England’s Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games team got together for the first time since the selected players were announced back in January, meeting at Desborough Indoor Bowling Club in Maidenhead for a preparation test match against Ireland.
The two-day test was one of several preparation weekends planned in the lead up to the Games, starting on July 23, to ensure the players are in the best shape possible when medals are on the line.
An Excellent Start
England began their extensive preparation programme in fine form, taking a total of 32 wins from 47 matches vs Ireland across the weekend, securing 18 wins on Saturday before cementing their lead with 14 wins during Sunday’s play.
England avoided defeat in all of their weekend matchups, taking wins in the Men’s Singles, Men’s Pairs, Women’s Singles and all Para disciplines.
The Women’s Pairs duo of Sian Honnor and Amy Pharaoh played out a draw, facing a number of opponents as Ireland rotated their players throughout the test.
The Visually Impaired Para Mixed Pair of Sally-Ann Lewis-Wall and Ron Homer BEM were particularly dominant, winning all five of their matches, ably assisted by Directors Elizabeth Shipley and – stepping in for Sue Davies – International Coach Mal Evans.
The 32 wins for England do not tell the full story however, as they had to be at their best against a high-class Irish side that forced many close games and a number of tiebreaks in the short set format.
Showing Adaptability
The rules for the weekend dictated that matches replicated what is to come at Glasgow 2026, with games played across two sets and a deciding tiebreaker if needed.
This quickfire format ensures that every shot matters and that athletes can’t afford even a momentary lapse in concentration.
The inclusion of a 30-second ‘shot clock’ also added pace to the games, forcing players to plan a few shots ahead but also react and think on their feet quickly.
Mimicking the playing conditions of the upcoming Commonwealth Games is a crucial part of England’s preparation programme to build comfortability across the team before they step out in Glasgow.
Ten of the Best
What the Performance Team Said
“This has been a very positive start to our preparations to the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. We saw good performances across the board, and also lots of areas for us to work on ahead of the Games. I’d like to thank Desborough IBC for hosting this event, congratulate all of our players and Management Team for their efforts and thank Ireland for their participation in such a hard-fought Test Match.”
Mo Monkton | International Performance Director
What Next?
The next test event will be held on April 25 and 26, seeing England take on Wales once again at Desborough IBC in Maidenhead.
If you would like to go along and support the team, entry is free of charge and we welcome your support throughout the preparation programme.
To view our full International Calendar of Events for 2026 and see what our wider England squad is getting up to this season, click the link below:
If you are interested in supporting the team at the Commonwealth Games this summer, click the link below to find out more information about how to purchase tickets:
Finally, if you have been inspired by our England Team and want to get your club involved in English Bowls’ biggest summer yet, register your interest to receive updates about Bowls’ Big Summer below. Alternatively, visit the Bowls’ Big Summer Home Page for more information.