Dan aims to be county Pride
One of Shropshire's junior 'old hands' is really in the mood for the county's Drakes Pride county championship final on Sunday. Dan Hand has a vital role to play in the home leg of Shropshire's national showdown with Warwick & Worcester on the top green at the Sir John Bayley Club.
And Hand is eager to mark his last year in the under-18 ranks by making up for last year's final disappointment against Yorkshire - on the same Bayley green - by being part of a national championship-winning side.
With that in mind he looks on top form after a real winner of a weekend, first helping Con Club win the SPS Whitchurch League's Jubilee Doubles Cup on Saturday night and then landing one of the Market Drayton League's major individual honour the next day.
The Drayton-based youngster won the league's Men's Merit by beating Barry Hughes (Wrenbury) 21-9 in the final at Nantwich Park Road, joining a list of winners that includes such big names as Andy Moss, Paul Smith, Rod Manley and Fred Bailey.
His presence at Nantwich ruled Hand out of the Shropshire junior home team's practice with a strong Bayley line-up.
And he was not the only one to miss out, the qualifying session for the Peter Ashton Youth Floodlit at Bylet on Sunday night ruling out plenty of others.
The major surprise there was the defeat of Battlefield's all-conquering Michael Beer by Matthew Rhodes of St Georges.
Other qualifiers with Rhodes for the September 24th finals, at Bylet, were:
Liam and Ryan Stevens, Martin Gaut (all Wrockwardine Wood), Robert Roden (Bowring), Michael Wainwright (Maddocks), Ben Talbot (Hanwood) and Adrian Smith (Hadley USC).
Back at the Market Drayton League's finals day, Hand - who also plays for Newport in the Premier League on Fridays- was not the only Con Club bowler to triumph.
For J & D Seywell won the Mixed Doubles by beating B Fisher (Chester Rd) & A George (Bridgewater) 21-18 in the final.
But June Edwards of Con Club missed out on winning the Ladies Merit won a third year when beaten 21-15 by results secretary Wendy Icke of Adderley in the final.
Other final scores:
Juniors (round robin): J Edwards (Wem BC) 42pts, A Hassell (Adderley 41.
John Barber Cup (over-60s): A George (Bridgewater) 21, J Walley (Audlem) 18.
Ladies Doubles: G Edge & J Hand (Malpas) walked over.
Men's Doubles: R Frayne & D Roberts (Victoria) 21, B Glover & J Stanley (Cheswardine) 8.
By Malcolm Fletcher
