For those of you wishing to test yourselves beyond our own internal club competitions there’s an array of county and other external competitions you can enter. Some need to be entered by the end of October; others are less pressing,
Middlesex county – entries close around the end of October. The 2026 finals were held 25-26th July at Bounds Green – but the host changes each year. Sunbury is affiliated to Middlesex, and not Surrey, so these are the only full county competitions you can enter. The competitions are managed via a website portal so you can check progress of the draws there. You can also update your own results. The early rounds tend to start early in the season in May so you have to be prepared to hit the ground running and organise players and dates, although there are some byes according to the number if entrants in each competition. Mixed Pairs is an anomaly which runs to later dates. The early rounds are typically played against teams/clubs in the immediate south Middlesex area with quarters/semis played on a specific day. Substitutes are allowed to step in when players are unavailable. The winners of the county finals (and sometimes the semis) qualify for National championships at Leamington Spa which are held over 3 weeks in August.
As a guide, Karen & Eileen were finalists in the Women’s 2-woods Pairs having played 3 rounds on one day (unique to 2-woods competitions) and then a semi-final a week later; there was an array of other Sunbury entrants with some success in early rounds; Alan & Tracy also reached the quarter-finals in the Mixed Pairs having played 3 rounds to get there.
South Middlesex – entries close sometime in May – the 2026 finals day was held on 20th Sept at Ashford, but this rotates around the area’s clubs.The draws tend to be smaller and start later in the season and comprise clubs in the immediate area. Eileen & Tracy qualified for this year’s finals; some others lost in quarters/semis.
North West Surrey – entries close sometime in April – the 2026 finals were held on 30th Aug at Ottershaw, but again this rotates around the clubs. NWS is a standalone entity comprising clubs in the South Middlesex area as well as some northern Surrey clubs. Although it doesn’t provide a gateway to the National Bowls finals, it does attract some bowlers from clubs who regularly qualify for Leamington, namely, Egham (Surrey) and Ashford (Middlesex). There is also a sprinkling of players who play in the NWS Mixed Fours league that some of you may be familiar with playing on Thursday evenings. Alan & Karen won the Mixed Pairs having played 3 rounds at home before a semi-final on a neutral green.
In addition (and adding to the confusion!) Bowls England also run some National Championships directly. These are played within each county to determine area finalists. National Bowls Championships
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The following deals with the main Middlesex county competitions only. The entries have historically been collated by our Club Secretary (Sandy) and submitted to the county by each club. This may change for the 2027 season with an online portal .. more details when known.
Most competitions follow a format of each round having a play by or play on date. The exceptions are the 2-woods Singles and 2-woods Pairs competitions, which are played on a specific day.
All the rounds upto quarter-finals are played at a district level. This comprises some clubs we are familiar to visiting – Ashford, Bishop Duppas, Cambridge Park, Fordbridge Park, Hampton, Masonians, Staines, Stanwell, Strawberry Hill. So no trips around the north circular!
The play by/on dates are much stricter than our own flexible club competitions and the default time to play is generally 6pm unless you mutually agree a different time. The first named player is deemed the challenger and is tasked with contacting their opponent to confirm/arrange the game, with the game taking place at their club. As such they need to arrange a marker if it’s a singles competitions. The quarter and semi finals are generally both played on a specific date, as does the final. Some competitions start before others so if you enter a few different ones and win then then they may start to overlap others. Just be aware when making holiday plans. The person completing an entry form is deemed to be the main contact for any competitions involving more than a single player, eg. Triples. You don’t have to name who else is in the team and you can arrange different players to step in as required.
Results are generally forwarded by the winner via an online portal – all results must be submitted within 24hrs.
Most, but not all, county competitions also qualify as a national entry, so county winners or qualifiers get to play in the National championships at Leamington Spa, which are held over three weeks in August. The 2026 championships were held 12th-30th.
All the dates, draws, player contacts are brought together in a booklet – the Middlesex Bowling Association yearbook. There is now one booklet comprising Men’s and Women’s competitions with mixed entries (eg. Mixed Pairs) compiled under the Men’s section. Most of the information is also available online .. Middlesex Bowls Association joint website