Bowls round-up: Wraight finally achieves the 'Holy Grail' in bowls
The CV is complete for the king of Shropshire bowls, Callum Wraight, writes Malcolm Fletcher.
He secured the one major title that had eluded him, the Isle of Man June Festival crown, when a week packed with wins reached its climax on Friday in Douglas.
The 38-year-old star won the main men’s trophy and the £3,200 prize that goes with it when he beat Manx man Matthew Quick 21-13 in the final at Nobles Park.
“Despite having won the Isle of Man September Festival in 2021, the June title was the one Callum really wanted – finally achieving the Holy Grail in crown green bowls in having now secured all the top titles to be won in the game on his CV,” said a Festival spokesman.
Some good early strikes helped the Castlefields star lead 14-9 in the crunch clash and, at 18-13 up, another strike saw one of Quirk’s bowls smash, leading to a short break in play as the Onchan man sought a replacement pair of the same make and weight, as allowed per the rules.
Wraight reached the final with a comfortable 21-11 win over previous Festival winner Phil Lee (St Mary’s), having had a dream start to the day with a 21-6 win over James Fitzpatrick (West Kirby Vics) while Lee was accounting for his quarter-final opponent, Martin Gaut (St Georges) 21-14.
The Visit.Com Flyer title also went to Wraight as he made light work of Dave McCabe (Douglas) 9-1, but he lost in the semi-finals of the Men’s Tourism to eventual winner Chris Kelly (Thongsbridge).
The Ladies Tourism final on Nobles 2 green saw the all-conquering Jenny Moore score a nail-biting 21-20 victory over Louise Cotton (Wrockwardine Wood) with a front toucher at the last end.
But another Shropshire Ladies star was a Festival winner as Sarah Weaver (Wem USC) beat Jessica Pickthall (Lindal BC) 21-10 in the Ladies Consolation final.
Wraight had won the Ellesmere Open en route to the Festival and, back on the mainland, he went a qualified for the finals of the Wigan Subs Classic with two 31-up wins on Saturday night.
Shropshire Cup quarter-finals
Late changes to venues hasn’t diminished the appetite for success of the clubs left in Wednesday night’s Shropshire Cup quarter-finals.
One of the ties to have been moved is the tasty clash between Woore, the favourites to win the 10-a-side knockout sponsored by KGJ Insurance, and Shrewsbury giants Prince of Wales Hotel.
It will go ahead on Bowring’s No.1 green at 7pm, a county bowling association spokesman admitting: “Due to green clashes, three of the four venues in the quarter-finals have changed.”
Mid Shropshire League leaders Sinclair take on Battlefield on Bridgewater’s small green, local rivals Newport and Wrockwardine Wood do battle at Albrighton and 2023 winners Castlefields tackle Hodnet at Broseley.
Meanwhile, a new ‘draw for partners mixed pairs’ run for Market Drayton Senior Citizens League players is taking place at Tilstock today, this venue also having been changed from Adderley at the last minute.
New competition at St Georges
St Georges will host the new two-man team competition being run by bowls promoter supreme Rob Burroughs at the weekend.
Both greens at the Premier League club will be used on Saturday from 5.30pm after the comp was cut to a one-dayer, thus forcing a change of venue.
“St Georges have kindly stepped in to host it and the semi-finals and final will be on the bottom green, with the first two rounds spread across both,” said Burroughs. “There are currently 15 entered and if I can get 16 then there will be £640 in entries at £40 each, with the winners to get £280 and the runners-up £160.
Just down the road at Shifnal, the qualifiers from the third night of the new Beryl Taylor Memorial were big guns Stuart Rutter (Sir John Bayley), Pete Farmer (Sinclair) Sam Millward (Wrockwardine Wood) and Warwick & Worcester’s Elliot McGuinness.
Oswestry League - Jubilee Pairs
It’s been a tough season so far for Llanymyench in division one of the Oswestry Bowling League.
But two of their bowlers, Gareth Davies and Mark Kirkham, shrugged off the prospect of relegation to win the league’s latest competition, the Jubilee Pairs at Bersham.
The duo beat Andrew Jones & Gary Wilkie of top flight rivals Criftins 21-19 in Sunday’s final, having ousted last year’s title winners Clive Little & Ian Blundell, 21-15 in the semi-finals.
Jones & Wilkie edged past Joan Jones & Dave Lewis 21-20 at the same stage on a day when 11 pairs took part.
Fellow Oswestry League man, Megis Phillips of leaders Ceiriog Valley, won the one-day Glyn Evans Memorial on the same day at The Rhyn BC.
