Hunts pipped at the post in Bowls England competition
Hunts narrowly missed out on qualifying for the latter stages of the Bowls England Balcomb Trophy when finishing runners-up to Bedfordshire in the qualifier at Brampton.
They finished five points adrift of the winners despite having beaten them, but they paid the price for a comprehensive defeat at the hands of Cambs.
Played in a singles, pairs, triples and fours format, Hunts defeated Norfolk 21-3, then lost 4-19 to Cambs before defeating Beds 18-6.
The Morton brothers, Ean and Tristan, the reigning national pairs champions, were unbeaten in their three matches, winning two and drawing the other.
Hunts results
Hunts bt Norfolk 21-3 (Simon Leader won 21-12; Ean & Tristan Morton won 21-12; Lewis Baker, Mack May and Nick Brett won 35-8; Matt Nickerson, James Harford, Toby Furzeland, Phil Exley lost 10-29).
Hunts lost to Cambs 19-4 (Leader lost 13-21; The Mortons drew 15-15; Baker, May, Brett lost 13-21; Nickerson, Harford, Exley, Furzeland won 20-8).
Hunts bt Beds 18-6 (May lost 6-21; The Mortons won 26-9; Leader, Joe Randall, Brett lost 13-20; Nickerson, Harford, Exley, Furzeland won 15-8).
The Hunts men's two-bowl singles are played down to the final at Parkway this Sunday.
Hunts face a Northants Bowling Federation representative team at Whittlesey Manor on Saturday as part of their selection programme for the upcoming Middleton Cup campaign.