EBF draws for Stamford's finalists at Newark

Post date: Mar 29, 2016 1:17:49 PM

Northants Federation bowlers - especially StamfordIBC's multi-county champions Martyn Dolby, Christine Ford, Joan Robinson and Stephen Harris - are in for a busy schedule of matches when the individual EBF national finals take place at Newark IBC from Tuesday, April 19.

Both Dolby and Ford are committed to challenging in three disciplines while Harris and NWBF President Robinson are in two apiece.

Harris and Ford are involved on the opening morning at 9.30 in their respective two-bowl triples - the former as lead with Cliff Watson and Peter Edwards against the highly rated Derbyshire rink of Russell Robinson, Gary Shepperson and England international Ashley Clipston. Ford skips Jan Want and Shirley Suffling against Humberside.

Ford will be in action again at 12.30 on Tuesday with Dolby and Adam Warrington in the mixed rinks against Northumberland, before fellow Stamford IBC player Derek King faces Boston's Jonathan West at 6.30 in the 4-bowl singles.

Schedule involving Northants players' initial appearances:

Tuesday, April 19 (9.30 am) Northants v Derbyshire (Men's rinks), Northants v Humberside (women's rinks); (12.30) Northants v Northumberland ( mixed rinks); (6.30) Northants v Lincs (Men's singles)

Wednesday, April 20 (6.30) Northants v Derbyshire ( Men's Senior singles ), Northants v Notts (women's singles).

Thursday, April 21 (12 noon) Northants v Hunts (Men's pairs), Northants v Derbyshire (mixed pairs), Northants v Durham (women's pairs) ; (5.00) Northants v North Cambs ( women's senior singles).

Friday, April 22 (2.30) Northants v Lincs or Suffolk ( Men's Under 25 singles).

For the full draws visit www.fedbowls.co.uk

With three winning rinks, Stamford's women's team competing in the Lincs A League, scored a convincing victory over a depleted Skegness 89-58.

The visitors were only able to muster four rinks and rarely looked likely to challenge the home side after immediately conceding two points because of a shortage of players, with Stamford finally recording 14 points to bolster their league position.

Results (Stamford names only):

Lincs women's (Trudy Bates) A League. Stamford 89 (14 pts) Skegness 58 (2). J Brennan, A Cullingworth, S Suffling, C Ford won 33-10; B Sims, M Andrews, C Warters, S Moir lost 15-22; P Jones, R March, P Birch, G Edwards won 18-10; M MacKellar, A Northen, M Bloxham, J Robinson won 23-16.

Stamford IBC bowlers were saddened this week to learn of the death of one of its founder members Alan Aldcroft, aged 96.

President of the club in 1995, five years after its formation, he was the first winner of the club pairs in 1991 with Ernie Roffe and the fours (with Roffe, Ted Wakefield and Ron Kettle) all of whom were also members of the Wittering outdoor club. He later played for Belton Gardens.

A highly rated singles player, he won the English Bowling Federation Over 65 title in 1994, having won the Stamford club indoor singles and triples in 1992.

A former paratrooper who was captured at Arnhem, aged 24 in 1944, Alan was initially reported as 'missing in action' but taken to a prisoner of war camp.

Eventually he and other prisoners were marched for hundreds of miles before being abandoned by their captors and later repatriated. When it was learned Alan had survived, his then girlfriend Peggy, whom he later married, reputedly rode on her bicycle around Stamford broadcasting the good news! BW