Federation president seeks a deputy

CLUBS affiliated to the Northants Bowling Federation are being asked to nominate a member to become Deputy president of the county to succeed the current president Dick Noble from November 2020.

Noble, who succeeded previous president Tony Mace for a two-year term in 2018, says he is keen to show a deputy the ropes for a year while being groomed for the presidential role.

The successfully-elected candidate will join the executive committee and help shape the rules and playing programme during his term of tenure.

The NBF is also looking for nominations to captain the county’s outdoor Adams and Newton Trophy teams, succeeding Jonathan Earl and Cliff Watson, who have decided to step aside because of other commitments.

Most recently, the Adams team beat Northumberland to win the national title in 2015 for the first time in its history, while the Newton team lost in the final to Humberside a year later.

Nominations for all three posts should be submitted in writing or via email to the county secretary Melvyn Beck by September 11.

FEE FOR HOSTING COUNTY FINALS ESTABLISHED

Northants Bowling Federation management committee has agreed to offer a fixed payment of £120 to clubs hosting county outdoor finals who meet the NBF’s criteria. It is comparable to the county’s submission to non-affiliated clubs who host the annual indoor finals in March.

It will be upto individual clubs nominated to decide whether they wish to take up the offer.

The 2020 outdoor finals will be hosted by Ketton Bowls Club on July 19.

Northants celebrates its 90th anniversary

NORTHANTS Bowling Federation celebrated its 90th anniversary with a commemorative match between the county and a team pulled together by President Dick Noble.

The match, a comprehensive win for the President 125-95, helped raise more than £425 for the charity Children with Cancer UK.

As well as a raffle – organised by Rita Mace and Janet Duffy – the event attracted further funds from the auction of a commemorative cake in county colours, made for the occasion by Whittlesey Manor members Bill and Linda Stark.

It was also an opportunity for the national president Mick Rayson to pay tribute to the service to the county of life member Cliff Watson, who is retiring as Newton Trophy captain having led the Adams team to the title in 2015 for the first time in the county’s history.

Watson’s wife Sue recently underwent an operation after suffering a broken hip and he wants to devote time to assist her recovery.

Said Rayson: “You will be an extremely hard act to follow but whomever takes on the captaincy, they know they can rely on your experienced counsel to help them in the task.

“We salute your devotion to the duties of the Northants Federation and wish you and Sue every happiness in the future.”

District lifts Adams Cup


Peterborough & District (back row, left to right) Cliff Watson, Brian Bassam, Colin Teat, Dave Heffernan, Steve Johnson. (Front): Joe Martin, Alec Emery, Mick Greaves, Jeff Clipston, Dave Corney.


City of Peterborough A (back row, left to right): Peter Afford, Colin Lake, Graham Jackson, Dudley Smith. (Front): Peter Leaton, David Allen, Derek Briers, Bryan Bolam, Dave Eddings.

PETERBOROUGH & District bowlers lifted the Adams Cup with a comfortable 64-42 defeat of City of Peterborough A at Parkway Bowls Club.

The rinks of Alec Emery (with Dave Corney and Cliff Watson) and Brian Bassam (with Colin Teat and Steve Johnson) built up early advantages which meant that Peterborough & District were never under any real pressure.

Emery’s trio defeated Graham Jackson (with Derek Briers and Peter Leaton) 22-9 while Bassam carded a 26-17 victory against Bryan Bolam (with Dave Eddings and Dave Allen).

The other rink finished all square at 16-16, with the rink of Mick Greaves (with Jeff Clipston and Joe Martin) scoring a double on the last end to deny Dudley Smith (with Peter Afford and Colin Lake) a consolation win for City of Peterborough.

RESULT

PETERBOROUGH & DISTRICT bt CITY OF PETERBOROUGH A 64-42. (Peterborough & District rinks first): Dave Corney, Cliff Watson, Alec Emery 22, Derek Briers, Peter Leaton, Graham Jackson 9; Jeff Clipston, Joe Martin, Mick Greaves 16, Peter Afford, Colin Lake, Dudley Smith 16; Colin Teat, Steve Johnson, Brian Bassam 26, Dave Eddings, Dave Allen, Bryan Bolam 17.

