Match result: Cambs 9 Points; 153 Points v NSMBA 31 Points; 227 Shots
Our first game of the season saw us travelling to March Indoor Bowls Club to take on Cambridgeshire. With both teams under new management, it had all the promise of a fresh start and new hope for the upcoming games. It was an emotional game for Northamptonshire, having lost one of our own members the weekend before. Gordon Watts played for the county for nearly 10 years, bringing two of his children into the game and now one of his grandchildren. As a lifelong Leeds United fan, it felt fitting for the whole team to wear yellow wristbands in memory of Gordon.
Northamptonshire produced some excellent performances across the singles, pairs, triples and fours, with plenty of competitive ends and some closely fought battles throughout the match.
A very one-sided performance in the opening singles saw Edward Sawbridge winning 20 shots to 4 and Chris Terry winning 17 shots to 10.
The opening pairs started just as well. Pair One, Dave Ekins and Andrew Smith, started with a tight game that, halfway through, could have gone either way. However, we ran through to victory, 15 shots to 9. Pair Two, John Fox and Chris Weston, got off to a flying start, leading 11 shots to 4 before Cambridgeshire made a fighting comeback. With determination and hard work, we held on to take the win, 16 shots to 15.
Onto the triples, with our first triple of Katie Mason, Sarah Watts and Paul D’Inverno. After another back-and-forth first half, they took control in the second half and secured the win, 13 shots to 6.
Our second triple of Phil Caves, Wendy Kean and Aaron Clare had a very different game, with Cambridgeshire running away to a commanding lead of 9 shots to 2 after seven ends. The team made the decision to change the playing order, with Aaron and Wendy swapping positions, and wow, did it pay off! Fighting through the ends and picking up three shots on the last end, they secured a fantastic 13–10 victory.
Then we came to the fours, with our opening four of Margaret Jones, Janice Fox, Adam Hawkings and Colin Barnes. This game was nip and tuck, with both teams trading ends before picking up two shots on the last end to tie the game at 8 shots apiece.
Onto our second four of Sue Gunter, Martin Watts, Tim Gunter and Mike Edwards. Again, it was a very tight game that could have gone either way. Dropping three shots on the penultimate end made the scores all square, but with some superb bowling, we managed to score one shot to take the win, 10 shots to 9.
A very strong first-half performance saw us leading 15 points to 1, with a possible 24 more points still to play for.
Moving into the second half of the match, our two singles players once again took to the mats.This time, Edward Sawbridge took a few ends to get to grips with a tricky mat but eventually ran out to a fairly comfortable 16–7 win. Chris Terry’s game was a very different story, playing a couple of early conversion shots to take control of the game and running to victory, 28 shots to 7.
The second game for Pair One, Dave Ekins and Andrew Smith, again saw a very tight first half and a nerve-racking final end, with the bonus points going to Cambridgeshire. Some great bowling by Andrew then secured three shots to take the win, 15 shots to 10, and secure the all-important bonus points. Pair Two, John Fox and Chris Weston, couldn’t quite find the same magic from game one and, despite some tight ends, losing 7 shots to 15.
Onto the second game for the triples, with Katie Mason, Sarah Watts and Paul D’Inverno carrying on from the first game with a very strong start and finish, taking the game 18 shots to 8. The second triple of Phil Caves, Wendy Kean and Aaron Clare took confidence from their first-game win, started well and played a very steady game to win 14 shots to 11.
Finally, onto the second game for the fours. Four One, consisting of Margaret Jones, Janice Fox, Adam Hawkings and Colin Barnes, was a tight game apart from one unfortunate end, where they dropped five shots. Despite a great effort to fight back, they lost 8 shots to 11. Four Two, consisting of Sue Gunter, Martin Watts, Tim Gunter and Mike Edwards, was a similar story. It was a very tight game, apart from two ends that ultimately led to defeat, 9 shots to 13.
Taking all of that into account, Northamptonshire ran out 31 points to 9, securing the bonus points in 3 out the 4 disciplines with 227 shots scored.
There were some impressive shot differences on the scorecards, showing the quality of the bowling and the determination of everyone involved. With strong team performances, great teamwork and some crucial shots at key moments, it was a fantastic effort from the Northamptonshire squad.
Taking all of the above into account, we have awarded Paul D’Inverno with the MVP for today’s game. His game management, shot selection and overall approach to the game was outstanding and a credit to the squad.
A big thank you to everyone who played, supported and helped make the day a success. A great advert for short mat bowls and a brilliant team effort! 🏆👏
Chris Terry
County squad manager.