Special presentation on trophy night in North Shropshire - bowls round-up
It wasn’t just the trophy winners who were in the spotlight as North Shropshire’s two evening bowls league celebrated the 2025 season, writes Malcolm Fletcher.
Members of clubs in the Whitchurch and Market Drayton leagues packed Whitchurch Market Hall on Friday night and witnessed a special presentation.
Leah Marshall, secretary of the North Shropshire association that runs both leagues, explained: “The leagues extended a special thank you to Mike Beckett.
"It was for his invaluable support with the websites and for attending competition days to ensure scores are published live.”
Beckett, the man who launched the revolutionary MB Bowling Results website now used by all leagues in the county, received a special gift from Simon Fullard, the County President.
Fullard and Will Ellison of the association’s main sponsors Ellison Wealth Management Ltd made the presentations with Premier-bound Woore being crowned first division champions of both leagues.
“The presentation evening was a fantastic success,” added Marshall. “A total of 176 people attended, representing 25 different clubs, with Whixall having the strongest turnout, with 25 members present to celebrate their achievements.
“Thank you to everyone who braved the storm to attend the event and a huge thank you goes to the committee, whose hard work and dedication made an event of this scale possible.”
Whitchurch divisional champions – one: Woore A; two: Malpas Farmers A; three: Hanmer B; four: Audlem B; five; Shavington B; six: Audlem D.
Drayton divisional champions – one: Woore A; two: Ash A; three: Whixall A; four: Bridgewater C; five: Nantwich Park Road C.
Bandit Bowls
Just two players remain unbeaten after playing in all five rounds of the Bandit Bowls winter series to date.
Last winter’s king Callum Wraight (Castlefields) and Joe Dicken (Sir John Bayley) again topped their round robin groups as Sunday’s action went ahead at Meole Brace.
That was 24 hours after the Shrewsbury club called off the BB one-day competition due to wet weather and promoter Jamie Brookes said: “Even though more rain was forecast, we had a peasant autumn day.
"We had 84 turning up – 56 in the morning session and 28 in the afternoon.”
Wraight’s young son Harry won his first 13-up game in the series, but it’s his father and Dicken who head the winter series points table, with Chirk AAA duo Meurig Davies and Liam Badwick within touching distance.
They also topped their groups along with Brookes, Alan Boulton, Daz Fielding, Craig Baugh, Gareth Ingram, Nick Marshall, Vicki McNally, Robin Bennett and Dean Heighway.
Other group winners at Meole were Nick Jones, Dave Hall, Barry Fairhurst, Graham Rogers, Karl Hill, Carl Jones and Dave Lewis.
“Round six of the winters series is at Wem Sports this coming Sunday,” said Brookes, again stressing that all were welcome to attend, entries costing £7.
Open competitions
There’s yet another new open bowls competition about to burst on to the Shropshire scene early next year.
The Allscott Heath Spring Open will be played as a one-dayer on Sunday, March 22, on the club’s grass green, with 32 places at £20 to play for a £300 first prize.
“Following the success of our autumn open we will be introducing a Spring Open too, also backed by SJ Roberts Homes,” said bowls club chairman Chris Hayward. The news comes as Rob Burroughs, the man promoting the Coors Meole Brace, Shifnal Spring, Edgmond and Donnington Wood opens, reports entries flowing in.
“The Shifnal qualifier on Saturday, March 14, is now full and the other three spaces have around 30 spaces left between them,” he said. “At Edgmond, the last two weekend qualifiers are filling fast and the Donnington Wood Open – which Chelsea Walne will be running – has £1,000 sponsorship so I'm expecting this to fill rather quickly.”
Dates of the finals: Donnington Open on March 21 at 5.30pm; Shifnal Spring Open on March 28 at 5.30pm; Edgmond Open on April 4 at 10.30am; Meole Brace Open on April 5 at 11.30am; Burway Open on April 18 at 2.30pm.
