Highlights
The Ladies County Championship and Presidents Trophy started on Sunday 17th May with a full set of group games and all teams looking to make a winning start to the 2026 campaign. As usual all group winners progress to the Semi-Finals of the County Championship with group runners-up moving to the Mavis Dearden Supplementary competition in August.
Group.1.started with 2025 Runners-Up, Shropshire against South Staffordshire and a performance that stamped their claim on winning back the title in 2026. Shropshire only dropped 4 cards across the two venues and ran out winners by 150 chalks, a total that was the largest on the day.
In complete contrast the other tie in Group.1. was the closest affair of the day, with 2025 Mavis Dearden winners, Wales and Dudley & District only being split by 4 shots. With the card being tight all day at the Old Cross in the Midlands, the drama was undoubtedly at the picturesque setting of Conway Bowling Club. Big wins either way in the first four cancelled each other out, and Ladies President, Sue Pugh, put the midlander’s in the driving seat with a 21-5 win in the middle order. But the Welsh back two Julie Bray and Jane Bowler got Wales over the line with two equally strong performances to pinch the win.
Group.2 match North Lancs & Fylde against Staffordshire was the battle of the home venues, with both teams dominating on their turf. With the visiting teams only managing two winners a piece, it was always going to come down to who had the biggest winners and North Lancs pair, Emily James & Janet Gray both carded 21-2 wins which was enough for the North Lancs win.
North Midlands and Mid Warwickshire, who complete the line up in Group.2, was a one sided affair. Mid Warwickshire were defeated by 142 chalks, and as the newest ladies county, they’re still trying to find a winning formula in the toughest of Ladies Crown Green Bowling competitions. There’s definitely positives for the newbies, Julie Masters 21-6 and Pat Moore’s 21-3 in a card overpowered with big North Midlands wins will give them some hope for future matches this season.
Group.3. started with the battle of the South Yorkshire v Yorkshire’s with defending champions, Yorkshire, looking to make a mark against their neighbors. Wins at both venues gave Yorkshire a comfortable day. The Tobin twins won 21-6 and 21-7 in South Yorkshire resulted in one of them winning ‘Player of the Match’ (but I’m not sure which one – does anyone else know?) I’ve had the same problem for nearly 30 years with the Melvin’s from the Potteries….anyway, well done girls.
Cheshire played Merseyside in the other fixture in Group.3. and on paper had a comfortable day, winning by 89 chalks. In reality, the game was close through ten cards with Cheshire being a handful up at each venue. Good cards for Merseyside at the end of the game could have produced a close one. Instead, Cheshire’s Carole Nicklin and Carol Wall hit a 21-3 and 21-5 away from home to make the margin anything but close.
Group.4. Warwick & Worcester v Burton & District started in Solihull with the Burton away team handing out four prizes for over 100 county caps to Wendy Jackson, Sharon Tatem, Janet Needham and Linda Wheeldon. The quartet faired well with three of them being part of 6 winners and restricted the home team to a 15 chalk home win primarily due to a very impressive 21-3 win from Ann Marie Parsons. Performance of the day should go to the Warwick & Worcester Ladies away team who matched their home team with a 15 shot win on Burton & District’s difficult Stretton BC. Single figure wins for Sonia Robson and Michelle Witherspoon sealed a great start for Warwick & Worcester.
Mid Cheshire v Lancashire made the other half of Group.4. and was dominated by the Mid Cheshire home performance at Barnton CC where they only dropped 8 shots and carded a 60 point win. Lancashire couldn’t produce anything similar at Little Lever CC and Mid Cheshire pinched the away leg by 8 chalks with a good win from Paula Gamon among others.
The Presidents four this year are Cumbria v North Shropshire and Greater Manchester v North Derbyshire.
Cumbria pinched a tight one against North Shropshire with both cards have many single figure results. It’s was obviously a day where you either settled on the green or you didn’t.
North Derbyshire started better than Greater Manchester and took an early lead, that was pulled back in the middle, and despite a 21-8 from North Derbyshire’s Cath Wain in Manchester, 21-10 & 21-11 from Greater Manchester duo, Deborah Surman & Jade Beresford, at Hollingwood in Chesterfield saw Greater Manchester pinch the win at both venues.
Congratulations to all winning teams. See you all next month when the qualifying picture becomes a little clearer for all.
Full results and team picture gallery can be found on the Ladies County Championship Competitions Page.