Draws and schedules finals at Skegness

Vanguard bowlers Malcolm Mann and Mike Ramsden have the joint privilege of kicking off Northants’ bid for silverware at the Federation finals at Skegness when they play their senior pairs against Hunts at 10.45 on Tuesday, August 20.

It is a title won in 2015 by Roger Stevens and Tony Mace (Whittlesey Manor).

Playing simultaneously will be Langtoft’s Sue Moir in the women’s senior two bowl singles against North Cambs.

An hour later Sophie and Tristan Morton are paired with Simon Law in the mixed triples – also against North Cambs.

NORTHANTS DRAWS AT SKEGNESS
(Tuesday, August 20 – Saturday, August 24)

MEN
TWO-BOWL SINGLES: Paul Dalliday (Parkway), first round v Notts, Wednesday, 1.45pm. (Second round: Thursday, 11.45am).
FOUR-BOWL SINGLES: Stephen Harris (Blackstones), first round v Notts, Tuesday, 4.45pm. (Second round: Thursday, 11.45am).
UNDER 25 SINGLES: Stephen Harris (Blackstones), first round v North Cambms, Wednesday, 9.15am. (Second round: Wednesday, 10.45am).
SENIOR SINGLES: Mick Duell (Whittlesey Manor), first round v Notts, Thursday, 9.15am. (Second round: Thursday, 12.15pm).
SECRETARY SINGLES: Malcolm Squires (City of Peterborough), first round v Cleveland, Tuesday, 1.45pm. (Second round: Wednesday, 9.15am).
CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS: Malcolm Mann (Vanguard), first round v Hunts, Thursday, 10.45am. (Second round: Friday, 10.45am).
PAIRS: Brian Martin & James Harford (Parkway), first round v Humberside, Tuesday, 3.15pm. (Second round: Wednesday, 3.15pm).
SENIOR PAIRS: Malcolm Mann & Mike Ramsden (Vanguard), first round v Hunts, Tuesday, 10.45am. (Second round: Wednesday, 1.45pm).
MIXED PAIRS: Louise & Stephen Harris (Blackstones), second round v Durham or North Essex, Wednesday, 4.45pm.
TWO-BOWL RINKS: Paul Dalliday, Simon Law, Tristan Morton (Parkway), second round v Norfolk or Lincs, Wednesday, 9.15am.
THREE-BOWL RINKS: Roger Stevens, Graham Agger, Martin Welsford (Whittlesey Manor), second round v North Cambs or North Essex, Wednesday, 2.15pm.
MIXED RINKS: Sophie Morton, Simon Law, Tristan Morton (Parkway), first round v North Cambs, Tuesday, 11.45am. (Second round: Wednesday, 11.45am).
UNDER 25 OPEN PAIRS: Jack Corney (Whittlesey Manor) & Stephen Harris (Blackstones), first round v North Essex, Wednesday, 12.15pm. (Second round: Thursday, 9.15am).
SENIOR MIXED PAIRS: Les Sharp & Gill King (Yaxley), first round v North Essex, Wednesday, 12.15pm. (Second round: Thursday, 12.15pm).

WOMEN

TWO-BOWL SINGLES: Sue Moir (Langtoft Pearl), first round v North Cambs, Thursday 10.45am. (Second round: (to be arranged).
FOUR-BOWL SINGLES: Chris Ford (Ketton), first round v North Cambs, Tuesday, 4.45pm. (Second round: Wednesday, 9.15am).
UNDER 25 SINGLES: Louise Harris (Blackstones), second round v Hunts or Notts, Thursday, 10.45am.
SENIOR SINGLES: Sue Moir (Langtoft Pearl), first round v North Essex, Tuesday, 10.45am. (Second round: Wednesday, 9.15am).
SECRETARY SINGLES: Angie Jinks (West Ward), first round v Hunts, Tuesday, 12.15pm. (Second round: Tuesday, 4.45pm).
CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS: Joan Robinson (Yaxley), first round v Lincs, Wednesday, 4.45pm. (Second round: Thursday, 3.15pm).
PAIRS: Louise Harris & Katie Bailey (Blackstones), first round v Northumberland, Tuesday, 1.45pm. (Second round: Wednesday, 4.45pm).
SENIOR PAIRS: Carol Warters & Elizabeth Wallace (Ketton), first round v Derbys, Wednesday, 10.45am. (Second round: Thursday, 9.15am)
TWO-BOWL RINKS: Kathy Browning, Joyce Needham, Viv Hempsell (Yaxley), second round v North Essex, Wednesday, 9.15am.
THREE-BOWL RINKS: Ann Holmes, Helen Holroyd, Linda Starbuck (Stamford), second round v Lincs or North Essex, Wednesday, 2.15pm.

