Three players win two county indoor bowls titles and how the locals fared at the British Isles Championships

Competitors at the Northants County Indoor Bowls Championships. Photo: David Lowndes.

Three players achieved title doubles at the Northants Bowling Federation men's and women's indoor finals at Peterborough & District.

Michelle Smith, who had qualified in four events, won the women's singles to make amends for last year's final defeat, beating Elizabeth Wallace 21-16, and then the mixed triples with husband Ian and Tom Newman, 27-9 against Michael Humphreys, Chris Ford and Adam Warrington.

Ford and Warrington had earlier lost 20-14 to Cliff Watson and Liz Hext in the mixed pairs, but Ford gained some consolation by retaining the women's pairs with county president Shirley Suffling, defeating Viv Afford and Smith 22-9.

Wallace made up for her earlier disappointment by retaining the senior singles, 21-13 against Margaret King, who later booked her place in the national finals by winning the triples with Moira Holroyd and Pat Jones, 20-10 against Afford, Smith and Hext.

Cliff Watson in action at the Northants County Indoor Bowls Finals. Photo: David Lowndes.

The other double winners were Paul Dalliday and Tristan Morton, who defeated Stuart Agger and Wayne Morris 23-7 in the pairs and then teamed up with Simon Law to win the triples, 22-9 at the expense of Richard Allam, John Holroyd and Kevin Vinter.

It was a second final disappointment for Vinter, who had earlier been beaten 21-9 in the veterans singles by county president Martyn Dolby.

All the winners will represent the county in the national finals from April 24-30 at Lincoln.

FINAL RESULTS

Michelle Smith at the Northants Indoor County Bowls Championships. Photo: David Lowndes.

MEN: Veterans singles: Martyn Dolby bt Kevin Vinter 21-9; Pairs: Paul Dalliday & Tristan Morton bt Stuart Agger & Wayne Morris 23-7; Triples: Paul Dalliday, Simon Law, Tristan Morton bt Richard Allam, John Holroyd, Kevin Vinter 22-9.

WOMEN: Singles: Michelle Smith bt Elizabeth Wallace 21-16; Senior singles: Elizabeth Wallace bt Margaret King 21-13; Pairs: Shirley Suffling & Chris Ford bt Viv Afford & Michelle Smith 22-9; Triples: Margaret King, Moira Holroyd, Pat Jones bt Viv Afford, Michelle Smith, Liz Hext 20-10.

MIXED: Pairs: Cliff Watson & Liz Hext bt Adam Warrington & Chris Ford 20-14; Triples: Tom Newman, Michelle & Ian Smith bt Michael Humphreys, Chris Ford, Adam Warrington 27-9.

BEST OF BRITISH

Local bowler Nick Brett skipped Ed Elmore, Lewis Baker and Andy Ware to the British Isles fours title in Scotland.

The English champions defeated Wales 19-18 and Ireland 19-14 to lift the title for England, who also won the junior singles, open singles and pairs at the Abbeyview club in Dunfermline.

It was not all smiles for England as they lost the British team title to hosts Scotland thus ending a run of seven consecutive victories in the event.

The England team included Brett and Stamford's Stephen Harris.

Brett's daughter Chloe did finish on the winning side as England's women won the title for the 11th time in the past 14 years.