ABOUT US: Abington Bowling Club is one of Northampton's sporting institutions. Based just south of Abington Park, we are in close proximity to the Old Northamptonians Sports Ground. Just a short way east of the town centre. We provide a competitive but welcoming environment for anyone who fancies taking up outdoor flat green bowls, the most popular form of bowls, and the most inclusive of all sports.
We also boast one of the biggest and most furbished clubhouses in the region, complete with lounge area, dining room and boardroom. We offer usage of any of these to interested parties. Click on 'Hire our Facilities' above to see what we can provide.
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**FAKE NEWS!**
Contrary to the rumours that have been spreading recently, Abington Bowling Club have no plans to build a car park at the bottom of the site. This space will continue to be the home of our friends and associates, Abington Lawn Tennis Club, for as long as they wish to use it.
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ABC ON TOUR 2019
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|
Date
|
Event
|
Time
|
|
|
|
|
|
July
|
|
|
|
Tue 16th
|
Women’s Friendly
vs. Swanspool
|
2:30pm start
|
|
Wed 17th
|
Pilates
|
9:15-10:15am
|
|
10:30-11:30am
|
||
|
2-3pm
|
||
|
6-7pm
|
||
|
Thu 18th
|
Age UK Art Club
|
9:45am-12:15pm
|
|
Men’s Friendly
vs. Bedford Borough
|
2:30pm start
|
|
|
Fri 19th
|
Pilates
|
9:15am-12:15pm
|
|
Women’s Triples
League
vs. Abbey Park
|
6:30pm start
|
|
|
President’s vs.
Past President’s
match
|
6:30pm start
|
|
|
Sat 20th
|
Mindfulness
|
10am-4pm
|
|
Men’s Friendly
vs. Corby Seagrave
|
2pm start
|
|
|
Sun 21st
|
Mindfulness
|
10am-4pm
|
|
Mon 22nd
|
Pilates
|
9:30am-12:30pm
|
|
12:45-1:45pm
|
||
|
6-7pm
|
||
|
Men’s Triples League
B vs. Daventry A
|
6:30pm start
|
|
|
Tue 23rd
|
Ladies Club Triples
|
10am start
|
|
Wed 24th
|
Pilates
|
9:15-10:15am
|
|
10:30-11:30am
|
||
|
2-3pm
|
||
|
6-7pm
|
||
|
Thu 25th
|
Age UK Art Club
|
9:45am-12:15pm
|
|
Fri 26th
|
Pilates
|
9:30am-12:30pm
|
|
Women’s Triples
League
vs. Roade
|
6:30pm start
|
|
|
Rose Bowl
vs. County Ground
|
6:30pm start
|
|
|
Sat 27th
|
Men’s Friendly
vs. St. Crispin’s
|
2pm start
|
|
Sun 28th
|
|
|
|
Mon 29th
|
Pilates
|
9:30am-12:30pm
|
|
12:45-1:45pm
|
||
|
6-7pm
|
||
|
Men’s Triples League
A vs. Kingsthorpe A
|
6:30pm start
|
|
|
Tue 30th
|
Women’s Friendly
vs. Abbey Park
|
2:30pm start
|
|
Wed 31st
|
Pilates
|
9:15-10:15am
|
|
10:30-11:30am
|
||
|
2-3pm
|
||
|
6-7pm
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
August
|
|
|
|
Thu 1st
|
Age UK Art Club
|
9:45am-12:15pm
|
|
Fri 2nd
|
Pilates
|
9:15am-12:15pm
|
|
Sat 3rd
|
|
|
|
Sun 4th
|
|
|
|
Mon 5th
|
Pilates
|
9:30am-12:30pm
|
|
12:45-1:45pm
|
||
|
6-7pm
|
||
|
Men’s Triples League
B vs. Earls Barton
|
6:30pm start
|
|
|
Tue 6th
|
|
|
|
Wed 7th
|
Pilates
|
9:15-10:15am
|
|
10:30-11:30am
|
||
|
2-3pm
|
||
|
6-7pm
|
||
|
Thu 8th
|
Age UK Art Club
|
9:45am-12:15pm
|
|
Men’s Friendly
vs. Wellingborough
|
2:30pm start
|
|
|
Fri 9th
|
Pilates
|
9:15am-12:15pm
|
|
Sat 10th
|
Men’s Friendly
vs. Rugby Thornfield
|
2:30pm start
|
|
Sun 11th
|
|
|
|
Mon 12th
|
Pilates
|
9:30am-12:30pm
|
|
12:45-1:45pm
|
||
|
6-7pm
|
||
|
Men’s Triples League
A vs. Whyte Melville
|
6:30pm start
|
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15/7/2019
COUNTY/NATIONAL COMPS: 8th-14th JULY
ABINGTON ARE guaranteed representation in the county quarter-finals of both the women's singles, 2-wood and 4-wood, even before the lineup of the latter is confirmed.
