Northants’ Middleton Cup hopes suffered a setback after they crashed to a narrow three-shot defeat the hands of Leicestershire.
The County went into Saturday’s clash full of confidence following their excellent win over Suffolk.
Northants started well and developed a 12-shot advantage in the opening stages.
But Leicestershire clawed it back and eventually picked up a three-shot lead, which was maintained throughout the match, other than a late surge that saw them go 12 ahead.
A determined County attacked the lead and there was a prospect of a last-end shootout.
But despite their best efforts, Northants lost by three, but with three winning rinks it handed them six valuable points to ensure all is not lost in the group stage.
Rink scores - Rink one: Rob White/Jonathan brown/Roger Tansley/Andrew Manton 27 shots – Chris Rodgers 16 shots. Rink two: Tony O’Leary/Jack Tobin/Dominic Graham/Jim McKee 20 shots – Andy Irons 24 shots. Rink three: Richard Lemon/Connor Cinato/Phil Exley/Neil Corbyn 14 shots – Alistair Hollis 23 shots. Rink four: Callum Height/Ray Castle/Alan Ashby/Jamie Walker 23 shots – Neil Hope 19 shots. Rink five: Matt Wordingham/Martin Cinato/John Haines/Vernon Gearey 17 shots – Patrick Hulbert 15 shots. Rink six: Dave Love/Matt Pownall/Phil Reeve/Darren Childs 16 shots – Steve Wade 23 shots.
Northants’ Middleton Cup team to face Hertfordshire- Rink one: Matt Wordingham, Martin Cinato, John Haines, Vernon Gearey. Rink two: Rob White, Jonathan Brown, Roger Tansley, Paul Broderick. Rink three: Dominic Graham, Connor Cinato, Phil Exley, Neil Corbyn. Rink four: Callum Height, Ray Castle, Alan Ashby, Jamie Walker. Rink four: Callum Height, Ray Castle, Alan Ashby, Jamie Walker. Rink five: Tony O’Leary, Phil Reeve, Richard Lemon, Jim McKee. Rink six: Dave Love, Matt Pownall, Andrew Manton, Darren Childs. Travelling reserves: John Freeman, Martin Geary, Dan Height.
Northants lost by three shots to Leicestershire for the second successive day as they edged out in a Balcomb Trophy double rink match at Kingsthorpe on Sunday.
Some superb bowling was seen by both sides as the match drew to a climax with the result in doubt until the end of the contest.
After 19 ends the County were up by three, but with the two Northants rinks dropping five shots between them, they needed two to tie or three to win on the last end.
But despite skip Vernon Gearey’s best efforts, they fell short by a small margin again.
Rink scores: Rink one: Callum Height/Alan Ashby/Jamie Walker/Vernon Gearey 16 shots – Neil Hope 19 shots. Rink two: Richard Lemon/Roger Tansley/Darren Childs/Jim McKee 19 shots – Steve Wade 19 shots
THE County ladies were on the end of a three-shot defeat, losing their Johns Trophy clash with Cambridgeshire 126-123 in a match that could have gone either way.
Rink scores: Rink one: Pat Starsmore/Pat Bodily/Jill Welch/Jan Bradley 25 shots – E Falkner 18 shots. Rink two: Alison Dring/Margaret Cave/Pam Lewis/Brenda Bishop 19 shots – J Christie 14 shots. Rink three: Margaret Watts/Wilma Walker/Rebecca Wigfield/Sharon Hall 18 shots – S Alexander 19 shots. Rink four: Celia Morris/Ann-Marie Gearey/Hilary Sharpe/Sharon Tansley 23 shots – C Salisbury 20 shots. Rink five: Maggie Edwards/Cynthia Cherry/Yvonne McKee/Di Brumwell 23 shots – S Ritchie 22 shots.Rink six: Trish Basford/Chloe Wordinghm/Val Betts/Barbara Haseldine 15 shots – J Stephens 33 shots
Northants Ladies entertained Oxfordshire in the Middle England League and sealed an impressive five-shot 125-120 success at Abington BC.
With four winning rinks, one tied and one losing, the all-important points allocation went 14-3 in the County’s favour.
Rink scores - Rink one: Pat Starsmore/Ann Davey/Jill Welch/Jan Bradley 21 shots – G Gilkes 17 shots. Rink two: Maggie Edwards/Sandra Mawson/Wilma Walker/Di Brumwell 20 shots – C Penson 15 shots. Rink three: Chris Cooper/Margaret Cave/Heather Lack/Anita Petrucci 24 shots – S Lacey 18 shots. Rink four: Alison Dring/Sylvia Plant/Pam Lewis/Brenda Bishop 18 shots – P Ostler 29 shots. Rink five: Agnes Johnson/Doreen Bedford/Val Betts/Barbara Haseldine 20 shots – J Berry 19 shots. Rink six: Celia Morris/Eleanor Winters/Hilary Sharpe/Sharon Tansley 22 shots – B Pearce 22 shots.
Northants Ladies team to face Essex in Johns Trophy - Rink one: Alison Dring, Margaret Cave, Pam Lewis, Brenda Bishop. Rink two: Pat Starsmore, Pat Bodily, Jill Welch, Jan Bradley. Rink three: Margaret Watts, Wilma Walker, Rebecca Wigfield, Sharon Hall. Rink four: Celia Morris, Ann-Marie Gearey, Hilary Sharpe, Sharon Tansley. Rink five: Chris Cooper, Sharon Wooller, Sue Graham-Hole, Val Betts. Rink six: Maggie Edwards, Cynthia Cherry, Yvonne McKee, Di Brumwell. Reserves: Sandra Mawson, Janet Ashby, Trish Basford, Heather Lack.
The qualifiers for the finals of the English Bowls Youth Development Scheme have been announced and they include three Northants bowlers.
The event is being held at Melton & District on Sunday, October 28.
Matt Cattell (Rushden Town) and Connor Cinato (Kettering Mid Band) will be in the senior section (15-18 years) while Megan Rolfe (Kingsthorpe) is in the junior section (under-15 years).