NWBF QUIZ NIGHT CANCELLED

Northants Women’s Bowling Federation had planned to host a quiz night on Saturday at Peterborough and District Indoor Bowls Club (August 3).

However, due to lack of support, it has been cancelled.

Blackstones are Duffy Trophy winners by one!


Blackstones (back row, left to right) – Martin Stokes, Paul Bailey Paul Buckley, Mark Pye, John Earl, Darren Middleton, Martyn Dolby. (Front) Stephen Harris, Adam Warrington, Wayne Morris, Rita Downs, Tom Fielding.


Parkway (back row, left to right) – Paul Dalliday, Jeff Newson, Stuart Reynolds, Simon Law. (Front) Tristan Morton, Pat Reynolds, Michelle Coleman, Emma Thurston, James Harford, Brian Martin, Trevor Collins, Mike Robertson.

BLACKSTONES won a thrilling Dan Duffy Trophy final at the City of Peterborough club, pipping holders Parkway by just one shot – with the match going right down to the last of the 84 ends.

There was just two shots in the match going into that dramatic concluding end, but the Parkway trio of Stuart and Pat Reynolds and Mike Robertson, who had trailed 11-3, could only manage one against Wayne Morris, Mark Pye and Tom Fielding, who edged home 13-11.

it left the jubilant Stamford outfit 74-73 winners.

The county club championship is also a qualifier for the Durham Centenary Trophy, so Blackstones will be flying the county flag in it next year.

Parkway, however, will be contesting the national final against Northumberland’s New Delaval at Skegness on August 17, so even if they become the first club from the county to lift the title, they will be unable to defend it next year.

The damage for Blackstones was inflicted by the rink of Martin Stokes, Paul Bailey and Adam Warrington, who swept aside Paul Dalliday, Jeff Newson and Simon Law 29-12, restricting the Parkway trio to just six scoring ends, which included a count of four on the last.

Parkway took the honours on the remaining two rinks, where positional changes in the Blackstones ranks had the desired effect of reducing deficits that appeared to be getting out of control.

For Parkway, Brian Martin, Trevor Collins and James Harford were 25-16 winners against Stephen Harris, Darren Middleton and Paul Buckley, but they were 16-2 ahead after nine ends before a second half Blackstone rally.

It was a similar story on the other rink where Emma Thurston, Michelle Coleman and Tristan Morton led 15-5 after ten ends against Rita Downs, Martyn Dolby and John Earl, who matched their opponents over the remaining ends to lose by only nine at 23-14.

The county’s Adams Cup final between City of Peterborough A and Peterborough & District is being hosted by the Parkway club next Thursday.

RESULT

BLACKSTONES bt PARKWAY 74-73 (Blackstones rinks first):
Rita Downs, Martyn Dolby, John Earl 14, Emma Thurston, Michelle Coleman, Tristan Morton 23; Stephen Harris, Darren Middleton, Paul Buckley 16, Brian Martin, Trevor Collins, James Harford 25; Martin Stokes, Paul Bailey, Adam Warrington 29, Paul Dalliday, Jeff Newson, Simon Law 12; Wayne Morris, Mark Pye, Tom Fielding 15, Stuart & Pat Reynolds, Mike Robertson 13.

Tickets available for Federation lunch on September 22

Winners and runners-up in Northants Federation’s men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor competitions, are reminded that tickets are now available for the county’s presentation lunch to be held at Orton Hall Hotel, Peterborough on Sunday, September 22 (12 noon for 12.30).

It is hoped that players who competed in the Adams and Duffy finals, the men’s and women’s outdoor county teams, together with the Northants side that won the coveted EBF inter-county Derbyshire Trophy at Newark in April, will also attend.

