Federation National Championships Update
Stephen Harris is Federation National Under 25 Champion
Northants Federation bowlers reached four finals when the delayed national indoor championships were staged at Newark but emerged with only one title - the prolific Stephen Harris claiming the Under 25 trophy.
The 24-year-old from Stamford already holds the Under 25 Open outdoor pairs with sister Louise and was determined to add one of the awards that had eluded him, finally achieving it with a 21-13 defeat of fellow England international Ed Elmore, representing Huntingdonshire.
It was sweet revenge for an earlier 9-23 defeat in the pairs semi-final with Blackstones clubmate Wayne Morris by Elmore and Andy Corn.
Elsewhere both Adam Warrington and Martyn Dolby reached singles finals but after a gruelling week of daily travel to the Nottinghamshire venue it proved a round too far.
In the four-bowl final, Warrington never regained the form he showed against Paul Oke (Lincs) and S Robson (Northumberland), losing 21-5 to local favourite Calvin Rawson (Notts).
Having beaten Herbie Blacklock (Durham) 21-18 and Hunts' Andy Peak 21-2, Dolby faltered in his final against Alan Hines from Cleveland, finally losing 21-13.
"After playing some of my best bowls for many a year to get to the final, I just ran out of steam and was unable to settle on a line and length. From 0-8 down I clawed my way back to 12-12 but could not maintain the comeback," he said.
With little time for a break Dolby joined his Northants team-mates in the long-delayed final of the 2020 Derbyshire Trophy, the Federation's prestigious inter-county competition which they had won in 2019 in style against Notts.
This time they faced Durham and after a sluggish start nosed ahead by 15 shots, thanks chiefly to the rink of Paul Dalliday, Michael Jeapes and Simon Law whose scoring was counter balancing that of Mike Robertson, James Harford and Tristan Morton, who were suffering a torrid time.
Eventually Durham won overall by 27 shots, with Law winning by 22 and the rinks of Mick Humphreys, Warrington and Roger Martin losing by four and Richard Allam, Harris and Dolby beaten by six shots.
In the women's four events at Newark, there was little joy either for Northants. After Christine Ford won her first round singles she she lost the next round 21-5. She next partnered Shirley Suffling in the pairs but they lost 15-22 to Lincs.
FOOTNOTE: At the delayed English Indoor Bowls Championships at Nottingham this week, Stephen Harris was due to contest the pairs with Spalding clubmate Graham Smith, while Stamford's Louise Harris and Katie Bailey were in the women's pairs and Stamford's June Brennan and Christine Ford featured in the senior equivalent.
CLUB COMPETITIONS CLOSING SOON
Stamford Indoor Bowls Club members are reminded the entries for club competition close on October 30. All club members can take part in a range of events which will culminate in the finals weekend on April 9/10, 2022.
As well as singles, pairs, triples and fours for men and women, there are three mixed competitions and an Open singles for seniors aged 65 and over. A novice triples is available to those who have never won a club competition and were not a member prior to 2017. Entry fee is £1 per player per competition.
Forms are available on reception and should be completed and posted into the box provided together with appropriate entry fees.
LINCOLNSHIRE COUNTY COMPETITION DRAWS
Entries for Lincs IBA competitions held over from 2020 at Stamford IBC have been re-drawn in seven categories following the withdrawal or several players. These will be played at club level to qualify for preliminary and first rounds against qualifiers from other clubs in the southern region of the county. The county semi-finals will be played at Stamford on Sunday April 3.
Four-bowl men's singles (2 to qualify): R Allam v C Ballard, O Aspinall v J Pearson. 4b Mixed pairs: R Allam v S Suffling (winner in first round ); C Ballard v C Ford (winner in preliminary round); 4b Open sets singles (4 to qualify): O Aspinall v J Pearson, P Green v S Suffling, C Ballard v R Allam, C Ford v T Barwell.
4b men's pairs (2 to qualify): B Warters or P Green v C Ballard or M Dolby; T Barwell, or R Blake v N Crees; 3b Triples (1 to qualify): C Ballard v P Green; 4b Over 65 Open singles (4 to qualify): P Green or T Barwell v B Warters or N Crees; R Allam or J Pearson v S Suffling; R Clarke v R Blake, C Ford v M Dolby. 2b Rinks (1 to qualify from preliminary round): C Ballard (only entry).
First round matches to be played by November 21, club qualifiers completed by December 12.
LIBERTY TROPHY SELECTION
Defending champions Lincolnshire will include world indoor champion Mark Dawes and fellow England international Dominic McVitie in their Liberty Trophy inter-county championship side to play Yorkshire at Grantham on Saturday, October 30.
The pair have joined Spalding IBC from the Blackpool Newton Hall club which has closed and will join an already star-studded team which also includes Stamford's Stephen Harris and Simon Law.
TEAM: A Dent Jr (Louth), S Law (Stamford); E Morton, T Morton, K Ekins, J Philpott, M Dawes, S Harris, G Smith, M Spencer, M Orrey, A Dunham, D McVitie (all Spalding); K Rands, D Stevenson, J West, R Ashton, N Orrey (all Lincoln), P Roberts (Sleaford); A Tomlin, A Field, I Clark (all Boston), M Pulling, T Berridge (Grantham).