Bowls round-up: Lilleshall take the plunge in national competition
Shropshire’s top flat green bowls club have taken the plunge and entered a prestigious team knockout – and they are doing swimmingly.
Lilleshall Hall are competing in the Vernon Turner competition run by Worcestershire Bowling Association and have won three ties to surge into the semi-finals later this month.
“After many years the club decided to enter what is a knockout competition for men, teams consisting of four rinks, -16 players in all - and several of our team were playing in their first county game,” said club spokeswoman Liz Caird. “The first match was against a team from Inkberrow and Lilleshall won this easily, 119 shots to 38 with our top rink being Clive Kimberley, Clive Walmsley, Mike Harper and Dave Averley, followed by a win against Barbourne 70-48.
“Next was a match against St Dunstan's at Gilt Edge and it was very tight, finishing all square.
“A draw decided who would play the extra end and it was Rod Payne's rink who were chosen.
“Shot down with his last bowl in hand, Rod found a brilliant ‘skip's bowl’ to draw the shot, resulting in a single shot win for Lilleshall and earning them a semi-final match against Vines Park at Stourport on July 20.”
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Calls for improved standards were made at the Molson Coors Mid Shropshire Bowling League’s July executive meeting.
Chairman Sean Round made an impassioned plea for better behaviour at matches to delegates after reports received of bad language and behaviour and fixture issues which had overshadowed what had been a good start to the season with fine weather and lots of successes.
“Bowlers, clubs and the League have a duty of care to everyone,” said Round – and his sentiments were echoed by general secretary Malcolm Fletcher.
“The officers have been plagued by behaviour issues and fixture gripes on an almost weekly basis,” he said. “We are human and we make mistakes, but there is a right and proper way to bring matters to the attention of the league so that we can try and deal with them - and that is via club secretaries.”
Meanwhile, the Monday Merit qualifiers played the evening before the meeting saw reigning champion Mick Jones (Newport) beaten by Dagan Jaggs (Donnington Wood) at Stockton.
But Bowring’s past runner-up Steve Hendy got through at Broseley to take his place in the last 16 for finals night on Saturday, July 19, at Albrighton (5.30pm start).
