BOWLS: Top performances from Hunts aces at the English Bowling Federation finals

Hunts bowlers led the way at the English Bowling Federation finals.

The locals won the Stuart Waites Trophy – a prize handed out to top performing county – after a series of fine showings at Newark.

There was also glory for the trio of Nicky Brett, Lewis Baker and Lyndsay Swannell in the two-wood rinks competition while Baker and Swannell were only denied another national crown when, along with Heather McKillop, they were pipped in the mixed rinks final.

Needingworth man Dennis Weston was another finalist as he was beaten by the defending champion in the men’s singles showpiece, and Rebecca Moorbey also suffered final defeat in the ladies four-wood event.

Steve Farrant went out in the quarter-finals of the men’s four-wood singles while Brett and daughter, Chloe, also went out at that stage of the mixed pairs. Brett and Swannell had been surprise first-round casualties in the men’s pairs.

Young Mack May went down to a player double his own age of 12 in the opening round of the under 25 singles and Jane Baldwin fell at the first hurdle in the women’s four-wood senior singles.

Baldwin did make it to the second round of the ladies pairs along with St Ives clubmate Kathy Snitch and the ladies two-wood rink of Chloe Brett, Moorbey and Ellen Faulkner also fell at the second hurdle.

Hunts were well beaten by Durham by 20 shots in the final of the Derbyshire Trophy team event.