WILL NORTHANTS THROW IT AWAY AGAIN ?

(L-R) Chris Sumner, George Owen, Mike Rolstone and JHG Henry Collins

For the third time in recent years Northants have accrued maximum points from the Intercounties shoots they have entered. Victory in the Sporting at Kegworth, another victory at Nottingham in the Skeet, and then yesterday’s victory on home soil in the Intercounties All Round at Northampton Shooting Ground to give them 24 points and top spot in the Directors Trophy for 2015.

The Directors Trophy for those that don’t know, is a competition within a competition designed to reward the most consistent county throughout the series of six Intercounties shoots held in a season, and encourage all shooters to represent their county, and show them their score really matters and they can make a difference.

The top 8 scores (6 in FITASC & ABT) from all counties entrants regardless of category are added together to come up with a Directors Trophy score, for example Northants score yesterday was enhanced by junior Henry Collins superb 92.

The question is, will Northants field a team in the FITASC & ABT? In recent years the answer is simply no, but I just hope if only for the sake of the competition, that Northants this year give it a go.

                         The Directors Trophy League Table 2015

COUNTY	ESP	DTL	SKT	AR	FIT	ABT	TOTAL
BEDS	7	0	0	6			13
CAMBS	6	4	5	4			19
LEICS	3	3	2	2			10
LINCS	2	6	4	5			17
NOTTS	1	8	7	3			19
NORFOLK	4	6	6	0			16
NORTHANTS	8	0	8	8			24
SUFFOLK	5	7	3	7			22

 

Looking at the Intercounties All Round yesterday, Northants almost totally dominated, in fact with a bit of tinkering in their team they could easily have won all 4 team titles, a feat as far as I know has never been managed.

Most of the Northants team shot early in the day and laid a marker down for the other counties to aim at, but in all honesty it was always going to be a tall order. Mick Russell and Mike Rolstone both scoring 93 set a solid foundation, and the rest of James Lacey 92, Bob Franks 90, Leon Gill 84, Neil Faulkner 85, Chris Sumner 87 and Steve Smith 87 just followed the pattern, Their team score of 542/600 was a huge gap of 16 points in front of Runners-up and regular rivals Suffolk who had Rob Butters as their top man soring 94/100, Richard Hunter 86, Puff Baker 87, Robbie Manning 85, Darren Parsons 86, Pete Mayhew 88, Francis Alexander 84 and J Abbott 68 completed the Suffolk team.

In Ladies it was more of the same with Northants winning by a margin of 7 points over nearest rivals Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, Janet Stennett top scored for Lincs ladies, and Hayley Denoon for Notts. Emma Nelson top scored for Northants on 81 and was ably backed up by Rose Palmer 75, Kirsten Vogel 74 and Izzy Russell 59 to give them a finishing score of 156/200.

In juniors it was Northants Henry Collins 92 and George Owen 81 who blew the opposition out of the water with a convincing victory by a margin of 19 points over runners up Bedfordshire, George Whatton 74 and James Whitlock 70 completed the winning line up, Henry’s magnificent score was also good enough to win him the James Hinkins trophy as Junior High Gun.

Once again it was Leicestershire Veterans who continued their good run of form by winning their third out of four team titles this year, this time it was R Kendrick who top scored on 82, with Eric Kendrick on 79 and Alan Bott on 65 to give them a team total of 161/200, that was 5 points clear of runners –up Suffolk for whom Spenser Basham top scored with 84.

Many thanks to Martine, Pete and Roy and all the refs and staff at Northampton for a good day’s competition, its Barrow Heath next week for the FITASC……….will Northants turn up?