HUNTS county men have their traditional curtain-raiser to the new campaign against Derbyshire today at Long Eaton, which also acts as a Middleton Cup trial.
Then comes two successive Saturday clashes with Cambridgeshire, the first in the Eastern Counties League at Peterborough & District next Saturday, and then in the opening Middleton Cup group match at Whittlesey Manor on May 30.
Hunts were beaten f
inalists two years ago, the furthest they had ever been in this prestigious inter-county competition, but last year they failed to make the knockout stage when beaten by Norfolk in the final match.
Hunts have an early chance of revenge when they visit Norfolk on Saturday, June 13, then it’s a home clash with Essex the following weekend, climaxing with a trip to Bedfordshire on July 4.
Notable absentees from this season’s squad are Trevor Collins and the newly-married Jamie Reynolds, who are taking a sabbatical from outdoor bowls, but Jeff Newson returns to the squad after a season away.
There are no fewer than three father and sons in the squad – Brian and Nicky Brett, Sam and James Harford and Bob and James Price, plus brothers Ean and Tristan Morton.
Meanwhile, Hunts Under 30’s open their Eastern Counties League campaign tomorrow away to Suffolk.
Hunts team for the friendly with Derbyshire:
Mark Campbell (Sawtry), James Price, Simon Law, Stuart Popple (all Parkway).
Barry Deller (White Hart), Dick Noble (Parkway), Barry Kitto (Eynesbury), Ean Morton (White Hart).
Richard Stevens (White Hart), Kevin Warwick (Eynesbury), Mike Robertson, Martin Durber (both Parkway).
Alex Walton (Eynesbury), Sam Harford, Tristan Morton, Jeff Newson (Parkway).
David Hare (Somersham), Phil Gale (Brampton), Bob Price (Parkway), Robbie Coleman (Eynesbury).
Lyndsay Swannell (White Hart), James Harford (Parkway), Wayne Bailey, Nicky Brett (both White Hart).
Others in the squad are: Nigel Eagle (Parkway), Simon Leader, Brian Brett and Ian McWhinney (all White Hart).
n ONE early surprise in the opening rounds of the Northants Bowling Federation competitions was a defeat for county president Graham Agger’s mixed triple from Yaxley that won the county title last year, their conquerors being Paul Buckley’s Barnack trio.
Results
Northants women
Pairs
Preliminary round: C. Daws (Whittlesey Town) bt C. Fuller (West Ward); C. Goodwin (Barnack) bt M. Montgomery (Langtoft Pearl); R. Collin (Yaxley) bt B. Talbot (Conservatives); C. Richards (Mitchells) bt A. Northen (Deeping).
Three-bowl triples
Preliminary round: J. Thompson (Barnack) bt J. Butcher (Whittlesey Town); M. Montgomery (Langtoft Pearl) bt A. Northen (Deeping); J. Hill (West Ward) bt C. Richards (Mitchells); G. Edwards (Ketton) bt K. Roden (West Ward); L. Darani (Belvedere) bt S. Craig (Conservatives); J. Duffy (Peterborough) bt V. Hatch (West Ward).
Northants men
Two-bowl singles
Preliminary round: J. Martin (Peterborough) bt D. Sutton (Deeping); G. Agger (Yaxley) bt F. Harris (Peterborough); P. Holmes (Crowland) bt B. Warters (Ketton); A. Mace (Whittlesey Manor) bt R. Stitson (Langtoft Pearl); S.
