New Norfolk manager Simon Willies has named his squad for the 2018/19 season which sees the return of talented Wymondham ace Chris Mann to county team action. A player making a return after many years off the county stage is Bob Carter and former Hempnall bowler Robert Howlett who lifted the County Triples title in both 2006/07 & 2007/08 with fellow squad members Lesley Crowe & Jon Sparham. Also in the squad is Hevingham’s left handed dynamo David Sharpe who is currently Norfolk Fours Champion and who won the County Pairs title with Maureen Willis in 2001/02 when a member of the now defunct Banningham side. New players chosen for the first time are Will Townsend of Hingham, Sue Fox of Horsford Heroes and Mike Smail of Forncett. Wymondham’s Mark Linsdell, last season a Norfolk Premier team regular, has decided to take a season out for family reasons. Selwyn & Teresa Goldsmith of Hevingham, winners of twenty-six County Championships between them, have also decided to take timeout from county bowls to concentrate on their other activities within the sport. Other names missing from last season’s squad are Trevor Pinchen, Andy Sindle, Elaine Oatway, Colin Coman, Roger Steele, Hayley Osborne, Kevin Watson & Trish Taylor. This winter Norfolk Premier will play Kent, Essex & Northants in the Premier Group stages. Northants will be happy not facing the long journeys they encountered in last season’s group stages but will have painful memories of some heavy defeats against Norfolk in recent years. Kent found Norfolk too strong for them last season while Essex has been in a downward spiral since their I.C.C Final defeat against Norfolk in 2016. Norfolk “A” play in an unchanged group comprising of Suffolk, Essex “A” & Cambridgeshire that normally produces a close finish in the fight to obtain a top two qualifying position. John Turner of East Tuddenham, who served as captain under George Clarke for several years, reprises that role in the new management team in place of Jon Sparham while Steve Hall replaces Mick Boswell as Norfolk “A” captain.
Pictured below are Chris Mann, Lewis Cranston, Angela Bond, Owen Cranston and Janet Pinchen
