Cumbria’s bowling champions are heading down to Royal Leamington Spa for the Bowls England Aviva National Finals.

Starting on Thursday, August 15, there will be eighteen days of competition as county champions from across England battle to be crowned national champions.

Some of the matches will be available to watch via the Bowls England live stream that returns after 2023 gave Cumbrians a chance to watch the counties champions in action.

The live stream can be found here

Taking part in the opening days Women’s Fours competition Workington’s quartet of Rachel Forster, Carole Bannister, Tina Smitham and Victoria Cook beat Northumberland’s Benfield four of Pat Browne, Rosey Bartram, Rachel Cartwright and Kayleigh Proctor 9-22 for a place in the first round.

The quartet then won a close game against Berkshire 25-24 to set up a second round match with Somerset.

Aspatria’s Mark Irwin has started his singles campaign on Friday 16, with a 14-21 win against Chris Cieciura from Pelhams, Hampshire before facing the Isle of Wight in the next round.

He could then face either of Warwickshire or Devon, in the third game of the day.

The Women’s Triples start on Saturday 17, with Carlisle’s Courtfield trio of Jo Dawson, Anne Coulthard and Gill Dawes playing Sue Davies , Debbie Seward and Amy Walters of Broadway, Worcestershire.

Workington’s Steven Cook and Matthew Hodgson begin the Men’s Pairs on Sunday 18, against Alistair Hansen and Mike Owen of East Leake, Nottinghamshire before possibly playing Lincolnshire or Yorkshire.

Aspatria’s Harry Creighton gets his Junior Singles underway on Monday 19 against Charlie Beeton from Felixstowe and Suffolk, Suffolk while club mate David Wilson faces Cauly Swift of Northampton Express, Northamptonshire.

Tina Smitham also takes part in a singles competition as the Women’s Senior Singles starts with Workington player taking on Janice Brooks of Barton Le Clay, Bedfordshire.

Workington’s Malcolm Smitham and Croft’s Huw Crosby team up for the Men’s Senior Pairs on Tuesday 20 as they face Herefordshire’s Marcus Smith and Neil Smith.

The Women’s Senior Pairs starts on Wednesday 21 with Appleby’s Lesley Metcalfe and Aspatria’s Ann Creighton teaming up for Cumbria as they face Helen Simmonds and Sue Davies from Broadway, Worcestershire.

Wigton’s Molly Haney also begins her National Finals campaign in the Junior Singles on Wednesday 21 with an opening game against Jodie Gosling of Newmarket Avenue, Cambridgeshire with the winner playing Surrey or Hertfordshire.

Workington’s Victoria Cook faces Jamie-Lea Marshall of Kingscroft, Leicestershire on Friday 23 in the Women’s Singles with the winner facing either Yorkshire or Hertfordshire on the same day.

Victoria Cook is then joined by Rachel Forster for the Women’s Pairs on Saturday 24 where the duo play Margaret Watts and Karen Collins of Desborough Town, Northamptonshire.

Chelsie Browbank and Molly Haney join the Women’s Pairs on Sunday 25 when they face Val Heathcote and Jacky Howes of Frampton-On-Severn, Gloucestershire.

Mark Irwin is back in action in the Men’s Fours with Stuart Irwin, Peter Irving and Kevin Harrison on Sunday 25, when they play Durham’ Darlington Railway Athletic’s John Hills, John Lynch, Glenn Skipp and Colin Boston.

Also playing on Sunday 25 Workington’s Rachel Forster, Victoria Cook, Steven Cook and James Park get started in the Mixed Fours as they take on Hertfordshire’s Jenny Thompson, Julie Homer, Steve Kilford and Ian Snowdon.

The Women’s Senior Fours starts on Tuesday 27 with Wigton’s Angela Hayton, Anne Dalziel, Penny Peile and Jeanette Bell playing Oxfordshire’s Oxford City and County quartet of Sue Mayo, Sandy Nash, Rosemary Phelps and Jeanette Berry.

Also on Tuesday 27 the Men’s Senior Fours starts with Carlisle Subscription’s David Lee, Lawrence Kelly, Tom Prescott and John Baird play Dave Houghton, Steve Keenan, Mark Yelland and Jerry Rumball from Garston, Hertfordshire.

Cumbria’s Men’s Junior Pairs enter the competition on Wednesday 28 with Wigton’s Callum Hodgson and Whitehaven’s Ryan Corkill face Cornwall’s Ryan Drew and Daniel Sturtridge with Wiltshire or Cambridgeshire.

In the final days of the National Finals the Women’s Two Wood Singles start on Thursday 29 with Workington’s Tina Smitham playing Rebecca Wigfield of Desborough Town, Northamptonshire with the winner facing Devon or Sussex.

Before a possible second round tie against Cornwall, Worcestershire, Essex or Lancashire.

While Workington’s Noreen Fleet faces Eileen Pickering from West Wickham, Kent with Oxfordshire or Norfolk waiting and then any of Middlesex, Essex, Surrey or Derbyshire waiting the winners.

The Men’s Two Wood Singles also begins on Thursday 29 with Aspatria’s Kevin Harrison playing Welford-On-Avon, Warwickshire’ Andy Prickett with the winner then facing either Oxfordshire or Leicestershire with Bedfordshire, Essex, Surrey or Yorkshire waiting for the victors.

Some of the games can be seen on the Bowls England live stream with matches able to be rewatched as well.

The live stream can be found here