Crushing blow for Northants men in the Newton Trophy

With North Cambs being allowed to field just one team and opting to play in the championship’s second tier, their side contained a considerable number of players who figured in the Adams Trophy last year, therefore making them far stronger at this level than would normally be the case.

Life won’t get any easier for Cliff Watson’s side this Saturday as they entertain the current Newton Trophy holders Suffolk at City of Peterborough.

Over at Blackstones, John Earl’s Adams Trophy team begin their campaign against defending champions Suffolk, a crucial fixture even at this early stage of the season, as anything other than a victory would leave Northants facing an uphill fight to qualify from the five-team southern section.

NEWTON TROPHY RESULT

Northants 136 (0), North Cambs 183 (22): (Northants rinks only) – Richard Allam, Martin Stokes, Malcolm Squires lost 24-30; Dave Roberts, Brian Bassam, Roger Strong lost 24-27; Andy Dyer, Tony Kemp, Dick Noble lost 18-35; Les Sharp, Mick Greaves, Alec Emery lost 20-30; Dave Corney, Zack Brown, Peter Brown lost 24-25; Jeff Clipston, Peter Jessop, Fred Richardson lost 26-36.

Northants Women’s Bowling Federation president Chris Ford hosts her President’s Day at the Ketton club on Sunday.

HUNTS

The Hunts men’s and women’s county teams begin their inter-county championship programmes with home matches against Suffolk on Saturday.

After some disappointments in recent seasons, Hunts men will be hoping to get their Middleton Cup campaign off to a flying start at Brampton.

Meanwhile the women return to Johns Trophy action at Parkway following two years’ absence from the competition.

They withdrew before the start of the 2017 campaign owing to a shortage of players and as a result received a one season ban from the competition.

Since then Michelle Coleman has taken over as team manager and has persuaded some of the county’s leading players to return, including former internationals Val and Sarah Newson, Pat Reynolds and Catherine Popple.

HUNTS WOMEN

Sophie Purell, Jenny Dymond, Sabrina Parnell, Michelle Coleman; Rebecca Moorbey, Sue Overton, Sarah Newson, Pat Reynolds; Jill Francis, Jan Elliott, Chloe Brett, Catherine Popple; Sue Cross, Carole Hickey, Juliet May, Val Newson; Merisha McKernan, Sophie Morton, Karen Martin, Julie Masters; Jane Baldwin, Maddy Leader, Niki Mason, Karen Leader.

HUNTS MEN

Jack Corney, Hayden Moorbey, Joe Randall, Nicky Brett; Matt Saunders, Kierren Murray, Mike Robertson, Ed Elmore; Paul Dalliday, Lindsay Swannell, Peter Brown, Simon Law; Trevor Collins, Jeff Newson, James Harford, Tristan Morton; Eric Baker, Toby Furzeland, Harry Ward, Lewis Baker; Stuart Reynolds, Tom Hall, Barry Kitto, Ean Morton.

ENGLAND TOP CLUB

Parkway advanced to the second round of the Bowls England Top Club competition with a 4-1 home defeat of Whittlesey Manor.

Already through to the third round are St Ives and Eynesbury who defeated Hemingford B and Brampton.

Meanwhile, City of Peterborough defeated Hemingford B 35-22 in the opening round of the Bowls England Tony Allcock Trophy, a club two-fours mixed team event.

Rink results: Fiona Richardson, Wendy Humphreys, Malcolm Squires, Fred Richardson won 17-10; Norma Squires, Linda Darani, Peter Eddings, Roger Strong won 18-12.

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

NORTHANTS WOMEN

FOUR-BOWL SINGLES

Preliminary round: Tina Tinklin (Conservative) bt Fiona Richardson (City of Peterborough) 21-20; Penny Hart (Whittlesey Town) bt Vie Hatch (Westward) 21-4; Carol Grief (Crowland) bt Sharon Bailey (Blackstones) 21-10; Carol Warters (Ketton) bt Julie Masters (Parkway) 21-19; Norma Squires (City of Peterborough) bt Joan Robinson (Yaxley) 21-17; Ann Cullingworth (Langtoft Pearl) bt Hazel Bass (Yaxley) 21-5; Sue Moir (Langtoft Pearl) bt Louise Harris (Blackstones) 21-10; Shirley Suffling (Ketton) bt Andrea Cox (Langtoft Pearl) 21-11. Walkovers: Chris Ford (Ketton), Pauline Jones (Ketton), Helen Holroyd (Stamford), Elizabeth Wallace (Ketton), Viv Hempsell (Yaxley).

SENIOR SINGLES

First round: Val Newson (Parkway) bt Linda Darani (City of Peterborough) 21-14; Sue Moir (Langtoft Pearl) bt Hazel Bass (Yaxley) 21-16; Fiona Richardson (City of Peterborough) bt Vie Hatch (Westward) 21-8; Joan Robinson (Yaxley) bt Pauline Jones (Ketton) 21-8; Sheila Craig (Conservative) bt Carol Grief (Crowland) 21-8; Shirley Suffling (Ketton) bt Chris Ford (Ketton) 21-20; Elizabeth Wallace (Ketton) bt Norma Squires (City of Peterborough) 21-11; M. Stone (Deeping) bt Val Du’Kett (Ketton) 21-16.

SENIOR PAIRS

Preliminary round: Sheila Craig (Conservative) bt Veona Slater (Crowland) 20-17; Pat Collicott (Deeping) bt M. Stone (Deeping) 18-5. Walkover: Viv Hempsell (Yaxley).

