The Counties of Derbyshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Staffordshire & Shropshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire have agreed to jointly organise two annual Inter-County events. The Midland Counties Challenge Bowl is a teams competition and the Edgar Foster Cups is a pairs events. The rota detailing which County is hosting these events for the next few years is as follows :-

It is the responsibility of the hosting County to organise the events assigned to them and to inform the other Counties of the date and venue of the competition. The dates should be set well in advance and if practical the other Counties should be consulted to agree the most suitable date. Invitations to the other Counties should be issued at least 3 months before the events. It is the responsibilty of the hosting County to ensure that the trophies will be returned. The hosting County should also budget for the engraving of the trophies and will normally ask the winners to arrange for the trophies to be engraved and then submit a receipt.

Forthcoming Dates

The following dates have already been set :-

Midland Counties Bowl - 

Edgar Foster Cups - 

Derbyshire - Jim Parker - jimparker@totalise.co.uk- 07980716894

Gloucestershire - Peter Waggett - peter.waggett@gcba.org.uk 

Herefordshire - Chris Chowney - chris@chowneyflint.net 

Staffordshire & Shropshire - Paul Cutler - paulcutlersscba@yahoo.co.uk 

Warwickshire - Adrian Knight - adriank14@yahoo.co.uk - 0121 4498881

Worcestershire - Eddy Blackburn - blackedd@hotmail.co.uk - 01527 402665

Each County is entitled to enter two teams and the organising County can also invite neighbouring Counties to enter teams. The event should be run as an all-play-all multiple teams competition. The scoring shall be by total IMPs. The prize fund should be approximately 25% of the entry fees, not including catering costs, with the top 2 or 3 teams being awarded a prize. Masterpoints should be awarded using the Regional scale. Recent winners are given below with links to the full results on the hosting County's website.

2024 - Mike Willoughby, Stewart Fishburne, Chris & Joyce Taylor (Worcestershire)

2023 - Keith Collins, Clive Finney, Martin Gill & Paul Slater (Worcestershire)

2022 - George Cuthbertson, Ian Handley, Clive Owen & Mike Leese (Warwickshire)

2021 - Peter Watts, Keith Stait, George Richardson & Paul Smith (Herefordshire)

2020 - Not Held

2019 - Peter Heatherington, Dominic Connolly, Peter Randall & Gordon Clark (Warwickshire)

2018 - Gordon Clark, Peter Oldbury, John & Pauline Rudolf (Warwickshire)

2017 - Chris Chowney, Steve Lawrence, Nigel Edmondson & Paul Smith (Herefordshire)

2016 - Wendy & Joe Angseesing, Ian & Val Constable (Gloucestershire)

2015 - Dennis Loynes, Roger Bowles, Steve Allerston & Nick Forward (Worcestershire)

2014 - Dan Crofts, Ed Levy, Mike Goldsmith & Andrew Thompson (Staffordshire&Shropshire)

2013 - Dan Crofts & Barbara Hackett, Mike Goldsmith & Ed Levy (Staffordshire&Shropshire)

2012 - Robin Adey, Geoff Davies, J Day & Geoff Feltbower Staffordshire&Shropshire)

2011 - Brent Wormald & Peter Oldbury, Leslie Reece & Adrian Knight (Warwickshire)

2010 - Ian Handley & George Cuthbertson, Leslie Reece & Adrian Knight (Warwickshire)

2009 - Dan Crofts & Barbara Hackett, Mike Goldsmith & Justin Hackett (Staffordshire&Shropshire)

2008 - Darren Evetts & Susan Stockdale, Tony Poole & John Robbins (Warwickshire)

Each County is entitled to enter four pairs so that there will be 12 tables. The event should be run as a 2-session all-play-all event. The recommended movement is the one described on pages 115-117 of Manning and consists of two double Howells. There are two cups awarded in this competition, one for the winning pair and one for the best County. The result of the County Competition is determined by summing the places of the best 3 pairs from each County with the winner being the County with the lowest total. In the case of tied pairs each pair is given the average of the places involved (i.e. pairs placed equal 5th are given 5.5 points each). If two Counties are tied the result is determined by the highest placed pair from each of those Counties. The prize fund should be approximately 25% of the entry fees, not including catering costs, with the top 3 or 4 pairs being awarded a prize. Masterpoints should be awarded using the Regional scale. Recent winners are given below with links to the full results if these are available. Note that between 2001 and 2007 the event was only contested by Staffordshire & Shropshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire. Prior to that it was run as an Invitation Pairs event by Warwickshire.

2024 - Pair - Paul Denning & Alastair Catchpole, Team Warwickshire

2023 - Pair - Dave Beavon & Paul Cutler, Team Staffs & Shropshire

2022 - Pair - Chris & Joyce Taylor, Team Worcestershire

2021 - Pair - Paul Smith & George Richardson, Team Derbyshire

2020 - Not Held

2019 - Pair - Denis Gough & Dennis Heighway, Team Warwickshire

2018 - Pair - John Councer & Mark Rogers, Team Gloucestershire

2017 - Pair - Ian & Val Constable , Team - Worcestershire

2016 - Pair - Keith Shuttleworth & Lawrence Haynes , Team - Staffordshire

2015 - Pair - Brian Lawless & Dominic Connolly, Team - Staffordshire

2014 - Pair - Mike Cornes & Annette Lucas, Team - Warwickshireshire

2013 - Pair - Sue Evans & Dennis Loynes, Team - Worcestershire

2012 - Pair - Mary & David Marshall, Team - Derbyshire

2011 - Pair - Chris Smith & Mike Wignall Team - Warwickshire

2010 - Pair - Mike Spencer & Keith Sherwood Team - Derbyshire

2009 - Pair - Val & Ian Constable Team - Warwickshire

2008 - Pair - John Sansom & Richard Jephcott Team - Derbyshire

2007 - Pair - Dick & Jane Rutter Team - Worcestershire

2006 - Pair - Paul Hackett & Peter Jones Team - Staffordshire

2005 - Pair - D Georgevic, I Handley Team - Warwickshire

2004 - Pair - Sue Evans & Dennis Loynes Team - Worcestershire

2003 - Pair - Jean & Jessie Newton Team - Worcestershire

2002 - Pair - G Preece & J Corfield Team - Warwickshire

2001 - Pair C Dean & M Summers-Smith Team - Warwickshire

Earlier winners of Foster Cups