Big freeze hits fixtures across the county - bowls round-up
Just two fixtures survived the snow and ice in Shropshire’s three winter bowls leagues, writes Malcolm Fletcher.
No play was possible in the star-studded District Invitation League at the Whitchurch club last week and the opening five matches in part two of the Sir John Bayley League in Telford were put back to March.
The two matches that did go ahead were in the Allscott Heath League on Wednesday, but even the village club’s artificial green succumbed to the conditions on all other scheduled nights.
“After a challenging first week to the year with a number of fixture postponements, we are confident that our green is now game ready,” said Allscott bowls club chairman Chris Hayward.
The disruption means that two of the teams trying to get back on track in the four singles league – Donnington Wood and Horsehay – have games tonight and tomorrow at 7pm.
Meanwhile, in Whitchurch, runaway leaders Chirk are due to resume their title defence on Thursday against bottom of the table Calverhall.
Bandit Bowls
All the wheels finally came off the Bandit Bowls bandwagon at the weekend.
Even after a winter that has seen number of one-day competitions called off due to the weather, the Sunday winter series of 13-up round robin matches had continued uninterrupted - until now.
Both the one-dayer planned for Joules BC in Market Drayton on Saturday and the winter series at Meole Brace were a no-go after the heavy snow on Thursday was followed by a big freeze.
“Understandably but unfortunately Joules and Meole were unplayable,” said BB chief Jamie Brookes, a late switch to the artificial green at Allscott Heath also being a non-starter.
“But we are back to it this coming weekend with Saturday’s venue to be confirmed and the winter series on Sunday at Greenfields in Shrewsbury.”
Newport BC’s AGM on Friday was called off due to the bad weather, which also wrecked Joe Dicken’s hopes of a second appearance in a winter sweep at Spen Victoria in Yorkshire on Saturday.
Rule changes discussed
Potential changes that would impact Shropshire’s men’s and women’s teams in their respective British County Bowls Championships will be dissected tonight.
The rule change proposals would limit the men to 15 minutes practice ahead of away matches - instead of 30 - while the women would be prevented from using the same green more than once per season for home legs.
County executive delegates will discuss the proposals at their meeting tonight at Wellington's Bayley Club and then decide how to vote on them when they come up for approval at the BCGBA’s rules revision meeting on Saturday.
County treasurer Marie Scott will report on a virtually break even 2025 season for the association as well as reflecting on 284 new player registrations in her role as Shropshire registrar, while the finance committee will confirm £3,600 was paid out in grants to affiliated clubs last year.
This year’s competition and meeting dates will be finalised tonight along with the motions to go before the county AGM on February 7.
