Bowls round-up: Ladies on the brink of an historic three-peat
Super Shropshire Ladies are closing in on a slice of British crown green bowls history, writes Malcolm Fletcher.
They are through to another final of the British Ladies Senior County Championship and victory over Yorkshire next month would mean they become only the second team to win the crown three years in a row.
A stunning 84-shot victory over semi-final rivals South Yorkshire on Sunday gives them the perfect chance to emulate the feat of Warwickshire’s all-conquering side of 2009 to 2011.
Shropshire made a superb start to the away leg at Mosborough Miners Welfare in Sheffield and were 33 chalks up after eight blocks, thanks to great wins by Louise Cotton (21-6) and Camilla Parsonage (21-7), before the hosts came on strong at the back to finish level on 209 apiece.
So it was the home 12 at Hanwood who did the damage this time with a clean sweep of the first four and then a last four surge featuring a 21-7 card by Cheryl Caswell and 21-11s from Jackie Rutter and homester Emily Cunningham to rack up the 84 margin with just one loser.
“What a fantastic win for Shropshire Ladies by 84 chalks against a tough South Yorkshire team,” said county spokeswoman Pauline Wilson. “It's great to see the 24 individual lady bowlers coming together for a superb team performance for Shropshire.
“Such a great team spirit which has given us the opportunity to make history - onwards we go!”
It will be Shropshire’s fourth final in succession, with Yorkshire the last side to beat them in one – and decisively by 76 chalks in 2022.
But since then the county ladies have defeated Yorkshire in the 2023 semi-finals and then again in the group stages the following year.
Mid Shropshire semi-finals
Newport’s bowlers are gunning for a fourth successive triumph in the Molson Coors Mid Shropshire League’s main team knockout for Monday division sides.
Having won the Ashton Cup for the last three years, Newport take on Hadley USC B in Wednesday night's semi-finals with a 16-shot handicap to overcome.
The other five home-five away last four tie is Much Wenlock B – runners-up in the Ashton Shield for the last two years – against Wrockwardine Wood C.
It’s also semi-finals time in the consolation knockout for the Ashton Shield with Sinclair C versus Horsehay B and Donnington Wood D against Sir John Bayley C.
Wednesday night is also the start of the Whitchurch League’s Shropshire Star and President’s Cup knockouts with preliminary round ties at neutral venues, while Thursday afternoon sees the quarter-finals of the Charity Shield and Consolation for PMC Mid Shropshire Senior Citizens League teams, starting at 1.30pm.
