National Federation Champions x 4
Many of Stamford's bowlers as well as playing in the Association code also play the Federation Code and many of them contributed to Northamptonshire Bowling Federation's best ever results in the recent English Bowls Federation Finals played at the Lincoln Indoor Bowls Club last week.
Ollie Jeapes with Martyn Dolby
Not only did Ollie Jeapes and Martyn Dolby claim respective Open Under 25 and Men’s Senior singles titles but the county ‘A’ side landed the Derbyshire Team title and the Executive retained the Eversley Trophy - all in the space of 24 hours.
For 14 year old Ollie, it was a chance to regain the huge trophy he won in 2022 at Newark IBC. This time in the final he beat Nathan Dunnington (Lincs) in an exciting final 21-13 having earlier beaten women’s singles champion Jorja Jackson (Hunts).
County president Martyn Dolby with the triumphant Derbyshire Trophy team: (Back row, left to right): Brian Martin, Tom Newman, Peter Brown, John Earl, Paul Dalliday. (Front): Stuart Agger, Michael Humphreys, Adam Warrington, Martyn Dolby (with shield), captain Simon Law, Stephen Harris, Graham Agger, Wayne Morris.
Martyn Dolby (76) capped his presidential term by becoming the first player from the county to win the senior singles, reaching the final with three impressive wins - 21-13, 21-3 and 21-4 - before beating Nottinghamshire’s Jerzy Pytlakowski 21-19, having trailed 18-19.
It was the first time since 2007 that the county had won two individual titles at the national indoor finals, and for Dolby it was his fourth EBF title.
Apart from those successes, Northants made little impact in the remaining nine individual events.
Jeapes joined Simon Law in defeating LIncs 17-12 in the pairs before bowing out in the semi-finals to Durham and in the women’s rinks Elizabeth Wallace, Sue Moir and Chris Ford put out the reigning champions from Suffolk in the opening round before falling to Lincs.
Three Northants’ defeats were frustratingly by a single shot – Paul Dalliday in the singles, brother and sister Stephen and Louise Harris in the mixed pairs and Stephen suffered the same fate in the mixed rinks with Adam Warrington and Chris Ford and lost by only two in the rinks with Tom Newman and Michael Humphreys.
However, Northants won the Derbyshire Trophy convincingly on the final Saturday of the championships against Nottinghamshire 116-60 including a 42-7 win by the rink of Mick Humphreys, Wayne Morris and Adam Warrington. Two other rinks led 32-12 and 24-17 before Notts conceded with three ends to play.
The final icing on a very successful cake came on Sunday when Northants’ Executive retained the Eversley Trophy, exclusively for current and past county officials who do so much to administrate the sport.
Northants’ rinks of Ally McNaughton, Graham Agger & Peter Brown and Bob Warters, Martyn Dolby & Simon Law emerged unbeaten from their matches against Hunts, Suffolk, North Cambs and Notts to cap an exceptional week of silverware.
Eversley Trophy winners (from the left): Pete Brown, Ally McNaughton, Simon Law, Martyn Dolby, national president Trevor Flatt, Graham Agger, Bob Warters
Northants individual results
MEN: Singles: Paul Dalliday lost 20-21 to Hunts; Senior singles: Martyn Dolby defeated Humberside 21-13, Suffolk 21-3, Derbys 21-4 and Notts 21-19 in the final; Under 25 open singles: Ollie Jeapes defeated Hunts 21-15 North Essex 21-10, Suffolk 21-8 and Lincs 21-13 in the final; Pairs: Ollie Jeapes and Simon Law defeated Lincs 17-12, then lost 18-9 in the semi-finals to Durham; Rinks: Michael Humphreys, Tom Newman, Stephen Harris lost 17-15 to North Cambs.
MIXED: Pairs: Louise & Stephen Harris lost 13-12 to North Cambs; Rinks: Adam Warrington, Chris Ford, Stephen Harris lost 2-19 to Hunts.
WOMEN: Singles: Chris Ford lost 21-7 to Humberside; Senior singles: Yvonne Monagham lost 21-10 to Hunts; Pairs: Lyn Tuck & Shirley Suffling lost 23-8 to Suffolk; Rinks: Elizabeth Wallace, Sue Moir, Chris Ford defeated Suffolk 21-16 then lost to Lincs 21-16.