Mission accomplished for Swale bowler Paul Barnicott
Published: 09:00, 07 August 2017
Record-breaking Paul Barnicott has completed an incredible full set of county honours.
The Milton Regis Bowls Club player won the pairs with Lewis King to add to his singles, triples, fours and two-wood singles titles.
Milton also enjoyed two-wood singles success with Nick Bowden, who won the under-25 singles with Andrew Rodger, the triples with Lee Shoobridge, Josh Pounds and Perry Martin and the fours with Barnicott, King, Shoobridge and Sean Coyle.
The 53-year-old Barnicott recently clocked up 150 consecutive appearances for Kent in the Middleton Cup – the county championship of bowls – and said: “I don’t believe anybody else has done that before.
“It’s amazing, playing three to six games on Saturdays for 32 years. It’s quite a commitment and I’m proud. You don’t get paid for it but it keeps me off the streets!”
Barnicott took up the sport in 1980 and first played for Kent in 1985. He also represented England in the home international series in 2004, 2006 and 2007.
Chairman of Swale Indoor Bowls Club, he also plays outdoors for Milton Regis.
He said: “It takes up most of my time. I’ve made a lot of friends out of it and we have a lot of social activities at the bowls clubs.
“My main ambition was to win the five main county competitions. I finally won the pairs on Sunday so I’ve won them all now. I’m only the second person to do it.”
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Steve Tervet