Northants B team do their A team a favour and a new Thursday night bowls league has been created

​However, they did share rink honours and therefore the four points they claimed may assist their A team's quest to retain the title with Norfolk expected to be one of their main challengers for the crown.

The rinks of Mick Linnell and Kevin Vinter, who came from 10 shots down to win 28-20, were responsible for the points. Northants lost by 34 shots overall.

The B team are back in action this Sunday when they entertain North Essex, while the A team will aim to make it two wins out of two when North Cambs are the visitors to Stamford.

NORTHANTS SCORES

Wayne Aspinall, Ally McNaughton, Mike Anderson lost 8-37; Martin Prudhoe, Neil Wright, Mick Linnell won 23-16; Pete Linnell, John Holroyd, Kevin Vinter won 28-20; Malcolm Mitchell, Andy Cox Roger Martin lost 12-32.

NEW COMPETITION

The Peterborough & District Bowls League are planning to introduce a new Thursday night competition next summer which will feature teams of six.

The league will be totally separate from the current Midweek League, which is a nine-man competition, therefore there will be no promotion and relegation issues unless a second division is formed.

The main aims of the league are to assist those small clubs struggling to field nine players on a regular basis in the Midweek League.

It’s also been created to provide a competition for those clubs who have too many players for one team, but not enough for two teams, or for clubs who want to give opportunities for new bowlers and youngsters.

All players registered with clubs will be eligible for the new competition, apart from those who are signed on for teams in the Midweek Premier Division, but only one team per club will be permitted

The new format will be two rinks of six playing two sets of seven ends, with two points awarded for each set win and two for the overall score, making a total of 10.