Priced at £20, each ticket includes a three-course meal (see choices below) and is available to members and guests.

Hosted by Northants presidents Dick Noble and Christine Ford, the dinner will be attended by national presidents Mick Rayson (Hunts) and Carole Swann (Norfolk) who will present the awards.

Raffle prizes will be welcome.

Lunch ticket forms are available from all club secretaries. Please submit with names of those attending, to: either Melvyn Beck, 11 Davie Lane, Whittlesey PE7 1YZ or Terri Handley, 6 Caesar Close, Baston, Peterborough PE6 9PN. Make cheques payable of Northants Bowling Federation.

MENU CHOICES
Starters: Duck & orange pate, vegetable soup, melon & ginger compote or chorizo & mozzarella tart.
Main: Chicken with chorizo and butter bean sauce, sirloin of beef, baked cod or tomato,spinach and butternut squash risotto.
Dessert: Chocolate & caramel tart, sticky toffee pudding, fruit salad or cheese & biscuits.

Parkway reach Durham Centenary final

The Parkway team which beat Warboys. From the left: Pat Reynolds, Emma Thurston, Michelle Coleman, Neil Wright, Tristan Morton, James Harford, Paul Dalliday, Stuart Reynolds, Brian Martin, Simon Law, Trevor Collins and Mike Robertson.

PARKWAY BOWLERS will represent Northants in the final of the Durham Centenary Trophy at Skegness next month after beating neighbours and local rivals Warboys White Hart at Sawtry by nine shots over 21 ends of two-bowls triples.

The Hunts team featured three internationals skipping three of their four rinks, including Nick Brett, Lewis Baker and Ed Elmore, but Parkway had just enough armoury to hold them off.

Special credit must go to the rink skipped by Pat Reynold’s who held Joe Randall’s rink to 18-19 when their team-mates put the result beyond doubt with an end to play.

Elsewhere Tristan Morton’s rink lost 18-21 to Ed Elmore and Brian Martin,Trevor Collins and James Harford drew with Lewis Baker.

The key to victory was the 28-13 demolition of Brett’s trio by Paul Dalliday, Neil Wright and Simon Law.

Parkway will play Northumberland’s New Delaval club who beat The Stute (Derbyshire) 94-69 in the northern section final.

Commented Wright: “It was a high quality game with all our other rinks keeping it tight to protect our lead A great great team effort against very experienced opposition.

“Now it’s on to Skegness to represent the Orange Army!”

DONALD STEWARD DREAM ENDS

Hopes of reaching the finals of the Donald Steward Trophy for the first time in 25 years were dashed for Northants women at Ketton, beaten by nine shots by bottom of the southern section table North Essex.

Northants needed to win all five rinks with a shots plus of at least 32 to make the national finals at Skegness next month but never looked in complete control and overall suffered in their line and length.

They won on only two rinks with Kath Browning, deputy president Viv Hempsell and Gill King taking the rink honours with a 24-14 win after stretching a narrow lead to 17-11 by the 15th.

Terri Handley, Doris Flowers and Julie Masters also finished on top by 28-23, though they shared 40 shots with five ends to play.

Results (Northants names only):

Donald Steward Trophy (at Ketton): Northants 99 (4 pts) North Essex 108 (14). T Handley ( Deeping Assn), Doris Flowers (Yaxley), Julie Masters (Parkway) won 28-23; Norma Squires (City of Peterborough), Tina Tinklin (Conservative), Sue Moir (Langtoft) lost 15-25; Carol Warters, Shirley Suffling, Chris Ford (all Ketton) lost 17-19; Kath Browning, Viv Hempsell, Gill King (all Yaxley) 24-14; Fiona Richardson ( Co P), Elizabeth Wallace (Ketton), Myra Landsburgh (Co P) lost 15-27.

Stephen Harris captures four out of five titles

Presidents Dick Noble and Christine Ford with the Under 25 Open pairs finalists.

BLACKSTONES bowler Stephen Harris proved the most successful player at the Northants Federation championships, winning four of the five titles he contested on his immaculately-prepared home green.