In the first round of the 4-wood, Gill Crossley strolled to victory over Chloe Weston of Abbey Park by a factor of 21-10. She goes on to meet her club-mate Lis Milburn in the 2nd round, the winner of which will advance to the 'whites' stage of the competition, just two more wins away from the national championships at Leamington Spa.
Milburn is already at that stage in the 2-wood singles after scraping past Janet Ashby of West End 14-13. Her date with destiny is this coming Saturday, 20th July at Kettering Lodge.
No such promise of glory for Abington's men in their 2-wood competition. The early rounds were staged at Kislingbury on Sunday, 14th July. Only one of our entrants, John Freeman, could notch up a win over an opponent from another club - a steady win over Mark Tomkins of Kingsthorpe, who had previously edged out Peter Milburn - before eventually going out in the group final to Will Walker of West End.
Credit is also due to Mick Taylor and Alan Dunkley, who both went the full 21-end distance in their head-to-heads with West End star Jamie Walker. Both though would ultimately receive a harsh lesson in just how switched on you have to be against an England regular. In fact, the Walker family were almost solely responsible for ending Abington interest in the tournament, with Adam Hawkings and Jonathan Brown also knocked out by Jamie's brothers, Will and Danny.
The first week of the county triples saw similar bloodshed, with only Dave Fage and Peter Milburn's entries surviving to the second week - and the latter of those had to claw their way past two other outfits from this club, skipped by Mick Taylor and Pat McAlwane respectively. For Fage, it was heartening to see his young grandson Thomas Manderson make the step-up to skipping a county competition with no small amount of ease. Their contest against John Hodgkinson of Daventry Town ended at 20-11 with a couple of ends to spare.
Over at Express, Freeman and team-mates Tony O'Leary and Terry Brown were proving just how quickly fortunes could change. In a frankly bizarre pair of games, they comfortably won that which they would have been expected to lose, against county star Chris Bland, and then slumped to an 8-19 defeat in the one they would have been backed to win, against Tom Wellburn. Yet more proof that bowls is played on grass and not paper.
Freeman continues to be Abington's busiest player in competitive action, though he won't be making a return visit to Leamington in the senior singles this year, coming up just short against Mark Turner of Kettering Midland Band. He sits only two away from qualifying in the men's champion of champions though, barely noticing Trevor Spear of Whyte Melville to reach the 4th round, where he now starts to look beyond the county's borders for his opposition.
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12/7/2019
MONDAY TRIPLES LEAGUE - WEEK 7
A BETTER illustration of which level the Abington A-team currently perform at in the Monday Triples League can scarcely be imagined than this week's results.
Results plural, as the day after a decent all-round showing at Desborough, which resulted in a 5-1 victory, the As then succumbed away at Kingsthorpe by the opposite scoreline, in the match postponed from an earlier rain-affected week.
