Chirk sitting pretty at the top of the tree this Christmas - bowls round-up
If the title race in Shropshire’s main winter bowling league was a boxing match the referee would be poised to step in and stop it, writes Malcolm Fletcher.
Chirk will spend the festive break in fixtures sitting a stunning 25 points clear at the top of the District Invitation league at the Whitchurch club after another big win on Thursday night.
The Welsh border village raiders beat Woore 7-3 (118-102 on aggregate) with Andrew Armstrong and Owen Jackson 21-11 winners in the four singles-two doubles clash on the front green.
It means that, with half of their fixtures played, Chirk are on course to at least match the 142 points total from 18 games last winter as they won the championship for the first time.
Second in the table Crewe have two games in hand – they take on Calverhall in the first game after the break on Monday, January 5 - but they have already lost twice this campaign while runaway Chirk are still unbeaten.
Bradley Winter League
Ifton are one of four teams licking their lips in anticipation of a cracking title race in the Bradley Winter Bowling League over the festive break.
The Miners have gained ground on unbeaten leaders Gladstone in recent weeks in the four singles-two doubles league on the Wrexham club’s artificial green.
And that trend continued before fixtures ended until January 6, the St Martins club beating Winter Warriors 5-1 (120-58 on aggregate) as Clay Flattley and Keith Wall romped in with 21-3 and 21-4 cards respectively.
The result leaves Ifton fourth in the 13-strong table, but within easy catching distance now of Gladstone, Weeble Gang and Tixall above them - and they resume on January 8 by taking on bottom of the table Bersham.
Ludlow League
Two ideas to try and safeguard the future of the Ludlow Bowling League will be discussed at its 2026 AGM.
Secretary Steve Burmingham, who still stand down after 15 years in the post at the annual meeting on March, said the issue of possible changes were raised at the league’s end of season meeting.
“As it stands now, we are hopeful of seven teams competing again in 2026,” he said. “An enquiry was made about the possibility of becoming an eight-a-side league (rather than 10-a-side) which might allow extra teams to enter.
“This will be proposed at the AGM to see if there is any benefit to the league in doing so.
“And a proposal that introducing a doubles game into matches may encourage novice bowlers a bit more and give more players a game is another idea to be raised at the AGM.”
The meeting is on Monday, March 2, at Burway BC (7.30pm) when a successor to Burmingham needs to be elected and a new league sponsor found.
