall in the two-bowl singles.
Robert Heath (Yaxley) took the men’s secretary singles title at the expense of Wittering’s Ally McNaughton.
RESULTS
MEN
Two-bowl singles: Paul Dalliday (Parkway) bt Stuart Agger (Whittlesey Manor) 21-11; Four-bowl singles: Ollie Jeapes (Parkway) bt John Earl (Blackstones) 21-6; Veterans singles: Graham Agger (Whittlesey Manor) bt Roger Stevens (Whittlesey Manor) 21-8; Champion of Champions: Roger Stevens (Whittlesey Manor) bt Neil Wright (Parkway) 21-19; Secretary singles: Robert Heath (Yaxley) bt Ally McNaughton (Wittering) 21-13; Pairs: Graham Agger & Peter Brown (Whittlesey Manor) bt Roger Stevens & Tom Newman (Whittlesey Manor) 20-19; Senior pairs: Dusty Millar & Martyn Dolby (Blackstones) bt John Suffling & Bob Warters (Ketton) 16-15; Mixed pairs: Michelle Coleman & Paul Dalliday (Parkway) bt Louise & Stephen Harris (Blackstones) 24-9; Senior mixed pairs: Jenny Mosley & Michael Gordon (Yaxley) bt John Suffling & Elaine Upton (Ketton) 16-14; Two-bowl triples: Michael Humphreys, Paul Buckley, Stephen Harris (Blackstones) bt Ollie Jeapes, Adam Emery (sub), Michael Jeapes (Parkway) 17-16; Three-bowl triples: Adam Emery, Tristan & Ean Morton (Parkway) bt Bob Goodall (sub), Steve & Gavin Jinks (City of Peterborough) 22-11; Mixed triples: Paul Dalliday, Michelle Coleman, Tristan Morton (sub) bt Michael Humphreys, Katie Bailey, John Earl (Blackstones) 21-13.
WOMEN
Two-bowl singles: Jan McDougall (Crowland) bt Chris Ford (Stamford) 21-18; Four-bowl singles: Angela Cox (Langtoft) bt Sue Seed (Stamford) 21-15; Senior singles: Chris Ford (Stamford) bt Elizabeth Wallace (Stamford) 21-6; Champion of Champions: Elaine Upton (Ketton) bt Judith Arnold (Deeping) 21-11; Secretary singles: Angela Cox (Langtoft) bt Carol Grief (Crowland) 21-10; Pairs: Angela Cox & Patricia Booth (Langtoft) bt Hannah & Melanie Willoughby (Wittering) 25-12; Senior pairs: Helen Tilley & Elaine Upton (Ketton) bt Chris Ryan & Jan McDougall (Crowland) 21-16; Two-bowl triples: Carol Warters, Shirley Suffling, Helen Tilley (Ketton) bt Kate Heath, Viv Hempsell, Karen Mercer (Yaxley) 22-12; Three-bowl triples: Carol Warters, Lynne Hulme, Shirley Suffling (Ketton) by Hazel Bass, Gill King, Marlene Osborne (Yaxley) 22-6.
BELOW
Successful Ketton ladies at the finals – Elaine Upton, Helen Tilley, Lynne Hulme, Carol Warters, Shirley Suffling.
BELOW
Whittlesey Manor’s Tom Newman, Roger Stevens, Graham Agger and Peter Brown met in the pairs final.
BELOW
Angela Cox, winner of three titles, with county president Liz Hext.
BELOW
Paul Dalliday, winner of three titles, with Tristan Morton and Michelle Coleman, who both had title doubles.
BELOW
County president Martyn Dolby and Dusty Millar defeated last year’s winners Bob Warters and John Suffling in the senior pairs.
THE NBF Newton team’s hopes of at least finishing runners-up in the southern section were dashed when they were beaten 144-153 by Hunts at Whittlesey Manor.
They went into the match with a very slim chance of winning the section, but with Norfolk defeating Lincolnshire the result proved immaterial.
Although only beaten by nine shots, they claimed just four points from this final match, courtesy of rink wins for Paul Buckley and Steven Shaw, and so had to be content with third place with two wins out of four.
Ian Chilvers, Alec Emery, Paul Buckley won 35-18; Andy Cox, Andy Dyer, Steven Shaw won 29-17Philip Burbridge, Melvyn Beck, Phil Symonds lost 17-33; Craig Campbell, Jon Bailey, Brian Bassam lost 19-29; Andy Cook, Martin Bailey, Dave Corney lost 20-30; Les Sharp, Mick Porter, Paul Bailey lost 24-26.
THE future of Skegness as the venue for the English Bowling Federation national finals was thrown into some doubt when East Lindsey District Council announced they would no longer maintain the three greens after the end of August.
However, following a ‘Save Our Bowling Greens’ meeting at the Suncastle attended by around 150 people, including local hoteliers and businesses, a new fully constituted association has emerged called the North Parade Bowling Greens Association whose plan is to take over the running of the complex.
An experienced greenkeeper is currently working on the greens in preparation for the national finals which start on August 17th and there is already an assurance that the finals will definitely go ahead there next year following a financial guarantee from East Lindsey District Council.
