Federation already looking ahead

Post date: Jan 29, 2021 7:24:33 PM

The English Bowling Federation and the English Women's Bowling Federation have jointly made provisional plans for the 2021 outdoor and indoor seasons if bowls gets the go-ahead from the Government to resume in May.

The 2020 EBF/EWBF indoor finals - provisionally arranged to start on April 19, 2021, but delayed because of the Covid pandemic, have been rearranged to begin on Monday, October 4, subject to agreement with Newark IBC's directors. The local Northants Federations already know their champions - decided at Peterborough IBC last March just before the first lockdown - five counties have still to complete their 2020 schedules.

If the national finals take place in October, it will mean two national indoor finals will be staged during the next indoor season. The 2022 finals are scheduled to start on Tuesday, April 19, with the Eversley Trophy earmarked for Sunday, April 3, owing to the Monday of the finals being a Bank Holiday.

The EBF/EWBF are planning to go ahead with the 2021 outdoor programme, unless further Government restrictions are imposed, with the finals again held at Skegness from Saturday, August 21.

The EBF Potters Bowls Week, scheduled to start at the beginning of March, has been cancelled. The start date for 2022 will Monday, February 28. BW

NORTHANTS Bowling Federation has announced that Stamford IBC bowler Roger Martin (pictured) will captain the county's outdoor Adams Trophy team in 2021, subject to Covid restrictions being eased enough to allow competitions to be staged during the summer months.

Vastly experienced at Federation county level - he has played for Suffolk, North Essex, Hunts and Northants - Martin (71) replaces Jonathan Earl, who stepped down following last year's aborted season. He has named another experienced campaigner Mick Linnell as his vice-captain.

It means the two county teams will have new men at the helm this summer, with immediate past president Dick Noble - a club mate of Martin at Whittlesey Manor - set to lead the Newton Trophy team, replacing Malcolm Squires (City of Peterborough). Dave Corney (Peterborough and District) will be his deputy.

A former Peterborough United footballer in his youth, Roger was a member of the Northants team which won the Adams Trophy for the first time in its history in 2018 and was also a national champion with Robin Wyld and Tony Scarr in 2006 and runner-up in the 2008 mixed pairs with Margaret Linnell and the Newton Trophy in 2018.

Formerly with the Blackstones outdoor bowls club, he was a member of the Northants team which won the Derbyshire Trophy inter-county indoor team title in 2006 and 2019, says: " It is a great honour to be appointed captain of the Adams team and we will be doing everything we can to assemble a squad capable of regaining the trophy.

"We have many experienced players in Northants and with Mick, my job will be to maximise the potential available."

While the Newton team will use Whittlesey Manor as their home venue, the Adams venue has yet to be confirmed.

The Northants Women's Bowling Federation have yet to announce plans for the staging of the Donald Steward and Jubilee Silver Vase county matches.

FOOTNOTE: The delayed EBF national indoor inter-county championship in which Northants 'A' defends the Derbyshire Trophy inter-county title it won in 2018, has been provisionally arranged to be played on Sunday, October 10, subject to agreement with Newark IBC's directors. They are due to meet Durham in the final. Individual competitions will hopefully begin on Monday, October 4. BW