NORTHANTS A’s bid to reach the final of the English Bowling Federation’s Derbyshire Trophy, the indoor county championship, will be settled in the space of a week next month.

They currently head the southern section with three wins out of three, and they conclude their programme with home matches at Stamford against North Essex on Sunday, February 11 and main challengers Norfolk a week later.

Team captain Simon Law has already selected his team for the fixture with North Essex and he has named England indoor international Stephen Harris as the replacement for the unavailable Michael Jeapes.

Northants A: Brian Martin, Tom Newman, John Earl; Wayne Morris, Stephen Harris, Simon Law; Stuart Agger, Graham Agger, Peter Brown; Michael Humphreys, Paul Dalliday Adam Warrington.

Northants B are also in action on February 11 when they complete their programme with a home match against Hunts at Peterborough & District.

There’s one change from the side that achieved their first win of the season last time out against North Cambs with Neil Wright replacing Owen Aspinall.

Northants B: Ally McNaughton, Paul Bailey, Ray Keating; Jeff Clipston, Dudley Smith, Roger Martin; Tony Barwell, Neil Wright, Mick Linnell; John Holroyd, Mick Greaves, Kevin Vinter.

THE local bowls community have been shocked by the sudden passing of Langtoft club stalwart Peter White at the age of 82.

He was a founder member of the club which started playing carpet bowls back in 1988 before converting to an outdoor club four years later when it joined the Stamford League.

There is not a position within the club that Peter hadn’t filled at some time or other. He was always the person the club turned to when it wanted advice or information and he was a constant source of encouragement for new bowlers.

Both him and his devoted wife Anne, who was also a former secretary of the club, were awarded life memberships for their loyal and dedicated service.

The crowning moment of his bowling career was back in 2010 when he won the English Bowling Federation’s veterans singles title at Skegness.

“We are absolutely devastated at his sudden passing, ” said club chairman Nolan Catterwell, ” He will be a great loss, not only to the Langtoft club, but also the local bowls community in general.”

A celebration of Peter’s life will be held at the South Lincs Crematorium, Surfleet, on Wednesday, February 7th at 2.00pm, followed by light refreshments at the Black Horse, Baston from 3.30pm. Any donations should be directed to the British Heart Foundation.

NORTHANTS B gained their first Derbyshire Trophy win of the season at the fourth attempt by defeating North Cambs 101-91 at Peterborough & District.

Rink honours were shared at two apiece, but emphatic wins for the rinks of Kevin Vinter and Roger Martin enabled Northants to claim the bulk of the points (10-4) and in doing so aid their A team’s southern section title aspirations with North Cambs no longer serious contenders.

RESULT

NORTHANTS B 101 (10), NORTH CAMBS 91 (4) – (Northants rinks only):

Tony Barwell, Mick Linnell, Paul Bailey lost 16-32; John Holroyd, Mick Greaves, Kevin Vinter won 34-15; Jeff Clipston, Dudley Smith, Roger Martin won 31-21; Ally McNaughton, Owen Aspinall, Ray Keating lost 20-23.

NORTHANTS A made it three wins out of three in the English Bowling Federation’s Derbyshire Trophy with a 90-81 (11-3) victory over Hunts at Huntingdon,

There were rink wins for team captain Simon Law and Peter Brown; Adam Warrington’s rink shared the spoils while John Earl’s trio went down by five shots.

Northants A currently lead the southern section table, but have played more matches than their main rivals.

They are not in action again until February when they complete their programme with home matches against North Essex and Norfolk.

RESULT

NORTHANTS A 90 (11), HUNTS 81 (3) – (Northants rinks only):

Brian Martin, Michael Jeapes, Simon Law won 25-17; Stuart Agger, Graham Agger, Peter Brown won 22-16; Michael Humphreys, Paul Dalliday, Adam Warrington drew 21-21; Wayne Morris, Tom Newman, John Earl lost 22-27.

THE NWBF Christmas raffle was drawn at the Yaxley club during the bingo night, and the winners were:

£100 – Sheila Harmer (Folksworth); £50 – Elizabeth Hext (Conservative); £25 – Doug Ellis (Deeping BA)

ALTHOUGH sharing the rink spoils at two apiece, Northants B suffered a third straight defeat in the English Bowling Federation’s Derbyshire Trophy when visiting league newcomers North Essex.

There were wins for the rinks of team captain Ray Keating (31-22) and Paul Bailey (31-25), but they were unable to prevent North Essex running out 122-100 winners, as the other two Northants rinks, skipped by Kevin Vinter and Roger Martin, had combined losses of 37 shots

RESULT

NORTHANTS B 100 (4), NORTH ESSEX 122 (10) – (Northants B rinks only):

Ally McNaughton, Owen Aspinall, Ray Keating won 31-22; Martin Bailey, Mick Linnell, Paul Bailey won 31-25; Cliff Watson, John Holroyd, Kevin Vinter lost 24-34; Jeff Clipston, Dudley Smith, Roger Martin lost 14-41.

