Northants headed to St Neots BC for the regional finals of the Inter County Balcomb Trophy double rink competition.
Their semi-final opponents were Suffolk while Norfolk and Essex contested the other last-four clash.
The County dropped a score of five on Paul Broderick’s rink on the first end but Jamie Walker’s rink picked up a single and, after four ends, Suffolk held a 10-7 lead.
That advantage was reduced before Walker’s rink picked up six shots to go 12-4 up, and they were soon 11 clear after another big count of five shots on one end.
Walker’s rink eventually cruised to a 37-9 success while Broderick’ went in front for the first time on the 17th.
But they eventually went down 17-15, although Walker’s rink had already ensured the County would be through to the final.
Rink scores (Suffolk skips only) Rink one: Callum Height/Alan Ashby/Vernon Gearey/Jamie Walker 37 Clive Webb 9. Rink two: Connor Cinato/Jim McKee/Neil Corbyn/Paul Broderick 15 Richard Leeder 17.
Northants were up against Essex, who won on an extra end against Norfolk in the semi-final.
It started badly as Walker’s rink dropped five shots on the first end while Broderick’s moved into a 3-0 lead after two.
Walker’s rink slipped 11-1 behind but with Broderick’s team performing well, the overall deficit after 10 ends was just three shots.
However, Essex skipper Steve Mitchinson was in fine form and and Walker’s rink found themselves 24-9 down after 15 ends.
Broderick’s maintained a 20-12 lead but the County eventually slipped to an overall 44-36 defeat.
RINK SCORES (Essex skips only) Rink one: Callum Height/Alan Ashby/Vernon Gearey/Jamie Walker 13 Steve Mitchinson 28. Rink two: Connor Cinato/Jim McKee/Neil Corbyn/Paul Broderick 23 Mark Christmas 16.
Clubs preparing for Manfield Cup
The County’s oldest competition, the Manfield Cup gets under way on Saturday.
It will see 37 clubs competiting, playing four rinks each and drawn to a club other than their own from the 17 greens being used.
Last year’s winners Kingsthorpe will take on Kettering Midland Band at Northampton Whyte Melville, Corby Grampian are at Irchester, Finedon Town are at Abington and Burton Latimer Town are at Corby Seagrave House.
Abington, who were just one shot on aggregate worse than Kingsthorpe for runners-up spot last year, have matches against Kislingbury at Kingsthorpe, Brackley at Daventry Town, Rushden Town at Kislingbury and Kettering Lodge BC at Melville BC.
Walker Cup defeat for county ladies
NORTHANTS ladies face Essex in a Johns Trophy match at Cottenham BC on Saturday (1.30pm).
It comes after the County women suffered a 54-25 defeat to Norfolk in the Inter County Walker Cup double rink competition.
Northants started the better and held a 12-6 overall lead after five ends.
But Norfolk hit back and took an overall 10-shot lead after 10.
The deficit was increased to 20 shots and, despite Northants’ best efforts, they were beaten by 29.
RINK SCORES (Norfolk skips only) Rink one: Maggie Edwards/Sandra Mawson/Sue Graham-Hole/Anita Petrucci 9 B Whitehead 29. Rink two: Alison Dring/Wilma Walker/Yvonne McKee/Brenda Bishop 16 C Webb 25.
Crockett Cup glory for Nondescripts
The annual Crockett Cup has this year been won by Kingsthorpe side Nondescripts to complement their current unbeaten run in the Combination Bowls League.
This was their sixth win in the competition, but their first since 1994, with their very first win being in 1953.
Unusually, Nondes were the only team to chalk up three winning rinks in the competition which automatically gave them the title.
This was despite Delepre league side LOCO having a greater shot advantage of more than 20 shots, but missing out on the title by one rink losing by just four.
The Chown Cup for the highest winning rink was LOCO’s with their 34-7 rink win.
Third-placed spot was taken by Alliance, while the defending champions Primrose Hill found themselves in bottom position.