Spalding Indoor Bowls Club are the only team in the country to have had players called up to represent every England team at the upcoming international series events.
Over the weekend of November 30 to December 1, Spalding had a host of representatives attending Rugby Thornfield IBC for the senior and junior international trials.
And, when the teams were announced last week, Spalding players were inundated with call-ups.
In the senior men’s team, Matt Whyers and Graham Smith have retained their place in the team and are selected as a front end with Perry Martin (Swale) and Robert Paxton (Exonia), an established rink which has an impressive record over the last five years.
Stephen Harris also impressed the selectors and after getting named player of the series at last season’s under-25 international series, has been called up for the seniors as travelling reserve.
The men’s international series will be held at Llanelli IBC in Wales from March 12-14.
The senior women’s team has three Spalding names on the team sheet – Chelsea Tomlin, Ruby Hill and Annie Dunham.
Tomlin and Hill retain their place, whilst Dunham is recalled into the team after taking a year out from international bowls for the birth of her second son, Rory.
Tomlin is selected at number three in a rink skipped by Danielle Martinson (Hartlepool), with current British Isles under-25 singles champion, Devon Cooper (Hartlepool) at lead and Harriet Stevens (Exonia).
Hill and Dunham are selected at lead and three respectively in the same rink with Laura Holden (Clevedon) at two and skip, Michelle Coleman (St. Neots).
The women’s international series will also take place at Llanelli (March 6-8).
The men’s under-25 team sees Spalding’s Jordan Philpott and Harris retain their places.
Harris will lead, with new caps Jamie Tindall (Wey Valley) and Sam Moss (Falcon) and skip Jamie Barker (St Neots), while Philpott will play number three to current British Isles singles champion Jack Bird (York), with new cap, Joseph Vandepeer (Oyster) at lead and Adam Pitfield (Wellingborough) at two.
Spalding ace Hill also retained her place in the women’s under-25 team as she was selected to play number three with Devon Cooper (Hartlepool), new cap Jasmine Wilson (Huntingdon) and skip Rachel Tremlett (St Neots).
The women’s under-25 international series will take place at Arbroath IBC (February 8 and 9), while the men’s under-25 international series will be at Stanley IBC a week later.