PAIRS

Preliminary round: Wendy Stevens (Peterborough & District) bt Pat Collicott (Deeping) 18-13; Viv Hempsell (Yaxley) bt Linda Kemp (Conservative) 24-12; Helen Holroyd (Stamford) bt Sheila Craig (Conservative) 18-15; Louise Harris (Blackstones) bt Carol Warters (Ketton) 19-3. Walkovers: M. Stone (Deeping), Fiona Richardson (City of Peterborough).

THREE-BOWL TRIPLES

Preliminary round: Helen Holroyd (Blackstones) bt Chris Ford (Ketton) 20-11; Sheila Craig (Conservative) bt H. Tilley (Ketton) 19-14; Linda Kemp (Conservative) bt Joan Robinson (Yaxley) 18-11; Julie Masters (Parkway) bt Vie Hatch (Westward) 21-15; Viv Hempsell (Yaxley) bt M. Stone (Deeping) 21-5; Sarah Newson (Parkway) bt Gill King (Yaxley) 22-14; Sue Moir (Langtoft Pearl) bt Fiona Richardson (City of Peterborough) 16-11. Walkover: Sharon Bailey (Blackstones).

HUNTS MEN

PAIRS

Preliminary round: Peter Brown (Whittlesey Manor) bt Jim Daniel (Holywell cum Needingworth) 27-13.

TRIPLES

Preliminary round: Andy Jakes (Somersham) bt Philip Fergusson (Hemingford ) 16-13; Stuart Popple (Parkway) bt Martin Francis (Ramsey) 27-7; Nicky Brett (Warboys) bt Melvyn Beck (Whittlesey Manor) 18-7; Neil Wright (Parkway) bt Joe Randall (Warboys) 13-11; Matt Saunders (Brampton) bt Trevor Collins (Parkway) 15-12.

PETERBOROUGH LEAGUE

Having retained their Peterborough League Midweek Premier Division title last year with a 100 per cent record, Parkway A were beaten in their opening match of this season by Parkway C.

Although classed as the C team, they did win four promotions in a row to reach the Premier and contain several of the leading women players in the county, including internationals.

In the opening round of the Mick Lewin Trophy, the Club 60 KO Cup, holders Yaxley Hurricanes were beaten 54-36 at home by Whittlesey Manor.

PETERBOROUGH LEAGUE

CLUB 60

Premier Division: Peterborough & District 31-4; Blackstones 28-4; CoP City 22-3; Whittlesey Manor 20-4 (+25); Westward Tigers 20-4 (-3); Westward Lions 13-3; Ketton Welland 12-3 (+11); Yaxley Spitfires 12-3 (-31); Longthorpe Manor 2-4.

Division One: Deeping A 36-4; Langtoft Pearl Blue 28-4; CoP Molins 22-4; Crowland Jays 15-3; Whittlesey Town Foxes 14-3; Longthorpe Woods 13-4; Longthorpe Tower 12-4; Ketton Chater 10-3 (-4); Conservative Blue 10-3 (-35).

Division Two: Conservative Grey 25-3; Market Deeping Wade 18-3; Barnack 16-2; Langtoft Pearl Red 14-4; Whittlesey Town 9-2; Yaxley Hurricanes 4-2 (-17); Parkway 4-2 (-54).

Division Three: Stamford 28-3; Deeping B 20-3; East Community Bears 18-3; Werrington Fox 14-3 (-10); Baker Perkins 14-3 (-13); Itter Park 12-3 (-9); Bourne 12-3 (-26); Werrington Mill 2-3.

Division Four: Crowland Rooks 28-3; Deeping C 25-4; CoP C 23-3; Market Deeping Douglas 14-3; East Community Wolves 13-3; Thomas Cook 10-2; Deeping D 4-4; Bretton Beagles 3-2.

MIDWEEK LEAGUE

Premier Division: Whittlesey Manor A 34-4; Parkway C 28-5; Parkway A 26-4; Whittlesey Manor B 23-4; Crowland Jackdaws 19-5; Westward Tigers 15-4; Peterborough & District 14-3; Yaxley Falcons 12-3; Langtoft Pearl A 11-3; CoP Molins A 8-3.

Division One: Blackstones 32-4; Longthorpe Romans 20-3; Wittering 18-3; Yaxley Kites 16-2; CoP City 14-3; Westward Panthers 8-3; Market Deeping Knights 6-3 (-40); Deeping A 6-3 (-45).

Division Two: Conservative Ospreys 21-3; Baker Perkins 16-2 (+44); Thomas Cook 16-3 (+7); Conservative Owls 16-3 (-2); Park Crescent Bowlers 14-3; Conservative Kestrels 8-3; Whittlesey Town 7-2; East Community Wolves 2-1.

Division Three: Crowland Magpies 22-4; Parkway B 20-3; Market Deeping Kings 13-2; CoP Molins B 12-2 (+20); Deeping B 12-2 (+12); Werrington 8-1; Langtoft Pearl B 7-4; Whittlesey Manor C 6-2.

Division Four: East Community Bears 24-3; Deeping C 20-3; Bretton Beagles 18-3; Bourne 16-3; Itter Park 14-3; Crowland Ravens 12-3; CoP D 8-3 (-40); Yaxley Eagles 8-3 (-49).

MICK LEWIN TROPHY

Preliminary round: CoP City bt Crowland A 49-46; Longthorpe bt Westward Tigers 64-47; Whittlesey Manor bt Yaxley Hurricanes 54-36; Crowland B bt Langtoft Pearl 55-46; Bourne bt Bretton 51-43; East Community bt Itter Park 55-40.

ROWLETT CUP

Preliminary round: Peterborough & District bt Westward B 54-50.