The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Northants are on a roll as they move closer to the big Skegness final
Bowls - Adams Trophy
Northants enhanced their chances of returning to Skegness for the second year running in the Adams Trophy with a dramatic 152-150 victory away to Suffolk who have often proved their nemesis in recent years. The16-point haul keeps them at the top of the southern section, and victory at home to closest rivals Lincolnshire on Saturday would certainly put theminthedrivingseat as they bid to defend the English Bowling Federation’s intercounty championship won for the first time in their history last year.
Northants had only twice been to the final before last year’s triumph, finishing runners-up in 1929 and 1959, but Saturday’s nail-biting last end victory against a county that has been in the final 13 times in the past 18 years showed that the holders are determined to retain their crown.
With the last end of the match to play, Northants held a one shot lead overall at 151-150, but the rink of Ste- ven Roden, John Holroyd and Graham Agger faced a twoshot deficit on the end until Holroyd, a late replacement for the injured Peter Brown, nailed the jack.
Despitelater movementon thejack, Northantshungonto winbytwotoclaim16ofthe22 points available, Agger’s rink returning the top scorecard of 38-14, with Lee Welsford a close second with a 31-18 success. His father, Martin, took the other rink honoursforthe visitors, 25-23.
The Newton Trophy team sufferedtheirseconddefeatin three matches with a 139-193 defeat at the hands of Suffolk.
Captain Brian Bassam, with Mick Greaves and Jim Ruddy, snatchedalatewinner, with county president Bob Warters, Cliff Watson and Peter Jessop maintaining their 100 per cent record with a 2819 victory. Northants’ Donald Steward team made it two wins out of three when defeating local rivals Hunts131-101 at Peterborough& District, but there was a second successive defeat for the Silver Jubilee Vase side as theywentdown94-119 to their Hunts counterparts at Parkway
Northants almost gained the maximum 18 points in the Donald Steward fixture as their one rink defeat was by just one shot. Joan Padley’s rink led the way with a 33-14 victory, and there were also wins for Julie Masters, Sheila Craig and Hazel Bass.
Having failed to register a point the previous week against Suffolk, Northants got off the mark in the Silver JubileeVase, withnarrowrink wins for Wendy Harrold and Pearl O’Brien and a draw for Viv Hempsell, but Hunts took the overall honours, winning 32-9and22-17ontheothertwo rinks. Whittlesey Manor’s hopes of reaching the final of the Durham Centenary Trophy, the English Bowling Federation’s nationalclubchampionship, for the secondtimewere dashed on Sunday when they werebeaten75-95bySuffolk’s TheRookeryclubinStowmarket.
The Rookery, who had beaten Warboys by 31 shots in the opening round, won on three of the four rinks, the Manor consolation coming from the rink of Jack Corney, Darren Lord and Fred Richardson, who had the distinctionofdefeatingatrioskipped byworldindoornumberthree Mark Royal.
However, WhittleseyManor won’t be involved in the competition next year as they were beaten 57-84 by Blackstones in the opening round of the Dan Duffy Trophy, the winners of which advance to next year’s Durham Centenary Trophy.