England trial for Paul (From Gazette & Herald)

England trial for Paul

Teenage bowls star Paul Humphreys was celebrating this week after being called up for his first-ever England junior team trial.

The Pickering Bowls Club and Ryedale Indoor Bowls Club (RIBC) player has been invited by the English Bowling Association to attend the Junior International Match Trials at the New Lount Bowling Club in Leicestershire on May 24.

Paul, 17, from Pickering, will join 48 other hopefuls, who will come under the experienced scrutiny of Tony Allcock MBE, the chief executive of the EBA, and John Bell, the team coach.

From these 48, 32 will be selected for squad training in July. Further selections will then be made for the Junior International Series to be played at Leamington Spa in September.

A delighted Paul said: "I was nominated by my county for a trial at the back end of February, but I wasn't expecting to get one for a couple of years so I'm very excited. Whether I'm selected for the squad or not, I'm just glad to be a part of it all."

Paul's selection for the trial comes on the back of him achieving a unique double at the end of last month when he added RIBC's gents' singles title to the club's junior singles title he won in January. His gents' title included victory over England number 33 Mark Walton.

Selection for the England team would make him Pickering Bowling Club's first male international. The club already has a female international in Betty Stubbings, who has represented her country many times.

Whether or not Paul makes the squad this time round, it is a major achievement for a 17-year-old to be invited to the trial which will mainly feature players in their early twenties.

Updated: 15:46 Wednesday, April 09, 2003