National success for Hunts bowlers, but last-end agony for Northants
Hunts men are through to the national finals of the Bowls England Balcomb Trophy after winning their qualifying group in Norwich.
Played in a pairs, triples and fours format, they lost their opening match 6-2 to Suffolk, but then defeated Norfolk 6-2 and Cambridgeshire 8-0 to top the table by one shot from Suffolk.
Ollie Jeapes and Tristan Morton won all three of their pairs matches and the triple of Simon Leader, Mack May and Phil Exley won two out of three, while the quartet of Matt Nickerson, Sam Brugnoli, Stuart Popple and Toby Furzeland had one victory.
However, the Hunts ladies were unable to complete a double in the Walker Cup played in Suffolk. They opened with a 6-2 win against Norfolk, but then lost 5-3 to Suffolk and 6-2 to Cambs.
The line-up was Juliet May and Rebecca Moorbey in the pairs; Sophie Morton, Sophie Purell and Michelle Coleman in the triples and Jorja Jackson, Sabrina Parnell, Maddy Leader and Chloe Brett in the fours.
Mack May (Brampton) has become the first individual Hunts qualifier for the Bowls England national finals at Leamington by winning the two-bowl singles title at Parkway on Sunday, beating David Richardson (Papworth) in the final.
Northants suffered the agony of a last bowl, one shot defeat in their opening English Bowling Federation's Adams Trophy match against Hunts at St Ives.
Hunts claimed a shot on the last end to take the honours 164-163 and 17 of the 22 points on offer.
There was a convincing 41-20 victory for the rink of Ally McNaughton, Dudley Smith and Stephen Harris, while debutant Kevin Brown, Zack Brown and Graham Agger won 29-26. The rink of schoolboy Luke Murray, Tom Newman-Borrett and Peter Brown drew 15-15.
The Adams team are in action again on Saturday when they entertain North Essex at Blackstones.
The Newton Trophy team managed only two points from their match against Hunts at Sawtry, courtesy of the Conservative club rink of Dave Franks, Andy Dyer and Barry Lawrence.
Hunts, who have reached the final stages of the Middleton Cup in two of the last three seasons, open this year's campaign on Saturday with a visit to Bedfordshire.