Longer reports can be found in the men's section as always. Here, there's little room but to be philosophical. We've reached the halfway point of the campaign. These two results back-to-back showcases more evidence that progress has been made. The wins have been strong wins, and the defeats reasonably narrow. For the most part, that is all that has been asked for this season, the only scope for short-term improvement being to start taking two winning rinks from fixtures against the heavyweights.
Kingsthorpe A had especial motivation against Abington, their pride sorely hurt by a rare defeat against the runaway Express train, and a 5-1 defeat makes up some of that lost ground as they remount in pursuit. West End are beginning to lurk menacingly over Abington's shoulder, easily beating Kingsthorpe B to rise into the top half for the first time - now only five and a half points back from our men, with two games in hand.
At the bottom, St. Crispin's took a points majority over Whyte Melville despite a drawn shots score (possible via three winning rinks that added up to the same margin against their one losing rink), lifting themselves off last place, though still firmly in the drop-zone. Down in Division 2, Abington B's chances of replacing them received another shock as they became the first side this season to lose to last-placed Heyford.
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
F
|
A
|
Pts
|
|
Earls Barton
|
7
|
6
|
0
|
1
|
432
|
358
|
29.5
|
Abington B
|
7
|
3
|
0
|
4
|
441
|
407
|
20.5
|
Daventry Town A
|
6
|
4
|
0
|
2
|
356
|
376
|
20
|
Roade
|
7
|
3
|
0
|
4
|
414
|
427
|
18.5
|
Bugbrooke
|
7
|
2
|
0
|
5
|
373
|
416
|
17
|
Wootton Grange A
|
6
|
2
|
0
|
4
|
373
|
338
|
16.5
|
Byfield
|
5
|
3
|
0
|
2
|
293
|
317
|
15
|
Heyford
|
5
|
2
|
0
|
3
|
280
|
323
|
13
|
This marks the continuation of an odd pattern of better results away from home than on their own turf. Two points keeps the Bs in the promotion spot, but they've lost ground again on leaders Earls Barton, and it remains in Daventry's hands to surpass them. Plus,,with other games not played even the likes of Heyford and Byfield may yet have something to say at the opposite end before the close of August, with only seven and a half points separating seven sides. You can never quite tell in this division.
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10/7/2019
COUNTY/NATIONAL COMPS: 1st-7th JULY
JUST ONE MORE WIN. An Abington rink sit on the verge of an appearance at Leamington. Tony O'Leary, Alan Coleman, Terry Brown and John Freeman enjoyed a frenetic week of action in the men's senior fours, sailing through three rounds to reach the final.
Unlike other county competitions, only the winners qualify for Bowls England's national championship, so to earn their badges, they still have to negotiate the Kingsthorpe rink skipped by former England international Mick Sharpe. It won't be easy, but their form over the past week has been supreme.
It began with a dominant display against their fellow club-mates Colin Barnes, Dave Jones, Alan Dunkley and Jonathan Brown. Few big scores but a large majority of ends won saw them sail to an 18-7 victory.
The whites stage was a true test of stamina, with both the quarters and semis having to be played on the same day. Neither was anywhere near as clear cut as their 2nd round victory but having kept their cool to emerge 15-14 and 18-15 respectively (the former requiring a comeback from 2-13 down) they were well worth their place in the final showdown. This will take place at Northampton Express' green on Sunday 28th July, kickoff at 10am.
Freeman and company's semi-final success came at the expense of a Thrapston rink skipped by Terry Cuttings, avenging the last eight loss of another Abington entry. Phil Reeve, Trevor Aston, Dave Vernon and Pat McAlwane had been comfortable victors of their 2nd round game, but were a distant second best in their quarter-final, managing only six shots to 22.
Other disappointments were Dunkley's loss to Chris Bland of Express in the men's county singles, Freeman's narrow exit from the men's senior singles to Mark Turner of Kettering Midland Band, and the Gearey brothers of Kingsthorpe claiming another Abington scalp in the men's senior pairs, Alan Coleman and Terry Brown.
