England’s Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games squad will travel down to Desborough Indoor Bowls Club this weekend to take the second step of their preparation journey for July 23.
The next couple of days sees them take on Wales in the first of three upcoming tests designed to replicate the conditions the players will face when taking the mat in Glasgow.
Backing Up a Strong Performance Last Time
The England Performance Team will be keen to see the players maintain the high level they set in the first preparation test versus a strong Ireland squad last month.
England came out of that two-day matchup avoiding defeat in every discipline, winning all but the Women’s Pairs in which Amy Pharaoh and Sian Honnor drew in a thrilling contest against a rotating Ireland squad who were testing out partnerships.
The final score saw England claim victory in 32 of the 47 matches, with the B2-B3 VI Mixed Pairs duo of Ron Homer BEM and Sally-Ann Lewis-Wall particularly dominant, winning all five of their matches.
Ten of the Best
Above: Ten of the Best images from the March preparation test vs Ireland
Meet the Team
England will be at full strength this weekend, with all of their Glasgow 26 selections available to play.
Sam Tolchard | Men’s Singles
Jamie Walker | Men’s Pairs
Nick Brett | Men’s Pairs
Amy Pharaoh | Women’s Pairs
Sian Honnor | Women’s Pairs
Men’s Para Pairs
Joe Peplow |
Men’s Para Pairs
Women’s Para Pairs
Helen Wood |
Women’s Para Pairs
Mixed VI Para Pairs
Sally-Ann Lewis-Wall |
Mixed VI Para Pairs
Sue Davies (Director) |
Mixed VI Para Pairs (Dir)
Elizabeth Shipley |
Mixed VI Para Pairs (Dir)
To see a detailed profile of each of our world class Commonwealth Games team, click here.
If you missed the initial announcement of the team and would like to find out more, click here.
The Format
The rules for this weekend and the remainder of the preparation tests dictate that matches replicate what is to come at Glasgow 26, which is unique to the tournaments that have come before.
Games will be played across two sets, with a best-of-three ends tiebreaker set in place to decide a winner if needed.
Avoiding lapses in concentration in this format is critical, as every shot carries more weight toward the outcome of the game, ensuring that every end matters.
There will also be a ‘shot clock’ set to 30 seconds, pushing players to play with pace and to make crucial decisions quickly.
Going the Extra Mile
The Performance Team and players will also be joined by a number of mentors and outside contributors, brought in to assist the team and ensure they are as well prepared as possible.
Team mentor Greg Harlow will be joining the team again and his knowledge of indoor bowls will be of great value to the players.
The team will also have the privilege of working with guest mentor, English bowls legend Tony Allcock OBE.
Tony will be working with the team on Saturday morning before play starts, leading workshops with each discipline and expelling his vast swathes of experience and success which will provide an immense boost to the players.
Updates
Keen to know how the team are getting on? We’ll be sharing regular updates as our team prepare for G2026 below.
Day 1: All to Play For Between England and Wales After Day One
The match is finely poised going into Day 2, with both teams taking wins after many tight games and more than a few tiebreakers.
England are playing against a team of nominated Welsh players, with the Men’s and Women’s Para Pairs competing against ‘guest’ players organised by Desborough BC.
If you have been inspired by our England Team and want to get your club involved in English Bowls’ biggest summer yet, visit the Bowls’ Big Summer Home Page for more information.