Northants men are flying high again in the Adams Trophy

Northants’ Adams Trophy team made it 40 points from a maximum 44 following their comprehensive 215-122 defeat of North Cambs at Tilney St Lawrence. After a somewhat shaky start in which they trailed by 10 shots at the halfway stage, Northants dominated the secondhalf of the matchtoset themselves up for Saturday’s test away to Suffolk.

OnceagainNorthantswere desperately close to achieving all 22 points. Last week Jonathan Earl’s rink lost by just four shots, but certainly made amends this time with a top-scoring 45-17 victory, while at the weekend Martin Welsford’striowerepippedby just one shot.

With regular skip Peter Brownmissing from the team through injury, Graham Agger took over the skip’s duties alongside Steve Roden and Tony Belson and steered his team to a 44-24 victory, while DarrenLordsteppedintohelp Neil Wright and Lee Welsford to the narrowest of wins, 2928.

After their disappointment the previous week, the NewtonTrophyteamclaimed all 22 points in a 210-123 victory overNorthCambsatWisbech.

Having been on the receiving end of a heavy defeat against Norfolk, young Jack Corney teamed up this time with Malcolm Squires and Roger Strong and they took the ‘spoons’ with a 46-17 victory, just ahead of Peter Jessop’s 41-17 success. The outcome of Northants’ opening homewomen’sintercounty championshipmatches proved as disappointing as the wet weather which only added to the gloom for the home players.

Both teams failed to claim a point against Suffolk at Peterborough & District and Parkway, with the Silver Ju- bilee Vase team, playing their first match of the season, going down by 90 shots over the five rinks.

Having taken 16 points from their opening game withNorthCambs, theDonald Steward team were beaten by 32 shots, Norma Squires’ one shotdefeattheclosesttheygot to registering a point. Whittlesey Manor head to StowmarketonSundaytoface The Rookery club in the Durham Centenary Trophy, the English Bowling Federation’s national club championship.

They will be hoping to repeattheirachievementof2011 when they became the first club from the county to reach the final at Skegness, where they were beaten by Derbyshire club The Stute.

The club are certainly expectingatoughchallengewith the Suffolkchampionshaving beaten the strong Warboys club in the previous round.

Northants’ Newton Trophy team before their victory over North Cambs on Saturday. From the left are, back, Peter Holmes, Jack Corney, Cliff Watson, Mick Greaves, Roger Strong, Brian Swann, Mick Duell, Michael Humphreys, Les Sharp, front, Malcolm Squires, Peter Jessop, Brian Bassam, John Holroyd, Fred Addy, Jim Ruddy, Phil Afford, Andrew Grief, county president Bob Warters.