Northants make it into the big inter-county final

Northants Bowling Federation have qualified for the final of the Derbyshire Trophy, the English Bowling Federation’s indoor inter-county championship for only the third time.
Northants Bowling Federation group organiser Dick Ford is pictured with the Top Team trophy awarded to the county at the annual English Bowling Federation Bowls Week at Potters Resort and the Stamford rink that reached the final. They are from the left Martin and Elizabeth Wallace, Shirley and John Suffling.Northants Bowling Federation group organiser Dick Ford is pictured with the Top Team trophy awarded to the county at the annual English Bowling Federation Bowls Week at Potters Resort and the Stamford rink that reached the final. They are from the left Martin and Elizabeth Wallace, Shirley and John Suffling.
Northants Bowling Federation group organiser Dick Ford is pictured with the Top Team trophy awarded to the county at the annual English Bowling Federation Bowls Week at Potters Resort and the Stamford rink that reached the final. They are from the left Martin and Elizabeth Wallace, Shirley and John Suffling.

Winners in 1996 and 2006, they will face Notts in the final at Newark on Sunday, April 28th.

They qualified courtesy of Norfolk’s 11 points to three win away to defending champions Lincs, who had required ten points themselves to overhaul Northants A at the top of the southern section table.

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Northants A had collected 23 points from their recent home clashes with Norfolk and Lincs, but it was feared they might rue their surprise 11-3 defeat at the hands of Hunts back in December, but Norfolk, who could have qualified themselves with a maximum 14-0 victory, came up trumps for them.

Meanwhile, the county competitions are reaching their conclusion, the finals being at the Stamford club on Sunday week (10am start).

Latest results

MEN

SINGLES, quarter-finals: James Harford bt Cliff Watson 21-8; Martyn Dolby bt Stephen Harris 21-16; Paul Dalliday bt Mike Ramsden 21-11; Richard Allam bt Tony Barwell 21-20.

PAIRS, quarter-finals: Paul Dalliday bt Peter Edwards 22-12; Derek King bt John Holroyd 21-3; Peter Brown bt Trevor Collins 21-13; James Harford bt Mick Linnell 24-12.

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MIXED PAIRS, quarter-finals: Martyn Dolby bt Nick Wilkie 18-13; Stephen Harris bt Chris Ballard 19-18; Dick Noble bt Helen Holroyd 17-11; John Holroyd bt Derek King 20-11.

VETERANS SINGLES, quarter-finals: Martyn Dolby bt Joe Martin 21-3; Alan Romaine bt Derek King 21-12; Bob Warters bt John Pearson 21-19; Walkover: Dick Noble.

WOMEN

PAIRS, quarter-finals: Helen Holroyd bt Joan Robinson 21-16; Hazel Bass bt Chris Ford 18-15; Margaret Linnell bt Carol Hunter 19-10; Glenys Edwards bt Sheila Craig 20-18.

n Northants bowlers came away with the Top Team trophy for the second time in three years from the English Bowling Federation’s annual Bowls Week at the Potters Resort in Norfolk.

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Two of their five mixed rinks reached the knockout stage, with the Stamford quartet of Elizabeth and Martin Wallace and Shirley and John Suffling going all the way to the final, where they were pipped 7-6 by a Norfolk rink representing the English Bowling Federation.

Northants group organiser Dick Ford received the trophy on behalf of the county.

n In the Cambs Senior Men’s League, Peterborough & District were 68-60 winners against Cambridge Chesterton B (7-3), while Whittlesey defeated visiting Wisbech 69-55 (8-2).