Bowls round-up: Cooper goes the extra mile for Ladies Merit title
The decision to drive the 30-plus miles from Ludlow to Wellington to play in an historic bowls competition paid a winning dividend for Viv Cooper.
She survived Saturday’s heatwave to win the first Ladies Merit ever run by the Molson Coors Mid Shropshire League, beating fellow county ladies star Cheryl Caswell (Bylet) in the final.
Cooper, who plays for Meole Brace in the league’s Dennis Lewis Thursday night division, was the most consistent of the 14 entries on a tough, quick Sir John Bayley No.1 green.
“Viv was never behind in the final after being 3-2 down - and from 14-13 ahead she went to 19-13 in front,” said organiser Rob Burroughs. “Cheryl got back to 19 across but Viv got back in and scored two singles to win the trophy after more than five hours of play.
“In the semi-finals Viv had beaten Sue Conneely (Horsehay) 21- 11 after going 15-7 up from 7-4 down, while Cheryl defeated Alison Cotton (Shifnal) going 18-9 up from 9-4 down.”
Her success will be report to delegates at Tuesday night's executive meeting of the league back at the Bayley Club (7.30pm).
On the agenda are nominations for life members and details of the revamped presentation dinner at The Shropshire on Friday, November 14.
British Veterans Merit
Two proven over-60 title winners will fly the flag for Shropshire in the county at finals day of the British Veterans Merit on Wednesday.
Paul Williams (Burway) and Shifnal’s Paul Beer head to Prees to try and follow in the footsteps of Keith Pessall in 2021 and lift the Jack & Jean Isherwood Trophy.
The duo came through the county qualifier at Childs Ercall in May when 17 bowlers contested the two tickets to the British finals.
Beer beat past finalist Nick Davies (Meole Brace) 21-8 to get through while the left handed Williams had to battle had to edge out Woore’s Cedric Bancroft 21-20.
KGJ Insurance Shropshire Cup
Two narrow wins and a pair of comfortable successes were the order of the night in the quarter-finals of the KGJ Insurance Shropshire Cup.
The bowlers of Woore and Castlefields both had nine shots to spare in beating Prince of Wales Hotel and Hodnet respectively while Newport and Sinclair overpowered Wrockwardine Wood and Battlefield.
It was five winners apiece in Woore’s win on Bowring’s No.1 green but Gary Beff’s 21-3 card tipped the balance, while Hodnet only had three winners at Broseley put pushed the Fields all the way.
Alan Davidson (21-7) was the best of Newport’s three single-figure winners at Albrighton, a stat repeated by Sinclair on the small green at Bridgewater as Battlefield went down fighting.
