SPERLING SCORES A HATRICK OF WINS

Pictured (L- R) Kyle Woodhall Cross, Les Sperling, Mo Sentance & Simon Edwards.

Northampton Shooting Ground hosted once again the Regional All Round Championships with a rather below par entry of 41 shooters. Suffolk veteran Spencer Basham led the field for most of the day with score of 90, but knowing the Northamptonshire track throws up 90+ scores it was felt that the title was there for the taking.

Northants local Chris Bramble threw up the biggest challenge falling just one clay short of Spencer’s total and with a gusting breeze getting up it looked like the Suffolk man could hang on. The last squad of the day contained former winner of this title local man Les Sperling, the week before Les had ripped the course to pieces with a superb score of 97 to take the County title and he went into the final leg of Sporting just two targets down. With an eight clay cushion for Les he could relax knowing that anything other than a major disaster and he would add his name to the trophy for the third time in 7 years, just four targets got away and Les sealed the destination of the trophy. Spencer Basham had to be satisfied with the silver medal but got some consolation by taking the veterans title and Chris Bramble held out for the bronze medal in seniors.

Nott’s vets shooters Dave Sayer and County Chair Paul Brown made another cross county raiding mission almost sneaking in under the radar, shooting at first light Dave added to his double medal haul from the week before in the Olympic skeet this time claiming the silver medal chairman Paul winning the bronze in the veterans class.

The junior title held by James Hinkins was hotly contested with a good turnout of juniors but it was a bad day in the office for James as he could only manage a sore of 78 which was already behind Lincs shooter Billy Caton on 79, regional regular Kyle Woodhall Cross from Norfolk equalled James’s score and it was left to Northants junior Simon Edwards to stamp his authority on proceedings by claiming the title on 86, so Billy took the silver medal and as James had left the ground he was not available for the shoot off to decide the bronze medal which was awarded to Kyle.

Northants lady Mo Sentance failed to hang on to her title won last year and she had to pass the mantle onto fellow county shooter Rose Palmer who had recorded a score of 82 early on, Leanne Palmer from Leicestershire added to her collection by claiming the silver medal and Mo had to settle for the bronze.