NORTHANTS B returned pointless from their trip to Fakenham to face Norfolk in the English Bowling Federation’s Derbyshire Trophy.

They were beaten 124-61 leaving them with just two points from two matches, although the rink of Tony Barwell, John Holroyd and Kevin Vinter came close to adding to that total as they were beaten on the last end by a single shot.

RESULT

NORTHANTS B 61 (0), NORFOLK 124 (14) – (Northants rinks only):

Cliff Watson, Ray Keating, Mick Linnell lost 10-38; Jeff Clipston, Dudley Smith, Roger Martin lost 12-27; Tony Barwell, John Holroyd, Kevin Vinter lost 23-24; Martin Bailey, Ally McNaughton, Paul Bailey lost 16-35.

The B team are on their travels again on Sunday (November 26) when they visit league newcomers North Essex.

Northants B: Jeff Clipston, Dudley Smith, Roger Martin; Cliff Watson, John Holroyd, Kevin Vinter; Martin Bailey, Mick Linnell, Paul Bailey; Ally McNaughton, Owen Aspinall, Ray Keating.

Meanwhile, the A team will be hoping to make it three wins out of three when they make the short trip to Hunts on Sunday week (December 3).

Northants A: Wayne Morris, Tom Newman, John Earl; Brian Martin, Michael Jeapes, Simon Law; Stuart Agger, Graham Agger, Peter Brown; Michael Humphreys, Paul Dalliday, Adam Warrington.

DESPITE only winning on one of the four rinks, Northants A still managed to claim the bulk of the points from their Derbyshire Trophy clash against North Cambs at March.

The rink of Michael Humphreys, Paul Dalliday and Adam Warrington were the heroes, winning 29-19, while the combined deficit on the other three rinks was just five shots, leaving Northants home and dry by just four shots – 89-85.

With two wins out of two, Northants A are the early pacesetters in the southern section of the English Bowling Federation’s indoor county championship.

RESULT

NORTHANTS A 89 (8), NORTH CAMBS 85 (6) – (Northants rinks only):

Wayne Morris, Tom Newman, John Earl lost 21-22; Michael Humphreys, Paul Dalliday, Adam Warrington won 29-19; Stuart Agger, Graham Agger, Peter Brown lost 18-22; Ollie Jeapes, Michael Jeapes, Simon Law lost 21-22.

Northants B are back in action on Sunday (November 19) when they visit Norfolk with Dudley Smith the only change from the team beaten by the A side in the opening fixture of the season.

Northants B: Jeff Clipston, Mick Greaves, Ray Keating; Tony Barwell John Holroyd, Kevin Vinter; Cliff Watson, Dudley Smith, Mick Linnell; Martin Bailey, Ally McNaughton, Paul Bailey.

ELIZABETH Hext (Conservative) was installed as the new president of the Northants Women’s Bowling Federation at the recent annual general meeting.

She received the chain of office from outgoing president Shirley Suffling, but no nominations were received for the post of deputy president.

Members were advised of the concerns and difficulties in providing teams for the Donald Steward and Silver Jubilee Vase county championships and it was stressed that the county needed to have a strong pool of players committed to playing inter-county games.

Secretary Terri Handley pointed out that a letter would be going out to all club secretaries and past players towards the end of the year setting out the county’s plans in respect of the two teams.

A proposal had been received to change the fixed county competitions dates to a more flexible ‘play-by’ system, but that was defeated on a show of hands.

Elizabeth Wallace has taken on the role of match secretary which had been vacant last season, while Vivienne Hempsell has replaced Ann Cooper as the Silver Jubilee Vase captain.

Election of officers: President, Elizabeth Hext; secretary, Terri Handley; treasurer, Chris Ford; match secretary, Elizabeth Wallace; competition secretary, Valerie Du’Kett; safeguarding officer, Vivienne Hempsell; Donald Steward captain, Joan Robinson; Silver Jubilee Vase captain, Vivienne Hempsell.

NORTHANTS A earned the bragging rights with an opening match 108-67 (12-2) victory over their B team in the Derbyshire Trophy, the EBF’s indoor inter-county championship, played at Stamford IBC.

The rinks of captain Simon Law, John Earl and Adam Warrington all topped the thirty-shot mark, while the B team’s Kevin Vinter also hit the thirty mark for a consolation two points.

RESULT

NORTHANTS A 108 (12), NORTHANTS B 67 (2) – (Northants A rinks first):

Ollie Jeapes, Michael Jeapes, Simon Law 31, Martin Bailey, Ally McNaughton, Paul Bailey 14; Brian Martin, Tom Newman, John Earl 31, Jeff Clipston, Mick Greaves, Mick Linnell 8; Stuart Agger, Graham Agger, Peter Brown 14, John Holroyd, Ray Keating, Kevin Vinter 31; Michael Humphreys, Paul Dalliday, Adam Warrington 32, Tony Barwell, Cliff Watson, Roger Martin 14.

Northants A will be unchanged for their next match away to North Cambs at March IBC on Sunday, November 12.