England call-ups for local bowlers, plus comprehensive club and county results round-up

Nick Brett, Lewis Baker, Tristan Morton, Michelle Coleman and Rebecca Moorbey will be action for the England senior teams, with Chloe Brett named as one of the travelling reserves.

The format is different this year with each of the four home countries fielding two teams of 11 playing singles, pairs, triples and fours.

Toby Furzeland and Chloe Brett are named in the junior trials being held at Leamington on July 9, with Sam Brugnoli in the under 18 section, while 13-year-old Ollie Jeapes and Keira Thurston will be involved in a junior development squad on the same day.

HUNTS already have their first qualifier for the Bowls England national finals in August with Tom Newman (Whittlesey Manor) defeating former national champion Tristan Morton (Parkway) in the final of the two-bowl singles.

HUNTS open their Middleton Cup programme away to Bedfordshire on Saturday as the county championship returns to a group system for the first time since the pandemic.

Notable absentees from the team are England pair Nick Brett and Lewis Baker along with junior international Ed Elmore who have all declared their unavailability, while newcomers include Whittlesey Manor trio Tom Newman, John Earl and Tom Fielding.

Hunts: Simon Leader (Brampton), Tom Newman, John Earl (both Whittlesey Manor), Tristan Morton (Parkway);

Brian Martin, Mike Robertson, Harry Ward, Ean Morton (all Parkway); Robbie Coleman, Ryan O'Flanagan, Joe Randall, Glyn Milbourne (all Brampton). Paul Dalliday (Parkway), Tom Fielding, Peter Brown (both Whittlesey Manor), Simon Law (Parkway); Matt Saunders, Trevor Murray, Tom Swannell, Phil Exley (all Brampton); Matt Nickerson (Parkway), Sam Brugnoli (Buckden), Kierran Murray (Brampton), Toby Furzeland (Parkway).

THE Northants Bowling Federation men's teams also open their county championship programmes on Saturday with a visit to Suffolk.

It's a tough start for new Adams Trophy team captain Roger Stevens against one of the powerhouses of the southern section, especially as he only inherited the position a fortnight ago. The Newton Trophy team are again under the guidance of Dave Corney and he will be looking to follow up last year's home victory over Suffolk.

NORTHANTS ladies made a disappointing start to their county fixtures with defeats for both the Donald Steward and Silver Jubilee Vase teams away to Hunts.

Both teams managed just two rink wins each to claim four of the 18 points on offer.

The Steward team went down 113-98 at Hemingford, with Angela Cox and Gill King skipping the successful rinks, while deputy president Liz Hext and Marlene Osborne did likewise for the Vase team in their 126-86 defeat at Houghton & Wyton.

Results: Donald Steward Trophy: Northants 98 (4), Hunts 113 (14) - (Northants rinks only): Shirley Suffling, Pat Jones, Angela Cox won 26-17; Viv Hempsell, Moira Holroyd, Gill King won 33-14; Terri Handley, Linda Kemp, Linda Toms lost 12-29; Elizabeth Wallace, Emma Providence, Sharon Green lost 13-29; Angela Kenny, Penny Hart, Valerie Du'Kett lost 14-24.

Silver Jubilee Vase: Northants 86 (4), Hunts 126 (14) - (Northants rinks only): Christine Frost, Sue Mansbridge, Liz Hext won 26-20; Jan McDougall, Wendy Stevens, Marlene Osborne won 24-19; Miriam Hulbert, Kate Heath, Joyce Needham lost 15-26; Sally Albany, Chris Ryan, Carol Grief lost 13-21; Ann Northen, Barbara Talbott, Ann Cooper lost 8-40.

IN the Bowls England inter-club competitions, Whittlesey Manor have advanced to the third stage of the Top Club in the Cambs/Hunts area with 4-1 victories over Ramsey and Eynesbury, but Parkway lost 3-2 to Brampton.

Both Whittlesey Manor and Parkway are through to the next stage of the Two Fours, with Parkway defeating Brampton B 45-29 and Whittlesey Manor winning 29-21 at Hemingford.

THE home trio of Lynne Henson, Greg Boyall and Peter Harradine won the annual Longthorpe mixed triples tournament sponsored by Jones Heating.

The Bretton rink of Sadie Stratton, Julie Taylor and Bob Clancy were second with Werrington's Jan Parr, David Griffin and Mike Parr in third place.