To end on a happier note, that latter competition did see progression for Tony O'Leary's entry, currently featuring Jonathan Brown in place of the injured Alan Ashby of West End. Ironically, it was West End who paid the price, with Martin Walker of that parish being utterly demolished 21-4.
*DISAPPOINTMENT FOR our women in the County Top Club. Despite a spirited start to the 1st round home tie with Kingsthorpe, and taking two of the four disciplines, a late wilting allowed the visitors to slip through the net on the aggregate.
A longer report can be read on the women's page. Our thanks also to the two guest players, Jill Welch and Chris Cross of Heyford, who helped us put a team out.
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5/7/2019
MONDAY TRIPLES LEAGUE - WEEK 6
THE SLIM MARGINS of Division 2 in the men's Monday evening Triples League were rarely better evidenced than in the fact that Abington B's 56-54 win over Wootton Grange A was NOT the closest game of an incident-packed sixth round of fixtures.
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
F
|
A
|
Pts
|
|
Earls Barton
|
6
|
5
|
0
|
1
|
370
|
304
|
24.5
|
Abington B
|
6
|
3
|
0
|
3
|
384
|
345
|
19
|
Daventry Town A
|
5
|
4
|
0
|
1
|
302
|
314
|
19
|
Bugbrooke
|
6
|
2
|
0
|
4
|
335
|
357
|
17
|
Byfield
|
4
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
261
|
248
|
14
|
Roade
|
6
|
2
|
0
|
4
|
345
|
395
|
13.5
|
Wootton Grange A
|
5
|
1
|
0
|
4
|
314
|
300
|
10.5
|
Heyford
|
4
|
1
|
0
|
3
|
218
|
266
|
8.5
|
The Bs earned six points from a tough but ultimately successful trip to Grange Park, matching Daventry A's result at Heyford, in the aforementioned game that finished on an even sharper knife-edge at 51-50, and with the same points score. Other good news followed with confirmation of Earls Barton's first loss of the campaign, the gap at the top reduced to just four and a half points.
Up in Division 1, the A-team were charged with bringing a halt to Express' blistering start, but could only manage a single rink success. A tough reminder that Abington remain slightly short at the very highest level, particularly as Kingsthorpe A have displaced them from second place, despite having played one game less.
Next week features the rearranged game at Kingsthorpe against the champions, along with the scheduled fixture at Desborough. It will be a true test of Abington A's genuine position. Longer reports of this week's games can be found on the men's page.
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3/7/2019
RIP WARDY
ABINGTON BC is deeply saddened to hear the news that former president Alan Ward has passed away.
Alan was president of Abington in 1988. But more than that, he was also one of the club's best bowlers of the last few decades. In the mid-1980s especially he had a strong claim to being Abington's most outstanding talent, with a run of success that included the men's club singles in 1983 and 1986, plus many other honours, including county team appearances at Middleton Cup level.
His most recent role was secretary of the Northampton Area Monday Triples League, a job he was still holding at the time of his death. His role in keeping that popular competition going, despite his failing health, shows the mark of the man we have lost today. 'Wardy' was a very popular member of our club, hugely respected for his kind and considered nature both on and off the green.
Our condolences to Alan's family and friends. UPDATE: His funeral will be Friday, 12th July at the Counties Crematorium on Towcester Road, Northampton. The service will begin at 1:15pm. A wake will be held at the club immediately after.
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1/7/2019
HARRIS/MANFIELD/BENEVOLENT
BOWLS NORTHAMPTONSHIRE was a hive of activity in the last week of June with the 2019 editions of three long-running competitions, to one of which Abington can lay claim again.
Although not strictly competing for their club, all four of the eventual triumphant rink in Northants VPs' Harris Cup were Abington members; namely Tony O'Leary, Terry Brown, Phil Reeve and John Freeman. Throughout a long Wednesday, they saw off all five challengers - each via a short spar of seven-end fours - to regain the crown they'd last worn in 2017.
