England’s road to the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games continued at the weekend, as they faced a classy Wales team at the fantastic Desborough Bowling Club in Maidenhead.

Fierce competition throughout the two days, using the quickfire set play format designed for Glasgow, resulted in a narrow 51-45 victory for England and will hopefully prove to be excellent preparation for late July.

Additional assistance this week came in the form of  sports psychologist Tim Wyatt and English and bowls legend, Tony Allcock OBE as a guest mentor.

Allock’s attendance also allowed the chance to present him with his World Bowls Hall of Fame trophy, an emotional moment that summed up what our sport means to those that dedicate their lives to it.

Nip and Tuck

The shortened format saw Singles matches played over two sets of seven ends and Pairs two sets of five ends, with a one end tiebreaker in place to decide the winner if needed.

With so little time to recover after a difficult end or two, the pressure is on to get every bowl right; pressure that builds as the matches reach their conclusion.

Sam Tolchard once again showed his Singles prowess, winning five of his seven contests, including both the tiebreakers he played.

Tolchard has been in great indoor form since his World Bowls World Cup win last autumn, and after seven sessions at the weekend, helped England with a points win of 13-8.

Almost matching Tolchard with a points win of 12-9 was 2026 World Indoor Singles Champion Katherine Rednall.

Rednall won a set in each of her seven matches, her consistency proving the difference.

Both the Men’s and Women’s Pairs of Nick Brett, Jamie Walker, Amy Pharaoh and Sian Honnor also secured some crucial match wins, leaving the points at 42 – 42 before the Para classifications were added.

Ten of the Best

Images: Sporting Highlights

Para Team Look Strong in Win

England’s first CWGs preparation test vs Ireland demonstrated the world class Para team that will go for multiple golds this summer, and the results this weekend enhanced that assessment.

The B2-B3 Mixed VI Pair of Ron Homer and Sally-Ann Lewis-Wall finished the test undefeated after four sessions of play, brilliantly assisted by their Directors Sue Davies and Elizabeth Shipley who helped them claim a 9.5 – 2.5 victory.

With Wales not participating at the CWGs in the B6-B8 Para Pairs in either gender, Desborough BC stepped up and provided the opposition, meaning the results from these matches didn’t count towards the overall score.

Kieran Rollings and Joe Peplow concluded their weekend with a 100% winning record, winning all but one of the eight sets played.

The Women’s Para Pair of Michelle White and Helen Wood took wins in two of their matches, narrowly falling to the luck of the tiebreak in the final game.

A Special Moment for a Special Player

The first session of play on Saturday was preceded by an emotional presentation, uniting bowls royalty Tony Allcock OBE with the Hall of Fame trophy he was awarded last year.

The presentation saw members from both teams lined up to congratulate Allcock, before Bowls England Chief Executive Jon Cockcroft and fellow Hall of Famer Amy Pharaoh presented him with his well deserved award.

The elation was clear to see as Allcock collected his trophy, and after the ceremony, his impact on bowls was summed up by Pharaoh:

“As someone who was managed by Tony, I have first hand experience of the impact he has on and off the green. It was an honour to assist with Tony’s presentation. His knowledge and experience are unmatched and to see how much it meant to him to receive the Hall of Fame award reaffirms the passion he still has for the game, only matched by his phenomenal talent and amazing record as a player, coach and manager.”

Allcock had joined the England team as a guest mentor this weekend, conducting workshops with each member of the team and allowing them to access his vast swathes of knowledge and experience.

Pharaoh once again commented on how useful it is to have the chance to pick the brain of one of the games’ greatest players:

“It was a fascinating insight into the mind of one of the greatest players our sport has ever produced. Listening to what Tony had to say was inspiring, and the questions that he posed for us to reflect upon were thought provoking and can only help us become better players and a better team.”

What’s Coming Up Next?

The preparation plan continues in the coming weeks, with further tests against Wales before what promises to be an enthralling ‘Four Nations’ Test Series between England, Wales, Scotland and Guernsey.

• England vs Wales | Saturday 9 – Sunday 10 May @ Newport IBC
• England vs Wales | Saturday 23 – Sunday 24 May @ Desborough BC
• ‘Four Nations’ Test Series | Saturday 13 – Sunday 14 June @ Desborough BC

If you want to lend the team your support, attendance to all of the preparation weekends is FREE.

Find out more about our 2026 International Calendar by clicking the link here.

Want to know how to best prepare your club for the Commonwealth Games? Use our Bowls’ Big Summer guidance and resources to ensure you make the most of a huge year for bowls.

Inspired by our England CWGs team to get on the green? Book a session with your local club now on our club finder, Play-Bowls.com.