The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Seven members of Spalding Indoor Bowls Club have been called-up to represent England over the course of the next few months.
First up, Ruby Hill and Chelsea Tomlin will represent England in the ladies’ under-25 international series over the weekend of February 8 and 9 at Belfast Indoor Bowls Club. They will play in the same rink as last season, with Kirsty Richards (Bromsgrove) and Devon Cooper (Riverain).
An added bonus for Tomlin as she has been asked to be captain for the third year in a row.
Over the course of the following weekend, Jordan Philpott and Stephen Harris will represent England in the men’s under-25 international series at Aberdeen IBC.
Despite having played in the team for the last three years, Philpott will skip a rink for the first time with Glen Adams (Herga) and new caps, Adam Pitfield (Wellingborough) and James Hampton (Exonia).
Harris will be pulling on an England shirt for the first time. He will lead a rink, with the current men’s national singles champion, Jack Bird (York), Andrew Rodger (Swale) and the current men’s national under-25 singles champion, Jamie Barker (St Neots).
The ladies’ and men’s senior international series will take part a bit later on at Falcon IBC in Chelmsford.
Between March 8-10, Hill will lead a rink with Laura Holden and Stephanie Branfield (both Clevedon) and Michelle Coleman (St. Neots), while Tomlin will play number two in the same rink she played in last year, with Susan Kearsley (Blackpool), Katy Baxter and Danielle Martinson (both Hornsea).
Meanwhile, Matt Whyers, Graham Smith and Martin Spencer will all play in the men’s senior international series on March 14-16.
Whyers and Smith will play in the same rink for the fifth consecutive year, alongside Perry Martin (Swale) and Robert Paxton (Exonia). The rink has won an incredible 11 games from the last 12.
Spencer will also play in a familiar rink and will be doing so for the third consecutive year, leading with Neil McKee (Kingsthorpe), David Bolt (South Shields) and Jamie Chestney (Exonia).
Also taking place between March 11-13 at Falcon IBC will be the British Isles Championships.
Having won the ladies’ national pairs and men’s national fours, Spalding IBC’s Hill and Tomlin (pairs) plus Whyers, Smith, Spencer and
Mathew Orrey (fours) will be England’s representatives in the respective competitions to battle it out to try and become the best in Britain.