There are also plans to improve the facilities and security, but the immediate priority is to improve the playing surfaces.
The statement from East Lindsey District Council reads: ‘We have for many years supported and financed the bowling greens at Skegness, the only bowling venue in the district to have received this level of support, however the council feels the best way forward is for these types of facilities to be managed and run by people using the facilities.
‘ They clearly know what is best for this type of facility to thrive and develop and to this end for several years we have been trying to find a long-term solution which would see a local group, business or bowling association, take over the ownership and running of the greens and infrastructure.
‘There now seems to be a local organisation emerging which could take on this role and the council would like to work with this organisation to secure the future of this area in providing a bowling facility.
‘The council, working with this group, would like to invest in the infrastructure with the possibility of a yearly grant, reducing over time until the group has a firm management and fiscal structure. We hope that this can be achieved within the next 12 months.’
So the 70th staging of the championships at Skegness will be going ahead next year, but the long-term future will depend on funding – they believe £30,000 would be needed per year to maintain the greens and to fund other projects.
The EBF have given the new organisation their commitment to continue staging the finals at Skegness providing the greens are improved to a championship standard.
With regard to security, it is hoped in the near future to put a steel hooped fence attached to the concrete around each green, although that would need permission from English Heritage, who are the guardians of the site.
THE NBF/NWBF county finals take place at Blackstones this Sunday (July 14th) starting at 10.00am.
Four players will be chasing a hat-trick of county titles on the day – Paul Dalliday (Parkway), Roger Stevens (Whittlesey Manor), Elaine Upton (Ketton) and Angela Cox (Langtoft), while young Ollie Jeapes (Parkway) competes in two having already been given a walkover in both the under 25 singles and pairs, so could be involved in four finals at Skegness.
There are four defences of titles – Graham Agger (Whittlesey Manor) in the veterans singles, Angela Cox (Langtoft) in the secretary singles, Adam Emery, Ean and Tristan Morton (Parkway) in the three-bowl triples and John Suffling and Bob Warters (Ketton) in the senior pairs.
Three of last year’s beaten finalists are hoping to go one better this time – Roger Stevens and Tom Newman (Whittlesey Manor) in the pairs, Angela Cox (Langtoft) in the four-bowl singles and Neil Wright (Parkway) in the Champion of Champion singles.
TIMETABLE
10.00am
Ladies senior singles – Elizabeth Wallace (Stamford) v Chris Ford (Stamford); Senior mixed pairs – Elaine Upton & John Suffling (Ketton) v Jenny Mosley & Michael Gordon (Yaxley); Men’s Champion of Champions – Roger Stevens (Whittlesey Manor) v Neil Wright (Parkway); Ladies 4b singles – Sue Seed (Stamford) v Angela Cox (Langtoft); Men’s 4b singles – John Earl (Blackstones) v Ollie Jeapes (Parkway); Men’s 2b singles: Stuart Agger (Whittlesey Manor) v Paul Dalliday (Parkway).
12.00 noon
Ladies secretary singles – Carol Grief (Crowland) v Angela Cox (Langtoft); Men’s secretary singles – Ally McNaughton (Wittering) v Robert Heath (Yaxley); Ladies 2b singles – Jan McDougall (Crowland) v Chris Ford (Stamford); Mixed rinks – Michelle Coleman, Paul Dalliday, Tristan Morton (Sub) v Michael Humphreys, Katie Bailey, John Earl (Blackstones); Men’s veterans singles – Roger Stevens (Whittlesey Manor) v Graham Agger (Whittlesey Manor); Ladies 2b triples – Carol Warters, Shirley Suffling, Helen Tilley (Ketton) v Kate Heath, Viv Hempsell, Karen Mercer (Yaxley).
2.00pm
Men’s senior pairs – Dusty Millar & Martyn Dolby (Blackstones) v John Suffling & Bob Warters (Ketton); Men’s 3b triples: Fred Richardson, Steve Jinks, Gavin Jinks (City of Peterborough) v Adam Emery, Ean & Tristan Morton (Parkway); Ladies Champion of Champions – Judith Arnold (Deeping) v Elaine Upton (Ketton); Mixed pairs – Michelle Coleman & Paul Dalliday (Parkway) v Louise & Stephen Harris (Blackstones).
4.00pm
Ladies 3b triples – Carol Warters, Lynne Hulme, Shirley Sufflng (Ketton) v Gill King, Marlene Osborne, Hazel Bass (Yaxley); Men’s 2b triples – Ollie Jeapes, Adam Emery (Sub), Michael Jeapes (Parkway) v Michael Humphreys, Stephen Harris, Paul Buckley (Blackstones); Ladies pairs – Michelle & Hannah Willoughby (Wittering) v Patricia Booth & Angela Cox (Langtoft); Men’s pairs – Graham Agger & Peter Brown (Whittlesey Manor) v Roger Stevens & Tom Newman (Whittlesey Manor); Ladies senor pairs – Helen Tilley & Elaine Upton (Ketton) v Chris Ryan & Jan McDougall (Crowland).
*Dress code: Club shirt, white shorts or trousers, club stickers.
