Having lost their opening Eastern Counties League game to Huntingdonshire, Norfolk's bowlers entertain Essex in their next match at Norfolk Bowling Club on Saturday (10.30).

This is the county's last match before the Middleton Cup campaign gets under way on the following Saturday and will be the last chance for the selected players to impress before the Middleton Cup team is selected.

Team to play Essex in the Eastern Counties League: George Tubby, Gary Mallett, Mark Elliott, Danny Page, Michael Hunter, Richard Summers, Paul Shackcloth, Chris Willgress, Roger Guy, Philip Day, Mark Turner, Andy Siely, John Colcombe, John Ottaway (Capt), Derek Talbot (President), Chris Gaul, Micky Brown, George Hunter (SVP), Danny Noble, Rob Parker, Stan Allcock (Treasurer), Peter Boldero, Bernie Perrett, John George (Comp Sec).

On Sunday in the Bowls England National Inter-County Top Two Fours Competition for the Balcomb Trophy Norfolk play Northamptonshire at West Row BC, Suffolk (10.30). Team: John Ottaway, George Tubby, Steffan Adcock, Mark Riches, Mark Turner, Philip Barr, Paul Shackcloth, Wayne Willgress. Reserve: Roger Guy.The winners will play Leicestershire in the next round.

The 67th annual Norfolk County Tour was held last week when President Derek Talbot took his tour party on an Anglo-Welsh four counties tour to the West Country based in Hereford. A highly successful tour saw the county win six of the seven matches played, including victories in county matches against Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, with the only defeat coming against a strong Herefordshire side. The top player for the week and winner of the Tourist Trophy was Trevor Webb who recorded six wins out of six with Tom Kelly in second place.