An incredible eight players from Spalding Indoor Bowls Club clearly impressed the England selectors last weekend as they were called up to represent their country for numerous upcoming fixtures.
For the men’s senior team, Stephen Harris has been called up for the first time and will lead the rink skipped by team captain, Greg Harlow.
Spalding’s Graham Smith and Mark Dawes have also retained their places as they both edge nearer to 50 caps.
They will play in the same rink too, with Smith playing number two and Dawes skipping his own rink for the first time.
Another SIBC talent, Dominic McVittie, has also been called up to travel as reserve.
An interesting rule change in the series will see mid-match substitutions for the first time, meaning McVittie will hopefully get his chance to shine.
The series will be played in Belfast between March 17-19 next year.
Meanwhile, the England women’s senior team has a strong Spalding flavour with Ruby Hill, Chelsea Tomlin and Annie Dunham all retaining their places – soon after winning the national triples title only a couple of months ago.
Hill will lead for Michelle Coleman from St Neots, while Dunham and Tomlin will each skip a rink of their own.
Dunham has skipped for her country before however, having done so at junior level, Tomlin is skipping for the first time on the senior stage.
The series will also be played in Belfast between March 11-13, 2022.
Also being played at Belfast between the two respective international series is the British Isles Championships which will see Harris and Smith represent England in the men’s pairs and Hill, Tomlin and Dunham in the ladies’ triples.
Harris is joined by Jordan Philpott as they both retain their places in the England men’s under-26 team.
They will also play in the same rink, with Harris at lead and Philpott skip.
Special mention also has to go out to Philpott as he is handed the honourable roll of captain.
The series will be played at Ffrith over the weekend of February 19/20.
Hill is also selected to play for the ladies’ under-26 team. She is selected at number three to team captain Rachel Tremlett, from St Neots.
The series will be played at West Denton over the weekend of February 12/13.
- It was a case of mixed emotions for Spalding Indoor Bowls Club’s leading men’s and ladies’ teams in national competition over the weekend.
The men won comfortably to secure a place in the last 16 of the Denny Cup, but the ladies crashed out of the Yetton Trophy.
For the ladies, they came up against a strong Barwell team which included former Commonwealth Games medallist Jamie-Lea Winch.
Barwell proved too strong from the outset as they won 78-40.
Despite losing on three of the four rinks, the home rink skipped by Maisie Belding did secure a good 20-13 rink win which provided a small consolation.
Fortunately for SIBC, the men fared much better as they beat Leicester 88-49 in the Denny Cup.
This was sweet revenge after Leicester beat Spalding in the first round of the competition in the 2019/20 season.
Spalding certainly stamped their authority from the outset as they raced into a 31-9 lead at five ends.
Leicester did show their fighting qualities as the lead was narrowed to 42-29 by ten ends, but Spalding finished the stronger of the two teams and they led 66-46 at 15 ends before closing out a comfortable 39 shot (88-49) victory.
Making the win even more impressive was winning on all four rinks, with the away rink skipped by Tristan Morton, with Brian Martin, Mike Robertson and Ean Morton returned a top winning rink scorecard of 25-8.
A special mention also goes to 12-year-old Ollie Jeapes, who made his Denny Cup debut.
Next up for Spalding is a local derby against Lincoln in the last 16 on January 8.
- Spalding IBC continued their excellent run in the Egham Trophy with good win against Nottingham.
In a high quality encounter where the lead changed on a number of occasions, it was only fitting that the match went the distance.
All four rinks were closely contested and, at five ends, Nottingham took a single shot lead (19-18).
Spalding took the lead by ten ends, also by a single shot (34-33), but Nottingham actually went in front at 15 and 18 ends, 52-51 and 65-63 respectively.
Spalding battled extremely hard and with the two rinks at Nottingham complete and both rinks at home having one end to play, Spalding were four shots ahead.
Spalding consolidated well to drop a single shot on one rink and pick up two on the other to win the match by five shots (78-73).
Although everyone played their part, certainly in the later stages of the game, the away rink skipped by Dominic McVittie, with Ruby Hill, Betty Deaton and Ean Morton returned an impressive 22-15 rink win.
The prize is a quarter final clash against Hartlepool on January 16.
- Spalding Indoor Bowls Club’s over-60s women had a fine win in the Mason Trophy against Peterborough on Friday.
Although both rinks won by some margin, the home rink skipped by Maisie Belding, with Jean Patterson, Jan Sinclair and Barbara Hurst returned a 30-11 winning scorecard.
The away rink skipped by Julie Hicks also won 19-7. Next up are Stamford in January.
