Top two go head-to-head - bowls round-up
The top two in Shropshire’s main winter bowls league are set to go toe-to-toe tonight, writes Malcolm Fletcher.
Leaders Chirk, the only unbeaten side left in the District Invitation league, are scheduled to take on Malpas Sports on the front green at the Whitchurch club.
But a forecast for prolonged heavy rain is a worry for both sides in the countdown to the start of the Christmas break in the four singles-two doubles league on December 19.
Reigning champions Chirk are a staggering 23 points clear at the top after hammering Archibald Worthington 8-2 (118-91 on aggregate) on Thursday with Liam Badwick a 21-9 winner.
That victory came the night before Malpas lost 113-104 to Woore, who had Martin Gaut as 21-10 star, to leave Crewe - who have games in hand and play Elephant & Castle tomorrow - as the side best placed to challenge Chirk.
2026 British Ladies County Championship
A trophy-winning side from this year is among the opponents for Shropshire in the 2026 British Ladies County Championship.
President’s Cup winners Dudley are joined by South Staffordshire and Wales as Shropshire’s rivals in qualifying section one next year, with the winners of the round robin group to go through to the semi-finals in August.
Shropshire’s hopes of three successive championships were ended in this year’s final by a 15-shot defeat against Yorkshire, despite only losing the away leg at Lindley by one shot and the sides finishing with 12 winners apiece.
North Shropshire, who failed to win a group match this year, drop down into the President’s Cup and will try to repeat their 2017 and 2022 triumphs in it by getting the better of Cumbria, North Derbyshire and Greater Manchester.
