North Norfolk bowls players were among the sportsmen celebrating at the Hansells Solicitors and Financial Advisers Norfolk EBA dinner. Clubs from across the county gathered at the Ramada Jarvis Hotel in Norwich to honour this season's heroes.

North Norfolk bowls players were among the sportsmen celebrating at the Hansells Solicitors and Financial Advisers Norfolk EBA dinner.

Clubs from across the county gathered at the Ramada Jarvis Hotel in Norwich to honour this season's heroes. There were successes for Cawston, North Walsham and Cromer Marrams clubs.

The Cawston team were winners of Zone North 1, while Nigel Coverdale, Danny Page and Steven Ellis were runners up in the triples championship (Arthur Bush Cup). They were also runners-up in the W.P.Baker Cup.

North Walsham's A side won the club championship (Bales Cup), while their B team colleagues won the Hansells Solicitors League Cup. Robert Bunting was runner-up in the singles championship and the B team won Zone North 2.

Cromer Marrams were winners of the Mixed Fours Championship (A Jermy Cup).

The night's trophies were presented by Bowls England president Cliff Waterman, Eastern Counties Bowls Association president Chris Leake, Norfolk EBA president Malcolm Nicholson and Hansells Hugh Lansdell, Jean Vincent and Lisa Cornish. Again there was superb silverware to admire, with the senior Norfolk team winning the runners-up trophy in the sport's most prestigious domestic competition in England, the Middleton Cup, while the U30 Eastern Counties League for the second year running.

Apart from the Middleton Cup team, beaten by Devon in a close-run final, Norfolk's top two fours team reached Worthing before bowing out of the semi-finals to Derbyshire's representatives.

“Once again Norfolk's bowls players have been a credit to the county, enhancing the reputation of our sporting community far and wide,” said Hansells Hugh Lansdell.

The county bowls association was equally delighted by the success of the partnership with Hansells. “We as an executive are absolutely thrilled with the level of support that Hansells give the Norfolk EBA,” said county secretary Peter Bird.

President Malcolm Nicholson, from Stalham, agreed. “The money Hansells puts in makes the sport affordable to many more people. I know there are a lot of players who represent our county who would struggle to meet their share of the costs without that backing,” he said.

“The publicity Hansells succeed in bringing to the game is also invaluable.”

While congratulating players for what they had achieved on the greens of Norfolk, Mr Nicholson had a special word of praise for what he called the “real heroes.”

“Quite simply, without the efforts put in by volunteers at grass-roots level - the club secretaries, the greenkeepers, the tea ladies and many others, the sport of bowls wouldn't exist as we know it today. And at the county level there are many people working behind the scenes, all on a completely voluntary basis - they work for nothing other than their love of the game and I salute them all.”

On a personal level, he was thoroughly enjoying his year in office. During the evening Mr Nicholson presented a cheque for £6,673 to Sharon Hulbert, who was representing his chosen charity of the year, Big C.