Top names for Shropshire's big bowls night

A glittering array of superstars will line up in Shropshire later this year for the county's biggest ever night of bowls.

Eight of the sport's stellar names - including Shrewsbury's Callum Wraight, Graeme Wilson and Gary Ellis - will feature in the newly-launched 'Crown Duels'.

And Telford club St Georges have been selected as one of eight venues across the north and the Midlands to stage an event which will see the star names go head-to-head in a league format.

The event will be streamed live on the internet and is also expected to attract coverage from Sky Sports.

"We are delighted to have been selected as a host venue," said club secretary of the Dragons Ian Gaut, one of the game's progressive thinkers.

"It is costing us a bit of money to put it on, but the big thing is that we will be promoting the sport and the chance to get involved was too good an opportunity to turn down."

The eight players will all feature in a fixture at each of the venues, with the top four at the end of the seven weeks of qualifying going through to finals night.

St Georges' big night will be on Thursday, June 16 - the third qualifying round - while there will also be an opportunity for spectators to play the star names.

"It's an exciting event for bowls and it will run very much on the lines of the Premier League of darts and snooker," said event co-organiser Martin Marks.

Wraight will see the tournament as a chance to cement his place in the higher echelons of the sport after his famous success at the All England Championship in 2009.

By JAMES GARRISON