Only at the end of a blistering day of bowling by both men and women did he slip up. Partnering clubmate Jon Earl in the men’s pairs he was beaten by Parkway’s Brian Martin and James Harford 21-11.

Earlier Harris had won the Under 25 singles for the eighth successive year – though run close by Whittlesey Manor youngster Zac Brown in a 21-20 tussle and the Under 25 Open pairs with Jack Corney (Whittlesey Manor) for the second year in a row, against Helen Horoyd and Sophie Morton, representing Stamford Town and Parkway.

The 22-year-old England Under 25 indoor international also joined his sister Louise to capture the mixed pairs and beat Lee Welsford (Whittlesey Manor) in the four-bowl singles, though he had to dig deep after Welsford fought back from a nine shot deficit before conceding 21-19.

Some incredible shots made for an incredibly competitive day, no less than the trailed jack which Stamford Town’s Linda Starbuck produced to snatch the women’s three-bowl triples from Julie Masters’ Parkway rink.

With Helen Holroyd and Ann Holmes, she was staring defeat in the face at 11-15 until she trailed the jack for five shots with the last bowl of the game.

It was a similar story for Gill King of Yaxley partnering Les Sharp in the senior mixed pairs. Shirley Suffling (Ketton) and Paul Buckley (Blackstones) had earlier forced an extra end and held shot until King, with her last bowl, trailed the jack for a winning single and a 16-15 victory.

Elsewhere Vanguard’s Malcolm Mann captured two titles – defeating Cliff Watson in the champion of champion singles and joining clubmate Mike Ramsden to beat home based Buckley and Trevor Christie.

As well as Louise Harris (in mixed pairs and Under 25 singles), there were also two titles for Langtoft bowler Sue Moir – the women’s two-bowl and senior singles- and for Parkway duo Simon Law and Tristan Morton. They retained the two-bowl triples for which they are the reigning national champions with Paul Dalliday and the mixed triples with Tristan’s wife Sophie.

The Ketton Bowls Club will have duel representation at the national finals at Skegness, which start on August 20. Christine Ford – the county president – beat
Tina Tinklin (Conservative) to take the four-bowl singles while Elizabeth Wallace and Carol Warters captured the senior pairs with a 16-15 defeat of Parkway’s Sue Overton and Val Newson.

RESULTS

Women’s Under 25 singles – Louise Harris (Blackstones) beat Sophie Morton (Parkway) 21-18; men’s champion of champions – Malcolm Mann (Vanguard) beat Cliff Watson (P& D) 21-4; men’s secretaries singles – Andy Grief (Crowland) lost to Mal Squires (CoP)20-21; women’s 2-bowl singles – Sue Moir (Langtoft) beat Julie Masters (Parkway) 21-13; men’s 4-bowl singles – Stephen Harris (Blackstones) beat Lee Welsford ( Whittlesey Manor) 21-19; women’s champion of champion singles – Joan Robinson (Yaxley) beat Angela Cox (Langtoft) 21-10.

Women’s senior singles – Val Newson (Parkway) lost to Moir 15-20; senior mixed pairs – S Suffling (Ketton) & P Buckley (Blackstones) lost Gill King & Les Sharp (Yaxley) 16-17; under 25 Open pairs – Helen Holroyd (Stamford Town) & S Morton lost to Jack Corney (Whittlesey Manor) & S Harris 13-18; men’s veteran singles – Roger Stevens (Whittlesey Manor) lost Mick Duell (WM) 20-21; men’s 2-bowl singles – John Holroyd ( Stamford Town) lost Paul Dalliday (Parkway)11-21; women’s secretaries singles – Angie Jinks (West Ward) w.o. Linda Darani (CoP).

Men’s under 25 singles – S Harris beat Zac Brown (Whittlesey Manor) 21-20; women’s 2-bowl pairs – L Harris & Katie Bailey (Blackstones) beat Fiona Richardson & Norma Squires (CoP) 19-17; men’s senior pairs – M Mann & Mike Ramsden (Vanguard) beat Trevor Christie & Buckley (Blackstones)16-15; men’s 2-bowl triples – Dalliday, Simon Law & Tristan Morton (Parkway) beat Richard Allam, Kevin Vinter & Holroyd ( Stamford Town) 21-9; women’s 4-bowl singles – Christine Ford (Ketton) beat Tina Tinklin (Conservative) 21-12;women’s 3-bowl rinks – Holroyd, Linda Starbuck & Ann Holmes (Stamford Town) beat S Morton, Marissa McKernan & J Masters (Parkway) 16-15.

