Stamford mixed stroll to victory over Spalding

Post date: Feb 10, 2018 6:24:30 PM

With a comprehensive 109-80 defeat of old rivals Spalding, Stamford's mixed team, the current county champions, leapt off the foot of the Division One table into a title challenging fourth place with games in hand.

It has been a tough start to the season for Christine Ford's team after defeats at Horncastle, Lincoln and Spalding but they are determined to make a good fist of their defence of the title, despite adversity.

An early 17-0 overall lead as Spalding were getting accustomed to the speed of the carpet set up the victory and the visitors never recovered from the early deficit.

Currently in a rich vein of form, Derek King steered his quartet of Pat Jones, Glenys Edwards and Ally McNaughton (making his debut) to a 30-11 win over John Needham's four to claim the rink honours.

Elsewhere lead June Brennan was in outstanding form to inspire a 27-15 win for her rink with the rinks skipped by Stephen Harris and Malcolm Smith recording the other wins and a 16-2 points tally

Results (Stamford names only ):

Lincs Mixed League Division One : Stamford 100 (16 pts) Spalding 80 (2). P Jones, G Edwards, A McNaughton, D King won 30-11; J Hebden, D Mackie, S Moir, R Montgomery lost 14-24; V Du'Kett, K Rippin, S Suffling, S Harris won 18-13; H Holroyd, T Mackie, C Ford, Mal Smith won 20-17; J Brennan, C Warters, J Little, B Warters won 27-15.

Martyn Dolby, the defending champion, has reached the semi-finals of the Northants Federation singles with a 21-9 defeat of Nick Wilkie. Derek King has reached the quarter-finals with a 21-9 win over Richard Allam.

He has also reached a similar stage of the veterans singles by beating Alan Romaine 21-17.

Elsewhere in Federation mixed triples, the holders Adam Warrington, Christine Ford and Dolby safely negotiated their way through defeating Mal Cullingworth, Sue Moir and Richard Montgomery 22-10.

In the Lincs mixed pairs, Dolby and Christine Ford accounted for Grantham's C Davis and Josh Meakins 19-6.

An all-Stamford clash between Chris Ballard & Jonathan Earl against Mal Smith & Jay Travis- Jenner would earn the winning pair a quarter-final place in the county championships.

And taking advantage of adapting better to the recently-stretched carpet, Smith and Travis-Jenner, still recovering from a foot injury, raced into an unassailable 25-11 lead to earn a tilt at the semi-finals which Stamford will host on March 31. Their opponents from Lincoln will be skipped by the veteran George Draper.

Malcolm Cullingworth and Derek King have reached the Area 5 final of the Over 60s pairs with an 18-13 win over Maurice Elding and John Needham.

NORTHANTS NAME A AND B SIDES FOR DERBYSHIRE TROPHY

Northants Federation inter-county Derbyshire Trophy teams will be in action on Sunday, February 18 as their respective indoor seasons draw to a close.

James Harford's title-chasing Northants A side visit Lincoln IBC to play Lincolnshire Federation in a fixture which could decide who represents the southern section at Newark in April, while Northants B, captained by Malcolm Squires, visit Hunts at Huntingdon IBC.

Both 25-end matches start at 10 am.

Harford, is still finalising his side but will likely include himself, Trevor Collins and Tris Morton. Those unavailable, following the 14-point defeat of North Cambs at Stamford include Mike Robertson, who will be preparing to compete in the Commonwealth Games in Australia in April, Stephen Harris and Tony Scarr.

Northants A: P Dalliday, P Afford, S Law; Brian Martin, T Collins, T Morton; H Shipp, N Wright, Roger Martin; B Warters, J Harford, M Dolby.

Squires, has named his B side as: M. Ramsden, M. Humphreys, J. Earl; L. Sharp, M. Greaves, P. Brown; B. Bassam, G. Agger, M. Linnell; S. Roden, D. Noble, R. Maplethorpe. Reserves: M Squires, C Watson.