Eight players from Spalding Indoor Bowls club have been invited to attend international trials next month.
Matt Whyers, Graham Smith, Martin Spencer, Mathew Orrey, Stephen Harris, Jordan Philpott, Ruby Hill and Chelsea Tomlin will all attend the trials at Rugby Thornfield Bowls Club over the weekend of December 1 and 2.
First up is the men’s senior trial on the Saturday morning, where Whyers, Smith and Spencer will all be hoping to retain their places in the team and Orrey will be hoping to regain his place after he played in the team three years ago.
The afternoon session is the turn of the senior women, where Hill and Tomlin will be hoping to retain their places.
The under-25 trials will then take place on the Sunday. For the men, Philpott will be hoping to retain his place and Harris will be hoping to break into the side for the first time.
The under-25 ladies’ trial is yet to be announced as they hold an under-25 development day (pre-trial), to allow those who were not in last year’s team, the opportunity to prove themselves worthy of a full trial, which is due to be held on November 10.
Spalding’s Lauren Finbow is involved in the development day.
Team-mate Tomlin was last season’s ladies’ under-25 England captain and was joined in the team by Hill.
Danielle Wild was involved in the under-18 team less than a month ago and played for the British Lions team at the under-25 international series last season.
It is hoped that Tomlin, Hill, Wild and Finbow, will all be invited to attend the ladies’ under-25 trial.
- Spalding IBC started their Egham campaign with a comfortable 95-46 win against Peterborough on Sunday.
Despite a relatively slow start for Spalding where they led 20-11 at five ends, this was extended to a lead of 54-26 at ten ends, 73-36 at 15 ends and 87-43 at 18 ends.
Leading the way for them was the rink skipped by Jordan Philpott, with Ruby Hill, Sylvia Wade and Matt Whyers. They won 41-6 and were 27-0 up at ten ends.
Rink wins for Martin Spencer and Martin Simpson at home and a draw for Kevin Ekins, ensured a safe passage through to the second round, where they will face Stamford on November 11.
- Rink scores: At Spalding – Danielle Wild, Julie Hicks, Nick Wilkie and Martin Spencer (24-12); Stephen Harris, Jean Patterson, Chelsea Tomlin and Martin Simpson (15-13).
At Peterborough – Ruby Hill, Sylvia Wade, Matt Whyers and Jordan Philpott (41-6); Lauren Finbow, Gloria Haney, Andy Dunham and Kevin Ekins (15-15).
- Eight players from Spalding starred as Lincolnshire started their defence of the Liberty Trophy woth a comfortable 41-shot (135-94) victory away at Yorkshire on Saturday.
Graham Smith (captain), Stephen Harris, Kevin Ekins, Martin Spencer, Jordan Philpott, Matt Whyers, Mathew Orrey and Andy Dunham were the SIBC players in action at York.
Lincolnshire got off to a slow start, but piled on the shots between five and ten ends, where the lead stayed between 30 and 40 shots until the end of the game.
Leading the way for Lincolnshire was the rink which included Spalding’s Dunham, who played number three in a rink with Boston’s Ian Clark, Rod West and Jonathan West, who won their rink 37-13.
This rink performance was closely followed by the rink skipped by Spalding’s Philpott, with James Staples (Lincoln), Nick Orrey (Grantham) and Ben Wilson (Lincoln), who won 30-7.
With four rink wins out of six, Lincolnshire now play Nottinghamshire in the second round December 15.
Rink scores: Ian Clark (Boston), Rod West (Boston), Andy Dunham (Spalding), Jonathan West (Boston) – 37-13.
James Staples (Lincoln), Nick Orrey (Grantham), Ben Wilson (Lincoln), Jordan Philpott (Spalding) – 30-7.
Adrian Field (Boston), Simon Law (Stamford), Martin Spencer (Spalding), Tristan Morton (Stamford) – 17-12.
Matt Whyers (Spalding), Richard Vinter (Boston), Martin Pulling (Grantham), Mathew Orrey (Spalding) – 21-20.
Stephen Harris (Spalding), Terry Berridge (Grantham), Kevin Ekins (Spalding), Graham Smith (Spalding) – 16-19.
Alan Watts (Lincoln), Richard Ashton (Lincoln), Kevin Rands (Lincoln), Billy Jackson (Lincoln) – 14-23.
