Bowls round-up: Big Bowls Weekend a success for Bridgnorth
Big Bowls Weekend has been declared a big success by one of the 14 Shropshire affiliated clubs that took part, writes Malcolm Fletcher.
The green at Bridgnorth was bursting with people of all ages eager to try the sport at the club’s open session on Sunday.
“There was a great response to our Big Bowls Weekend event - we nearly ran out of sets of bowls!” said a Bridgnorth spokesperson.
“Hopefully we'll see people again at the follow-up session on Sunday, June 8, at 6pm."
A spokesman for the nationwide recruitment campaign added: “The overwhelming consensus has been positive and that clubs have attracted new people to try the sport and gained new club members in the process.
“Now it’s time to arrange follow up sessions with the people that attended - make them welcome at clubs, keep their interest in the sport and, most importantly, make sure they keep having fun.”
Other Shropshire clubs that participated were Allscott Heath, Baschurch, Bicton, Wrockwardine Wood, Broseley, Cleobury Mortimer, Hanmer, Meole Brace, Bylet, Chester Road, Madeley Cricket Club BC, Wem Albion and Bayston Hill.
Shropshire Cup
Holders Hadley USC grabbed their first win of the season to start their defence of the KGJ Insurance Shropshire Cup.
Already bottom of Mid Shropshire Division One, Hadley surprised Allscott Heath with a 10-shot win in their preliminary round tie at Sinclair with John Lumsden and Kath Lycett their 21-10 stars.
Sinclair won the battle of last year’s Mid Shropshire top two by 34 against Shifnal on Broseley, where Simon Madeley won 21-4, and Trench survived a scare against third division Charlton as they drew the aggregate at Maddocks, but won on best winner rule thanks to Paul Palin’s 21-9 card.
Newport earned the biggest win of the night in the 10-a-side knockout against Greenfields by 125 at AWC while Chester Road beat Horsehay by 42 on Monkmoor, long-serving Roader Paul Fowles a 21-10 winner.
British Super Cup
Two more top Shropshire bowls clubs have made the last 32 of the British Super Cup.
Premier League arch rivals Castlefields and Sir John Bayley both swept through their preliminary round ties in the four home-four away 31-up knockout for the Arthur Land Trophy.
Fields beat Oswestry League big guns Llangollen home and away by 28 shots overall with county man Ash Wellings their 31-7 hero on the green beside the canal in the Welsh town.
The Bayley won by 60 against Phoenix Foxes with Ayden Smith their 31-10 star in Nuneaton as the top duo join Wrockwardine Wood, Sinclair, Meole Brace, Chirk AAA and Adderley in the round of 32 to be completed by July 13.
But Wem USC missed out as they ended up losing by 39 to West Brom FSC after gong down in the away leg by 58 chalks.
