English national title for Agger of the Manor

​He lifted the veterans singles title at the first time of asking following a 21-18 victory over Cleveland's Steve Slaughter in the final, having been 16-10 adrift at one stage.

Agger also featured in the semi-finals of the two-bowl rinks with clubmates Roger Stevens and Peter Brown, but they lost 27-18 to eventual winners North Essex.

The county had hoped for a second title on the final morning, but Blackstones pair Katie Bailey and John Earl, having shown good form all week, suffered an off day in the final and went down 22-9 to Lincolnshire.

The only other semi-finalist was 14-year-old Ollie Jeapes in the Under 25 singles where he was beaten 21-18 by Hunts' Sam Brugnoli, the eventual winner, whom he partnered in the recent Bowls England junior pairs at Leamington.

It was a disappointing week for the county's ladies with only Ann Northen (Langtoft) in the Champion of Champions managing to win a match, as all the qualifiers in the other eight competitions fell at the first hurdle.

It was especially frustrating for the rinks qualifiers who both lost on the last end.

Market Deeping's Julie Nolan, Linda Kemp and Emma Providence went down by a single shot to Cleveland, while Stamford's Elizabeth Wallace, Moira Holroyd and Chris Ford saw a two-shot last end advantage against Norfolk disappear with a last bowl trail for four shots.

LEAMINGTON

Hunts hopes of winning the Middleton Cup, the Bowls England inter-county championship, were dashed by near neighbours Lincolnshire in the semi-finals.

Lincs, who went on beat Berkshire in the final, took the last four honours 106-95 after a tense and tight struggle.

Hunts won on the rinks of Tristan Morton (20-11) and Phil Exley (19-10), while Glyn Milbourne finished all square at 18-18, but the successful rinks were unable to cover the losses on the rinks of Ean Morton (10-30), Simon Law (15-21) and Toby Furzeland (13-16).

Elsewhere in the national finals, Rebecca Moorbey (Brampton) went close to repeating her singles double of last year as she reached the final of the under 25 singles and the semi-finals of the open singles.

In the junior singles, she defeated her Hunts colleague Chloe Brett 17-16 in the quarter-finals. She also had wins over Suffolk (21-3), Durham (21-13), Lancs (21-13) and Somerset (21-12) before losing 21-9 to Warwickshire in the final. Brett had wins over Surrey (21-5), Kent (21-5) and Yorkshire (21-13).

In the open singles, Moorbey had wins against Herts (21-3), Derbys (21-8), Warwicks (21-8) and Middlesex (21-17) before losing to Beds 21-17 in the semi-finals.

The Parkway rink of Ean Morton, Simon Law, Stuart Popple and Tristan Morton, the defending champions, suffered the agony of an extra end defeat at the hands of Bucks in the last 16 following victories over Warwicks (17-11) and Notts (19-16).

Both representatives in the two-bowl singles - Sophie Morton (Parkway) and Tom Newman (Whittlesey Manor) - bowed out in the opening round.

In the men's junior singles, Sam Brugnoli (Buckden) lost 21-13 in the second round to Lancashire after beating Yorkshire 21-14, while Toby Furzeland (Parkway) went down 21-16 in the opening round to Norfolk.