National attention turns to Inter-County Competitions this weekend as the Balcomb Trophy and Walker Cup Regional Finals will take place on Saturday May 30 and Sunday May 31 respectively.
Clubs throughout the country will play host to some of the finest bowlers on the domestic circuit as they go head-to-head with the aim of reaching the prestigious National Bowls Finals at Victoria Park in August.
With 32 counties competing across eight groups of four in Pairs, Triples and Fours, these Inter-County matches play an important role in the development of potential international players and sits as a crucial step in Bowls England’s Performance Pathway.
The format has been revised slightly for 2026, with a focus on reducing the time commitment needed from players and the overall cost for participating counties.
Pairs will now play under a 3-bowl format and Triples and Fours under 2-bowl, enabling all six rinks to be used at the upcoming regional events and allowing all four counties to play at the same time.
Scoring for this weekend will see teams awarded two points for a win and one point for a draw (per discipline), with the same amount of points being applied per match, the winner being the county that has the highest aggregate score across all three disciplines.
The final group standings will be determined by (in order of):
- Overall Points
- Overall Shots Difference
- Overall Shots Scored
Only one county will make it through each group of four and to the National Bowls Finals which will take place between August 12 – 30.
Grab your tickets to the 2026 event at the historic Victoria Park here.
2025 saw Leicestershire triumph in the Balcomb Trophy, defeating Essex 69-43 in the final and Devon took the Walker Cup home, besting Oxfordshire 71-66 in a thrilling contest.
Preliminary Round Results
Due to numbers, some groups contained more than four counties resulting in a preliminary round that contained some superb matches. See the results below:
Northumberland 49 – 42 Lancashire
Lincolnshire 41 – 44 Northamptonshire
Herefordshire 38 – 56 Wiltshire
See the full breakdown of the Balcomb Trophy Prelims here.
Cumbria 46 – 37 Lancashire
Nottinghamshire 38 – 47 Leicestershire
Worcestershire 52 – 41 Herefordshire
See the full breakdown of the Walker Cup Prelims here.
Event Details
Saturday May 30
North
Wigton BC,
West Road, Wigton, CA7 9RG
Click here for the schedule of play
Teams Involved: Cumbria, Durham, Yorkshire and winner of prelim between Lancashire & Northumberland,
Midlands
Leicester BC
Kenwood Road, off Carrisbrooke Road, Leicester, LE2 3PL
Click here for the schedule of play
Teams Involved: Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and the winner of prelim between Lincolnshire & Northamptonshire
Central
Gerrards Cross BC
Maltmans Lane, Gerrards Cross, SL9 8RS
Click here for the schedule of play
Teams Involved: Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire
East
County Arts BC
8 Plumstead Road, Norwich, NR7 9ND
Click here for the schedule of play
Teams Involved: Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, Norfolk, Suffolk
South-East
Hatfield BC
1 College Lane, Hatfield, Herts, AL10 9PJ
Click here for the schedule of play
Teams Involved: Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Middlesex
South
Chipstead BC
King Edwards Green, Chipstead, Nr. Coulsdon, Surrey, CR5 3SG
Click here for the schedule of play
Teams Involved: Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Surrey, Sussex,
West
Cheltenham BC
Unwin Pavilion, Ashburne Bowling Green, Suffolk Square, Cheltenham, GL50 2DX
Click here for the schedule of play
Teams Involved: Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and winner of prelim between Herefordshire & Wiltshire
South-West
St. Austell BC
Poltair Park, Trevarthian Road, St. Austell, PL25 4BY
Click here for the schedule of play
Teams Involved: Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset,
Sunday May 31
North
Hundens BC,
Hundens Lane, Darlington, DL1 1JF
Click here for the schedule of play
Teams Involved: Durham, Northumberland, Yorkshire and winner of prelim between Lancashire & Cumbria,
Midlands
Wellingborough BC
Hatton Street, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 5AS
Click here for the schedule of play
Teams Involved: Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and the winner of prelim between Nottinghamshire & Leicestershire
Central
Maulden BC
Rear 32, Moor Lane, Maulden, Bedfordshire, MK45 2DJ
Click here for the schedule of play
Teams Involved: Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire
East
Haughley Playing Field BC
King George V Playing Field, Greens Road, Haughley, Stowmarket, IP14 3RA
Click here for the schedule of play
Teams Involved: Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, Norfolk, Suffolk
South-East
Winchmore Hill BC
Radcliffe Road, Winchmore Hill, London, N21 2SD
Click here for the schedule of play
Teams Involved: Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Middlesex
South
Worthing Pavilion BC
Pavilion Road, Worthing, Sussex, BN14 7EQ
Click here for the schedule of play
Teams Involved: Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Surrey, Sussex,
West
Devizes BC
Long Street, Devizes, Wiltshire
Click here for the schedule of play
Teams Involved: Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire and winner of prelim between Worcestershire & Herefordshire
South-West
Dorchester BC
Armada Way, Dorchester, DT1 2TN
Click here for the schedule of play
Teams Involved: Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset,
Get Involved
- Find a match near you: Cheer on your team and experience the energy of county pride in full flow.
- Follow the action: We’ll bring you updates throughout the events on our website and social channels.
- Encourage new faces: Bring a friend to the action and introduce them to the Inter-County Events. Host clubs will be providing refreshments throughout the day.