Women’s 2-bowl rinks – Joyce Needham, Kath Browning & V Hempsell (Yaxley) beat Rita Downs, Sharon Bailey & K Bailey (Blackstones) 18-15; women’s senior pairs – V Newson & Sue Overton (Parkway) lost Elizabeth Wallace & Carol Warters (Ketton) 15-16; men’s 3-bowl triples – R Stevens, Graham Agger & Martin Welsford (WM) beat Martyn Dolby, Jonathan Earl & Adam Warrington ( Blackstones) 15-8; mixed pairs – L & S Harris (Blackstones) beat Sarah & Jeff Newson (Parkway) 19-7; mixed triples – S Suffling (Ketton), Martin Stokes & P Buckley (Blackstones ) lost S Morton, S Law & S Morton ( Parkway) 11-22; men’s pairs – Brian Martin & James Harford (Parkway) bt S Harris & J Earl (Blackstones) 21-11.















Northants Donald Steward team’s lifeline to the final

Only victory on all rinks against North Essex at Ketton next Wednesday (July 17) and
an overall winning margin of at least 32 shots will see Northants through to the final of the Donald Steward Trophy at Skegness in August for the first time in 25 years.

That’s the target they must set themselves after defeating Hunts at St Ives 108-83 and picking up 12 crucial points thanks to just two rinks claiming enough shots to carry the match in Northants’ favour.

With Suffolk dropping five points at struggling North Essex in an overall victory, it leaves Northants with a lifeline to make the final for the first time in a quarter of a century.

And it was the Yaxley and Ketton rinks who secured the triumph for Northants, each winning comprehensively against a stubborn home side who battled to pick up points from the remaining three rinks.

The experienced Doris Flowers was drafted in to bolster Yaxley clubmates Kath Browning and Gill King and it proved a key move with the trio extending a 15-end 24-8 advantage to 38-10 by the completion of 25 ends to take the rink honours.

Meanwhile, the Ketton trio of Carol Warters, Shirley Suffling and Christine Ford built up a 10 shots advantage by the midway mark and kept up the pressure to extend it to 25-12 by the close.

Elsewhere credit must be given to the other Northants rinks who fought to keep their deficits manageable for the team and conceded only 16 shots overall in three defeats.

The Northants Silver Vase team lost to Hunts at Somersham 127-91, conceding 16 of the 18 points available.

Only the rink of Joyce Needham, Linda Toms and Wendy Humphreys emerged with a victory, by 24-20.

Results (Northants names only):

Donald Steward Trophy (at St Ives BC): Hunts 83 (6pts) Northants 108 (12). K Browning, D Flowers, G King (all Yaxley) won 38-10; T Tinklin , L Hext (both Conservative), S Moir (Langtoft) lost 17-81; F Richardson (City of Peterborough), E Wallace (Ketton), J Robinson (Yaxley) lost 13-20; T Handley (Deeping AS), N Squires (City of Peterborough), J Masters (Parkway) lost 15-23; C Warters, S Suffling, C Ford (all Ketton) won 25-12.

Silver Jubilee Vase (at Somersham) Hunts 127 (16 pts) Northants 91 (2). M Holden (Ketton), J Padley, M Osbourne (both Yaxley) lost 16-35; C Grief (Crowland), C McCarthy, H Bass (both Yaxley) lost 17-20; J Needham (Yaxley), L Toms (Conservative), W Humphreys (City of Peterborough) won 24-20; V Slater, A Cox ( Langtoft), V Hempsell (Yaxley) lost 20-24; V Du’Kett (Ketton), M Andrews (Barnack), A Northen (Langtoft) lost 14-28.
FOOTNOTE: For the final home match at home to North Essex at Ketton on Wednesday, Donald Steward Trophy captain has made a couple of changes, replacing herself with Myra Landsburgh (City of Peterborough) and switching Norma Squires to lead on Julie Masters’ rink.