The Show Mat schedule for the opening day’s play in the SMPT UK Open in Chelmsford has three Norfolk bowlers listed to appear. The Group 27 game between Wymondham’s Chris Mann and Hempnall’s Neil Davidson will feature at 3.40pm on Saturday afternoon and it is a game that is bound to attract much attention. Chris Mann is reigning Norfolk Singles champion and a former SMPT European Masters champion while Neil Davidson earned the nickname “The Singles Specialist” after winning the Norfolk Singles title four times between 2010 and 2016. Mann & Davidson played together with Jack Marshall when they powered their way to the ESMBA National Triples title earlier this year so they are more than aware of each other’s tactics. Earlier in the day at 2pm Wymondham’s Jack Pye will face Welsh legend Stephen Williams. Surprisingly Jack Pye has yet to reach a Norfolk Singles final but his performances in SMPT events has earned him a SMPT World Ranking of 12, the highest placed Norfolk bowler, while Mann is World ranked 114 and Davidson ranked at 115. Stephen Williams is the highest placed Welsh bowler in the World Rankings at number 18. The full Show Mat list for Saturday’s play is as follows
9am Glenn Harvey v Jorgen Karlsson (Group 10)
9.50am Christer Nordin v Sandy McDonald (Group 21)
10.40am Mitchell Young v Joel Häger (Group 32)
11.30am Sean Hughes v Dafydd Howell (Group 6)
12.20pm Mark Chittock v Edward Sawbridge (Group 21)
1.10pm Lee Toleman v Joseph Beattie (Group 22)
2pm Jack Pye v Stephen Williams (Group 5)
2.50pm Bronagh Toleman v Lawrence Moffat (Group 17)
3.40pm Chris Mann v Neil Davidson (Group 27)
4.30pm Mark Beattie v Jonathan Payne (Group 2)
5.20pm Tone Bøe v Nathan Haire (Group 19)
6.10pm Jonas Häger v Ferdinand Frantzen