Bowls round-up: Tom takes the 18-25 Merit title

The Wrockwardine Wood bowler beat one of his friends, then his twin brother Joe and finally last year’s title winner to get his hands on the trophy on a scorching Saturday at Bayston Hill.

Shifnal-based Killen faced Rhys Marshall (Castlefields) in the final and rushed into a 15-6 lead before getting over the finishing line 21-10 in 22 ends.

British Parks Junior champion in 2022 and this year’s North Shropshrie Parks Merit winner, Killen beat his brother 21-19 after 31 ends in the quarter-finals finals and then his Adderley clubmate Ed Proudlove 21-9.

Marshall’s semi-final was a repeat of last year’s final as he took on Harry Parsonage (Burway) and just managed to edge a close encounter from 19 across.

Eight entered the rebranded 18-25 competition in 30c plus temperatures and host club secretary, Sylvia Morris, presented the prizes.

Yorkshire too strong

Youthful expectation was quickly replaced by harsh reality as Shropshire lost out to Yorkshire in the British junior county championship decider.

The under-18 bowlers from the White Rose county were simply too strong for them as they won both 12-a-side legs to finish top of the premier division and make it 14 titles since 2006.

Just four winners at home on Meole Brace’s No.2 green meant Yorkshire won there by 59 shots and, despite a brilliant 21-1 win by captain Luke Norris at Broad Oak BC, near Huddersfield, another 57 chalks were added to that for an overall winning margin of 116.

County officer Mike Potter was quick to congratulate Yorkshire, saying :”Well done to them for retaining the BCGBA Junior County Championship after a dominant performance at both venues.

“Shropshire players can hold their heads up and remember you are a young squad and your experience will benefit from playing the best there is.

“At Meole Brace both teams exhibited excellent sportsmanship for each other in a match played in the manner of mutual respect.”

With a couple of established bowlers unavailable, Jack Lawrence was a 21-9 best at home while Holly Hotchkiss received the Shropshire player-of-the-match award for her 21-15 first four success.

But there’s no time to be too down for the local youngsters as they have the Shropshire Junior Merit at Bicton this coming Sunday (entries on the day, £6, 10am start) to focus on.

Wally Amos Memorial

Losing 21-20 is the first round of the British Veterans Merit finals was hard to take for Burway bowler Paul Williams.

But 11 days on from his agony at Prees, the classy left hander was not to be denied in the £700 Wally Amos Memorial at Newport.

Williams won the one-day competition for over-60s run by John Breeze by beating Kevin Edwards of the host club in the final.

A 21-11 card did the trick after Williams beat another homester in Phil Emery in the semi-finals while the eventual runner-up was defeating Mid Shropshire League Over-60s Merit finalist Ian Edwards.

Sinclair Open qualifiers

Saturday night’s first qualifiers in the Sinclair Open, which boasts a £500 first prize, were British Merit finalist Emmet McKinley, Nick Wyer, Michael Cooper and Andy Morgan.