Spalding Indoor Bowls Club will once again have a number of representatives at the forthcoming England trials which are being held at Rugby Thornfield Indoor Bowls Club in Warwickshire.
Held over the weekend of Saturday, November 30 and Sunday, December 1, Spalding IBC will have no less than ten player bidding to earn international call-ups.
First up is the turn of the men on the Saturday morning. Matt Whyers, Graham Smith and Martin Spencer will hope to retain their places in the team, while Mathew Orrey and Stephen Harris will be aiming to break into the squad.
Orrey has played in the team before, having helped England to an international series win in 2016.
Harris is competing at the men’s senior trial for the first time after impressing the selectors at the under-25 series last season where he was actually named player of the series.
On the Saturday afternoon, the women will take to the green.
Ruby Hill and Chelsea Tomlin will also hope to retain their places in the team, while Annie Dunham will hope to be recalled into the side after being unavailable for the series last season due to giving birth to her second son, Rory.
Selection for the men’s and women’s team will result in taking part in the British Isles International Series at Llanelli Indoor Bowls Club in Wales.
England’s men and women are defending champions and the women’s series will take place from March 6-8, with the men’s taking place nearly a week later on March 12-14.
On the Sunday it will be the turn of England’s best under-25 bowlers.
In the men’s under 25 trial, Harris and Jordan Philpott will be hoping to retain their place in the team.
Philpott skipped his own rink for the first time last season, while Harris played for his country for the first time and will be hungry for more.
In the women’s under-25 trial, Ruby Hill will also be hoping to retain her place from last season where she helped her team to a series win. Danielle Wild will aim to break into the side for the first time, too.
The women’s under-25 international series will take place on February 8 and 9 at Arbroath Indoor Bowls Club in Scotland, with the men’s event taking place the following weekend at Stanley Indoor Bowls Club in Durham.
- Spalding’s Hill and Wild attended the national under-25 singles qualifiers at City of Ely Indoor Bowls Club.
Hill played well throughout and after a straight sets victory against Nicole Moseley, secured her place at the national finals with a win against club-mate, Wild, also in straight sets.
Hill is now down to the last 16, with the national finals being hosted by Spalding for the very first time.
Some of England’s top under-25s will be competing and it is expected that a capacity crowd will also be in attendance.
With Jordan Philpott, Harry Mycock, Rhys Hill and Stephen Harris all still competing in the men’s under 25 singles qualifiers, it is hoped that the Spalding fans will have something to cheer about.
