Bowls round-up: Harry Church follows in his father's footsteps
Like father, like son - Harry Church followed in his dad’s footsteps as he was crowned the Mid Shropshire League’s Senior Merit champion for 2025, writes Malcolm Fletcher.
Three years on from Stuart’s triumph, Sinclair skipper Harry was too hot to handle on Saturday when the qualifiers gathered for finals day on the superb surface at Edgmond.
Church beat Kate Wainwright 21-8 in the final after going 13-3 up, sentencing the Bowring mum to more heartache in the competition after she lost in the 2014 final to her father Richard Suggett at Hadley USC.
But at least this time she picked up a trophy for her efforts in the form of the Potter Cup that now goes to the runner-up.
Wainwright had looked unbeatable in the semi-finals as she raced 12-1 ahead of past winner Paul Beer (Shifnal) in winning 21-13 while Church was beating clubmate Jordon Millman 21-16.
Church will receive the £160 first prize at the bowls league’s annual presentation dinner on Friday, November 14, at The Shropshire, plus a £25 highest break bonus from sponsors Shropshire Verti-Drain & Turf Services.
“Well done to Harry for winning, thank you to our sponsors and to Edgmond for an excellent job on and off the green, and thanks to everyone who entered to make it the biggest entry for a long time.,” said organiser Rob Burroughs.
Quarter-final scores – Wainwright 21 Peter Farmer 15; Beer 21 Peter Spragg 19; Church 21 Sonya Lucas 18; Millman 21 James Blair 20.
Top women missing Merit
Some of the best women bowlers will miss out on Sunday's County Merit run by the Shropshire Ladies association.
Bylet star Cheryl Caswell hopes to defend her crown at Shrewsbury club Battlefield from 10am, but five of her county senior team-mates won’t be in the hunt.
That’s because Sonya Lucas, Alison Cotton, Lisa Wilson, Shavorne Osborne and Jodie Taylor are in a 32-strong top class field for £1,000 Pritchatt Memorial Ladies Classic at Willenhall Nordley.
Also chasing the £300 first prize is Julie Alderman, who has been playing Premier League bowls for St Georges this season, and all proceeds from the day will go to The Mel Evans MBE Foundation.
Juniors' numbers game
The dominant force in the Shropshire junior inter-league bowls championship will be playing the numbers game on Sunday.
Having won the under-18 title the last four times it has been contested, the Molson Coors Mid Shropshire League will field three teams at Old Shrewsbury from 10am.
Thanks to the efforts of selector Brenda Slingo, the Telford-based league’s trio of six-a-side teams will face two from hosts Tanners Shropshire and, hopefully, two from the North Shropshire association.
They will be drawn to play in two round robin groups with the winners contesting the final using both greens later in the day.
Ten o’clock is also the start time for the North Shropshire association’s mixed doubles at Wrenbury and the Oswestry League’s Tote Singles at Llanymynech.
Entries will be taken up until 9.50 at Wrenbury but the book is closed for the Oswestry comp with the £10 fee to be paid on the day and cash prizes presented after the action.
