Welcome to Abington Bowling Club

ABINGTON 'A' fell at the 'Area Final' hurdle of the National Top Club, with Wellingborough going through. And it all came down to a measure.​

 

​​​​​​​ After wins for Adam Brown in the 2-wood and then Robin Adams & Iain Walker in the pairs, Abington needed just one more discipline for a memorable victory. But it never did come.

 

For much of the evening, it seemed most likely that the fours - Fred Bosworth, Stuart Johnston, Martin Brown & Alan Dunkley - represented Abington's best chance of a knockout blow. A low-scoring back-and-forth affair where the difference between the two was never greater than three shots, it duly came to pass that the whole match hinged on a measure that seemed to require a microscope.

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The final decision called it for Wellingborough, who go on to play Warwickshire's last club standing. But Abington can be proud of another memorable run in this competition, and of pushing a side containing high-calibre bowlers on every rink to the limit.

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14/07/2026: ABINGTON 'B' hammered St. Crispin's A to reassume the leadership of Division 3 in the Monday Triples League. But it was the complete opposite for Abington 'C', who were thrashed by West End B.​

 

​​​​​​​ The B and C teams are currently on course to swap divisions, and both began the second half of their campaign much as they played through the first half. No twists and turns, just simple uncomplicated shot-stacking and a clean sweep of the points. One in our club's favour, one against.

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The Bs brushed aside Crispin's 60-29 on shots, with Dave Vernon's rink the individual stars at 21-8, but neither of the other two were far behind. Both won by nine to wrap up a perfect night. Roade A's 1-4 defeat at Harpole puts the Abington side back on top of the third tier on shot difference, with Abington's plus-mark already in triple figures. The overall picture remaisn tight though. The Bs' next opponents, Carlsberg, remain on the shoulder of the two leaders. Next week's fixture there could be crucial.

 

The C-team simply never got into their match away at West End, demolished 24-70 on shots. While still far from a fatal blow for their survival hopes, the gap to Byfield in sixth place is now 4 points after a victory for the latter. Home form could be vital in making the difference.

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08/07/2026: ABINGTON 'A' GAVE themselves a tremendous shot in the arm this week. A 4-1 win over Kingsthorpe B hauled them up two places, and at the halfway stage they now again sit in their customary midtable position, three points above the drop from Division 1.​

 

​​​​​​​ Captain John Freeman's rink didn't concede a shot until the eighth end, by which time they were 13 up. By the close of play though Iain Walker's trio had surpassed them as the top winning rink. Abington were but one end away from a complete haulage of five points. Simon David's triple were 14-13 up going into the final end but suffered a disastrous turn to drop six.

 

In the immediate context though, it was a mere blip on an otherwise satisfying evening. Despite the last-second two-point swing in Kingsthorpe B's favour, our As still did enough to put themselves back in front of a potential relegation rival. Hopefully that dreaded spectre will be vanquished before the return fixture at the climax of the campaign.

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It was likewise for the C-team on the other side of the green, including the final points tally. For both sides, wins have been thin on the ground, but the Cs were determined to enjoy themselves against Brackley. And though, unlike the As, they haven't advanced any places in the Division 2 table, they now sit in the r-zone only on shot difference.

 

And that particular statistic received a great correction with this match. Captain Reg Jones and Pete Botterill dueled for most of the night as to whose rink would be the highest scoring, an honour eventually taken by the skipper, 24-6, with Botterill triumphing 22-6. The emphatic 56-30 aggregate scoreline suggests the Cs are eminently capable of surviving in the second tier by the time they travel back to Brackley in late August.

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The B-team's aim is to rejoin them there from Division 3, and they still currently sit in a promotion spot. However, to complete the wholescale reversal of the usual fortunes so far this year, the Bs have had top spot wrestled from their grasp by Roade A, who not only beat Abington 4-1, but also won their game in hand against Harpole A the following night. Even here though there were straws of comfort to grasp. The Bs were just four shots from two points, and a fifth from an overall win and three points.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​