Northants' Adams Trophy hopes receive a major boost

Northants Womens Bowling Federation president Joan Robinson (front fourth from the left) held her Presidents Day at her home club of Yaxley on Sunday with Macmillan Nurses the beneficiaries from money raised on the day.

A 16-6 points success for Suffolk means Northants’ hopes of qualifying now rest in their own hands, although Suffolk are now back in the picture for section honours.

Lincs are 12 points clear, but with only one fixture remaining against North Cambs, while Northants and Suffolk, who are now within two points of Northants, both have two matches left.

Northants resume their campaign away to Hunts on Saturday, with North Essex at home the following weekend, while Suffolk have North Essex and North Cambs to play.

With 44 points at stake from the last two matches, Northants will be striving to complete a maximum haul, which would shut the door on Suffolk’s title challenge. Anything less, and Suffolk could come through on the rails and pip them at the post, so it all adds up to an intriguing last two weeks of the county campaign.

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Northants women’s four-bowl singles final next month will be a repeat of last year’s decider between Sue Moir (Langtoft Pearl) and Sarah Newson (Parkway), when the former took the honours.

In the semi-finals, Moir defeated Sharon Green (Peterborough & District) 21-18, while Newson beat Fiona Richardson (City of Peterborough) 21-15.

In the senior singles final, Norma Squires will be playing on her home green at City of Peterborough, who host the county finals on July 17, her opponent being Yaxley’s Viv Hempsell.

The losing semi-finalists were Ketton pair Pam Plowman and Chris Ford respectively.

NORTHANTS RESULTS

MEN

TWO-BOWL SINGLES, quarter-finals: Peter Cox (Langtoft Pearl) bt Michael Humphreys (City of

Peterborough) 21-18; Graham Agger (Yaxley) bt Fred Richardson (Whittlesey Manor) 21-11; Martin Welsford (Whittlesey Manor) bt Paul Buckley (Blackstones) 21-8; Keith Burrows (West Ward) bt Jonathan Earl (Blackstones) 21-17.

SENIOR PAIRS, quarter-finals: Mick Duell (West Ward) bt Bob Warters (Ketton) 17-13; Malcolm Cullingworth (Langtoft Pearl) bt Martin Fletcher (Langtoft Pearl) 16-15; Roger Martin (City of Peterborough) bt Charlie Underwood (Ketton) 22-12; Mike Ramsden (Blackstones) bt Malcolm Squires (City of Peterborough) 26-5.

MIXED PAIRS, quarter-fiinals: Simon Law (Parkway) bt Melvyn Beck (Whittlesey Manor) 27-16; Malcolm Cullingworth (Langtoft Pearl) bt Mick Hatch (West Ward) 19-11; John Holroyd (Stamford) bt Steve Roden (Whittlesey Manor) 17-14.

TWO-BOWL TRIPLES, quarter-finals: Terry Corney (Whittlesey Town) bt Adam Warrington (Blackstones) 23-17; Mike Robertson (Parkway) bt Paul Dalliday (Whittlesey Manor) 21-18; Neil Wright (Parkway) bt Fred Browning (Yaxley) 18-16.

DAN DUFFY TROPHY, quarter-finals: Parkway bt Langtoft Pearl 106-40; Yaxley bt Peterborough & District 87-75; Blackstones bt City of Peterborough B 87-68; Ketton bt Crowland 84-58.

WOMEN

FOUR-BOWL SINGLES, semi-finals: Sarah Newson (Parkway) bt Fiona Richardson (City of Peterborough) 21-15; Sue Moir (Langtoft Pearl) bt Sharon Green (Peterborough & District) 21-18.

SENIOR SINGLES, semi-finals: Norma Squires (City of Peterborough) bt Pam Plowman (Ketton) 21-19; Viv Hempsell (Yaxley) bt Chris Ford (Ketton) 21-15.

PAIRS, quarter-finals: Julie Masters (Parkway) bt Hannah Overton (Parkway) 18-15; Sue Moir (Langtoft Pearl) bt Fiona Richardson (City of Peterborough) 23-9; Val Newson (Parkway) bt Kathy Browning (Yaxley) 29-7; Linda Kemp (Conservative) bt Margaret Linnell (West Ward) 20-7.

HUNTS NEWS

Warboys youngster Ed Elmore has now qualified in three singles events for the Bowls England national championships at Leamington in August.

Having already secured places in the two-bowl and under 25 singles, he maintained his bid to retain the county four-bowl singles title with a 21-12 victory over club colleague and fellow junior international Lewis Baker.

In the other semi-final, former international Simon Leader toppled Lewis’ father Eric, who plays out of Papworth, 21-10.

Meanwhile, Chloe Brett (Warboys) and Toby Furzeland (Sawtry) emerged successful from the under 18 singles qualifiers at Parkway to book their places in next year’s national finals.

Hunts women suffered a comprehensive 22-55 defeat at the hands of Suffolk in the opening round of the Walker Cup, the national inter-county double rink competition.

Mother and daughter Dina and Michelle Barlow skipped the rinks which lost 10-27 and 12-28 respectively.

NATIONAL COMPETITIONS

Warboys avenged their defeat at the hands of Parkway in the national inter-club two fours event by beating the city side 4-1 in the Top Club competition to set up an away tie against either Rushden Town or Wellingborough.

The City of Peterborough club are through to the third round of the Tony Allcock Trophy, the national inter-club double mixed rinks competition, after defeating Somersham 46-30.

Scores: Linda Darani, Norma Squires, Peter Eddings and Malcolm Squires won 33-9; Fiona Richardson, Wendy Humphreys, Derek Briers and Geoff Hedges lost 13-21.

Parkway’s Sarah Newson and Nigel Eagle defeated club colleagues Hannah Overton and Tristan Morton 25-19 to reach the fourth round of the national mixed pairs.