Fellow Abingtonite Jonathan Brown was a late sub for a rink featuring Burton Latimer and Express players, who also reached the semi-finals, but it was Middleton Cup regular Phil Exley, also of Latimer, who were Freeman and co's final opponents. It went right down to the final wood of the final end. Scores were tied at 8-8 going into the last, the identity of shot bowl constantly changing. Fortunately, despite Exley's form, Freeman was able to use the advantage of last bowl to trump him at the death and secure the silverware.
Earlier in the week, the women of the county were turning out at Whyte Melville for their nearest equivalent, the Northants leg of the Benevolent Triples, played using another lesser-seen format, two-end triples. Less success for Abington here sadly, with Gill Crossley's entry narrowly knocked out in the first round by Eileen Fairbairn of Swanspool, and Barbara Astle's on the receiving end of the day's biggest tonking in the second round, 2-28.
As for the Manfield Cup on the Saturday, yet again Abington have slotted in close to the top but not on it, and so the wait goes to a 30th year since our last success. Results remain provisional, but it appears congratulations are due to Whyte Melville. Initial reports are they were the only club out of the 40-odd competing to strike up four winning rinks. Desborough are set to be confirmed as runners-up with three wins and one tied.
Abington also got three wins, but unfortunately, Adam Hawkings, Rob Archer, Dave Vernon and Phil Reeve came a cropper against a Burton Latimer rink at Rushden. Fair enough though, as their's was judged to be the toughest task out of the four, and once back at base camp, it scarcely mattered. Giving the report, and sharing the grief, is half the fun of the game after all.
*A GOOD WEEK for John Freeman was upgraded even further with progression in both the national Champion of Champions and Senior Singles. Freeman squeaked past Steve Norman of Higham Ferrers in the former and steamrollered Mick Corbyn of Wellingborough in the latter, 21-7. His regular sparring partner Tony O'Leary also had double reason to cheer, with his re-selection for the Northants men's county team, and their crucial final Middleton Cup group match, away at Welwyn, Hertfordshire on Saturday, 6th July.
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29/6/2019
MONDAY TRIPLES LEAGUE - WEEK 5
THE A-TEAM got back on the horse in this week's Monday Triples League, but the B-team lost most of the wheels on the wagon behind.
Three weeks after a dominant display there in the 1st round of the League's knockout competition, the As travelled back to Whyte Melville, and inflicted a similar hammering in the League itself. All but half a point of the six available were seized by our men, with a 78-50 shot score that largely piled up without event.
Even if defeating the top sides is ultimately still too big of a hurdle, at least Abington A are starting to live up to their billing again, which should ensure no repeat this year of recent struggles to make the 1st Division's top half. Plus, the postponement of the crunch clash between Kingsthorpe and West End's A-teams does at least lend a novel look to the table. Abington A's next opponent, Express A, continue to lay down an even bigger marker for the champions, having dropped only four points from their first five games.
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
F
|
A
|
Pts
|
|
Earls Barton
|
5
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
321
|
234
|
22.5
|
Abington B
|
5
|
2
|
0
|
3
|
328
|
291
|
15
|
Daventry Town A
|
4
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
271
|
264
|
15
|
Roade
|
5
|
2
|
0
|
3
|
292
|
336
|
12.5
|
Bugbrooke
|
5
|
1
|
0
|
4
|
276
|
304
|
12
|
Byfield
|
3
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
191
|
199
|
10
|
Wootton Grange A
|
4
|
1
|
0
|
3
|
260
|
244
|
8.5
|
Heyford
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
168
|
215
|
6.5
|
Down in Division 2, Abington B also remain in second position, but they won't for much longer if results do not improve fast. As mentioned in this space last week, their opponents Bugbrooke came to Abington second-bottom and without a win to their name. Neither remains the case following a late collapse from our men that swung the points score around from a 4-2 win into a 1-5 loss.
So, Daventry A's 5-1 win over Wootton Grange A means it's only the shot differential that keeps Abington in the second promotion spot - and that boosted by having played an extra game. There remains a long way to go yet, but with only five points separating 2nd from 6th (who have two games in hand to boot), it's another harsh lesson in how slim the margin for error is in Division 2.
