Junior bowlers out in force in big competitions - bowls round-up
Shropshire’s junior bowlers were out in force at two open competitions at county clubs eager to be part of the boom on the under-18 scene.
Saturday saw 22 battle it out for two titles on Allscott Heath’s artificial green while close to a full house of 32 contested another two next day on the grass at Wem USC.
Four qualifying groups produced a quarter-final line-up in the main knockout at Allscott and it was Jack Cooke of Monkmoor who ended the day as the winner.
“The semi-finals were fantastic, two really close games and a high standard of bowling,” said host club chairman Chris Hayward as he reflected on Cooke’s 21-20 victory over Jack Peach and Salvatore Farruggio’s 21-19 win over Jamie Pritchard.
“Taking advantage of some of his favourite marks on the green in the final, it was Jack Cooke who raced ahead to lead 12-3. Salvatore got a few chalks back, but it was Jack who won it 21-11.”
The Consolation KO ended with homester Connor Starling defeating county under-18 regular Rowan Fuller 21-15.
Watching Shropshire junior team selectors were pleased with what they witnessed at Wem USC as Edgmond’s Ben Cutler triumphed in the main event with a 21-16 victory over hoemster Myles Fisher, the losing semi-finalists being Dan Corbett and Emily Hotchkiss.
Owen Hanmer beat Jack Lawrence 21-11 to take the honours in the consolation KO after the day had been run as a straight knockout.
Coming up
It started with a junior double header and now the Shropshire open bowls competition scene explodes this weekend.
Qualifying in no less than four comps at clubs in the county starts tomorrow and continues in three of them on Sunday.
The odd one out is the £4,000 Adderley Open with its first qualifier tomorrow at 6pm with promoter Jack Hazeldine reporting three of the 16 places still available yesterday, adding: “Hope we can get them filled.”
Qualifiers tomorrow and Sunday come in the £3,040 Edgmond Open (10am and 2pm sessions on both days), the £2,280 Donnington Wood Open (10m and 2pm) and the £1,280 Shifnal Spring Open (6.45pm).
Add in the Bandit Bowls offerings on both days at Meole Brace and it’s clear that local bowlers and many from far and wide will be in action in Shropshire in a 48-hour feast.
Bandit Bowls
It’s this weekend or never for regulars in the Bandit Bowls winter series who are eager to get shares of a big prize purse.
The 22nd and last round of 13-up round robin group sessions is on Sunday at Meole Brace before two weekends of finals action for those that qualify with enough series points starts on March 22.
Promoter Jamie Brookes said: “The points table for the top 16 (to play in a pairs competition) and the top 40 for the main event are near enough sorted, but a few positions could still change in our last round at Meole.”
The scramble for points ensured a 73-strong turnout for round 21 at Greenfields when Wrockwardine Wood duo Josh Cotton and Will Childs topped their tables to move into the top 40.
Only that number are guaranteed to play in the main finals day on March 29, that coming the week after a supplementary comp for those 41 and above in the final series points table while the top 16 play in a pairs knockout.
Certain to play in the main finals are Greenfield winners Callum Wraight – who is still unbeaten – Meurig Davies, Daz Fielding, Graham Rogers, Liam Badwick, Michael Cooper and Chris Elsbury.
