Great Derbyshire Trophy win for Northants A

Post date: Feb 16, 2020 4:41:40 PM

Northants A, the defending English Bowling Federation inter county champions, took a step nearer retaining the Derbyshire Trophy with a comprehensive 96-81 defeat of Lincolnshire at Lincoln IBC on Sunday morning.

Both sides were without a handful of regulars, with the Lincs IBA holding its senior singles qualifier simultaneously at Boston. But take nothing away from James Harford's Northants squad who adapted well to the unfamiliar blue carpet.

Rinks skipped by Harford, Simon Law and Tristan Morton all won well, while against England junior international Jonathan West on his home surface, the Northants trio of

Richard Allam, Adam Warrington and Roger Martin battled hard to lose only 15-30 to help keep control of the overall shots and points.

Law was outstanding at skip alongside the confident front end of Mick Humphreys and Paul Dalliday against a very strong Chris Gill-skipped rink and after surviving an early deficit Wayne Aspinall and late replacement Paul Bailey continuously crammed the head to give Harford conversion and drawing opportunities on both hands.

Nick Wilkie and Trevor Collins combined well with Tristan Morton, who also showed his class with some exceptional deliveries.

Northants claimed 12 of the 14 points at stake - and a win at Norfolk on Sunday will secure their place in the final against Durham at Newark in April.

All but one of the Northants side play their indoor bowls at Stamford IBC.

Result (Northants A names first):

Derbyshire Trophy (at Lincoln): Northants A 96 (12 pts) Lincolnshire 81 (2): R Allam, A Warrington, R Martin lost to S Ashton, R Ashton, J West 15-30; N Wilkie, T Collins, T Morton beat P Grimbleby, R West, P Roberts 27-14; M Humphreys, P Dalliday, S Law beat A Field, I Clark, C Gill 31-23; W Aspinall, P Bailey, J Harford beat N East, D Skayman, D Stevenson 23-14.

NORTHANTS 'B' SALVAGE A POINT

Northants B lost 116-79 in their final Derbyshire Trophy match of the season at Huntingdon, picking up one point thanks to a 22-22 draw for Jeff Clipston, Brian Bassam and Mick Linnell.

Against Hunts Federation, the rink of Melvyn Beck, John Holroyd and Graham Agger lost 24-25 having led for the first time in the match going into the last end. Mike Ramsden, Ray Keating and Mick Greaves led 9-6 at the ten-end stage, but lost 28-13.

Les Sharp, Malcolm Squires and Fred Richardson led 17-12 after 15 ends and were only four adrift with five of the 25 ends to play but eventually lost 41-20.