Fantastic fortnight for Delves - bowls round-up
It’s been a couple of weeks to cherish for Molson Coors Mid Shropshire League bowler Ben Delves, writes Malcolm Fletcher.
He won to help Sir John Bayley C to a first success in the Ashton Shield and now he’s landed an historic league title – at the same time as his Junior club mate Harry Grimston was starring.
Delves became the first winner of the new Handicap competition held at Bowring on Saturday, the fourth division man beating Craig Christie of fifth division Donnington Wood 21-15 in the final after being 9-5 down.
Both claimed first division scalps in the semi-finals, Delves beating Peter Spragg of Sinclair 21-15 from 14-10 down as Christie ended the hopes of Trench star Peter Millington after 19 took part.
The consolation knockout was won by Billy Walmsley of Prince of Wales Hotel.
Young Grimston came out on top of 14 entries in the Junior Handicap with a fine 21-13 victory over the under-15 and under-18 Merits winner Logan Church (Sinclair).
That was his reward after winning a 21-20 thriller with Bayley’s Harris Needham in the semi-finals when Church overcame Jack Cooke.
New British Boys Merit champion Dan Corbett won the consolation knockout after the day had started with round robin groups.
Autumn Waterloo
He cleared the first day hurdle but then Shropshire star Rich Goddard came up short in the finals of the Autumn Waterloo at Fleetwood.
The Castlefields bowler eased through the last 64 round to make Sunday’s line-up before losing in the last 16 to 21-16 to Matt Hill as Lee Johnstone went on to take the title.
Clubmate and county No.1 Callum Wraight went a bit further to make the quarter-finals of the one-day Tarleton 64 near Preston before bowing out 21-13 to Chris Kelly with Wayne Ditchfield triumphing.
Malpas Senior knockouts
The two Shropshire bowling clubs in the finals of the Malpas Senior Citizens League’s team knockouts drew a blank.
Chester Road went down by 42 shots in their four doubles clash with Cunliffe in the Cliff & Mary Knockout climax.
Whitchurch rivals District B were also second best against Gate Hangs High B by 14 chalks, despite Gill Berry and Dave Downward winning 21-13.
