Gold-plated Denny and Yetton double for Stamford

Post date: Nov 19, 2016 4:16:18 PM

With two outstanding results, Stamford bowlers have reached the last 32 in both the men's Denny Plate and the women's Yetton Plate, national competitions for those who lost in the first round of their respective premier inter-club competitions.

While the men accounted for local rivals Melton winning overall 72-54, after two rinks travelled away and two played at home - the women secured a tie against Church Gresley with an exceptional 73-51 defeat of Leicester Indoor Bowls Club.

Against Melton, Stamford's men made a tactical switch by sending Martyn Dolby's experienced rink to handle the slower conditions alongside Paul Bailey's quartet, who are also enjoying a rich vein of form.

And it certainly paid off as both rinks frugally kept opportunities for the opposition to score heavily at a minimum and emerged with superb respective wins by 15-8 and 22-11.

At home, Peter Edwards' rink charged into 11-5 and 15-10 leads and with three of the 18 ends to play held a 22-14 advantage. Conceding 6 shots in the last two ends flattered the opposition in a 22-20 win.

For Roger Martin's four, playing at home for the first time, it was a case of keeping a wary eye on the overall score. Two conceded singles on the last two ends, cost them some individual pride but the match was already won.

At Leicester's city centre venue, Stamford's women took time to adjust to the surface and early on Christine Ford's rink were seven shots behind while Glenys Edwards' quartet trailed by eight.

But they were buoyed by the news from Stamford that Margaret Bloxham's and Peggy Birch's rinks were running away with their respective matches 19-5 and 17-13 to put Stamford 62-43 with just three ends to play. Ford forced a draw and Edwards picked up four shots to win 15-13.

Next stop in the Denny Plate for the men is a two-venue battle on December 10 with North Cave (73-62 victors over Skegness) in East Yorkshire while Stamford's women will simultaneously send two rinks to Derbyshire in the Yetton Plate to play Church Gresley, 75-53 winners over Melton.

Results (Stamford names only):

Denny Plate: Stamford 72 Melton 54. Home - J Holroyd, A Barnes, B Warters, Roger Martin lost 13-15; D Hudson, C Watson, D Want, P Edwards won 22-20. Away - R Allam, D Miller, A Warrington, P Bailey won 20-11; S Harris, M Humphreys, J Earl, M Dolby won 15-8. Progress: 25-12 (5 ends), 42-34 (10), 59-44 (15).

Yetton Plate: Stamford 73 Leicester 51. Home - J Robinson, C Barnes, F Rogers, M Bloxham won 23-8; B Sims, J Foster, E Wallace, P Birch won 20-15; Away - J Brennan, C Warters, S Suffling, C Ford drew 15-15; M Andrews, M Holroyd, S Moir, G Edwards won 15-13. Progress: 13-19 (5), 36-35 (10), 62-43 (15).

Northants Bowling Federation begin their campaign to qualify for the final stages of the inter-county Derbyshire Trophy on Sunday December 4 when they play Hunts at the Huntingdon Indoor stadium (10am).

Sadly they will be without two of their key young players - Joe Randall and Stephen Harris - both of whom have been called up for the final England Under 25 trial at Northampton on the same day.

However, captain James Harford is quietly confident that his team - which includes Brian Martin and Howard Shipp, both of whom play their winter competitions out of the Huntingdon club - will have enough in their locker to cope with their local rivals, who also have Ed Elmore on duty at Northampton.

Though he hasn't yet finalised his team, it will include England outdoor international Tris Morton (City of Ely) who won all his Derbyshire Trophy matches with Martin and Stamford's Bob Warters in the last campaign.

The match will be contested by four rinks over 25 ends of two-bowl triples.

Northants squad: (from) : H. Shipp, P. Dalliday, B.Martin, J.Holroyd, N.Wilkie, P.Afford, B. Warters, N. Wright, J. Harford, S.Law, T Morton, M. Dolby.