*A GOOD WEEK became a great one for the A-side with continued progression in the League Knockout. A quarter-final place was secured via an astonishing 80-45 walloping of a strong Desborough side, making it two big wins over fellow top-flight sides in the cup so far.
A longer report of this game, and the two league matches can be read on the men's page.
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24/6/2019
COUNTY/NATIONAL COMPS: 17th-23rd JUNE
SAFE TO SAY that the 2019 men's county fours won't go down as a vintage one for Abington. Only one of our entered rinks got through to the group final - where they lost - and they had to depose of their fellow clubmates to get there.
Skipped by Mick Taylor, with Dave Vernon at three, they held off the friendly fire inflicted by Rob Archer and Pat McAlwane's rink on the Wednesday before facing Express' Tom Wellburn away on the Friday. Agonisingly, they allowed a lucrative place in the last eight to slip from their teeth at the death, having been four up with two to play.
Last week's stars, skipped by Peter Milburn, could produce nothing like the same heroics as their stunning late comeback in the first round against Will Walker of West End in the second. This time, they shook hands after just 14 ends, having only scored two shots.
Lastly, Jonathan Brown's rink fell victim to the same West End quartet that had beaten John Freeman's on the first Friday, and by almost the same scoreline at 13-20. However, both of these Abington knockouts proved in vain after their skip Alan Ashby was hospitalised following a fall at home on the Thursday. Having already used one sub, and with their original lead away on holiday, they had no choice but to award Gavin Taylor of Express a walkover into the quarters. All the best to Alan from all at Abington for a speedy recovery.
There was yet more Abington cannibalisation in the men's singles, where Alan Dunkley had the measure of Peter Milburn in the 3rd round, 21-13. Tony O'Leary is our club's only other survivor at the group final stage, narrowly avoiding a surprise defeat to Whyte Melville's Sean Rowlands 21-20. No such luck for Alan Coleman, who was blitzed out of the tournament by Express' Chris Bland 7-21.
Coleman had a better time of it in the senior pairs. He and Terry Brown fairly comfortable in beating Kingsthorpe's Ivan Wilson and partner 20-13. That scoreline was almost an exact mirror of Dave Jones' senior singles encounter with Heyford star Michael Moulton, albeit this time with the Abington man on the receiving end.
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22/6/2019
MONDAY TRIPLES LEAGUE - WEEK 4
BOTH ABINGTON teams conceded 66 shots in an agonising fourth round of action for the men's Monday triples league. The As could only take one point from their home fixture vs West End A, and lost ground on the Division 1 leaders.
A first defeat for our A-side was also a first win of the campaign for the usually high-flying West End A. Little has changed in the running order, Abington A's game the only one to have gone against the early form. There has merely been an increase in the gaps at the top and the bottom. Next up is a chance to get back on track at Whyte Melville, hopefully with a repeat of the K/O 1st round result in the offing.
Division 2 is still noticeably askew due to half of the previous week's games going unplayed. There has been no immediate damage inflicted by the B-team's 2-4 loss (with only a five-shot aggregate deficit) at Earls Barton this week, though a couple of teams are ready to pounce with their game in hand.
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
F
|
A
|
Pts
|
|
Earls Barton
|
4
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
245
|
193
|
17.5
|
Abington B
|
4
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
273
|
229
|
14
|
Roade
|
4
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
251
|
260
|
11.5
|
Byfield
|
3
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
191
|
199
|
10
|
Daventry Town A
|
3
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
183
|
197
|
10
|
Wootton Grange A
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
193
|
176
|
7.5
|
Bugbrooke
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
214
|
249
|
7
|
Heyford
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
168
|
215
|
6.5
|
Still, two points away from home against the table toppers is not to be sniffed at in the notoriously tight second tier, and Abington B remain a steady second, with winless Bugbrooke next up at home. Longer match reports can be found on the men's page.
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