WHILST a smaller number than usual the following four players from the Basingstoke area, having made the long path through County qualifiers, have made it through to the Aviva Bowls England National Finals and will over the next three weeks be playing against similar qualifiers from across the country to try and lift one of the coveted National trophies.

Oakley’s 20-year-old Alice Lovett plays in three competitions. Her first event is the Junior Singles. She commences on Wednesday, August 21 with a match at 10am against Kat Bowman of Leicestershire, who was the 2021 National Junior Champion beating Alice in the Final. Alice begins her quest for the National Singles with a match on Friday, August 23 at 12.45pm against Jazzmin Alder of Oxfordshire. The winner of this match is, in the next round, likely to play Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist Sian Honnor of Kent.

Her final event is the Junior Pairs where she and Grace Reed of Milton Park play Buckinghamshire at 12.45pm on Wednesday, August 28. 

Basingstoke Town’s pair of Zac Miller and Adam White play in the Men’s Pairs commencing on Sunday, August 18, and finally Town’s Rachel Powell will play in the Senior Singles commencing on Monday, August 19.