King Callum still reigns in Shropshire - bowls round-up
Callum Wraight, the king of Shropshire bowls, turns 40 this year – but there’s no sign that his reign might be coming to an end.
As most expected, he won the first open finals of the 2026 summer season when he triumphed at Donnington Wood on Saturday night with another commanding display.
The Castlefields giant won the inaugural running of the £2,000 competition with its £600 first prize by racing to a 21-6 victory over Sinclair’s four time County Merit winner Peter Farmer in the final.
Club secretary Tracey Thompson made the presentations and a Donnington Wood spokesperson said: “Callum was always in control, going 7-0 up, then 13-3 and from 15-6 ahead he ran out.
“In the semi-finals he defeated Dan Taylor after going 17-9 up and winning 11, while Pete Farmer fought back from 7-2 down to Pete Grimston to level at 10 across and from 16 across run out.”
Wraight was actually 12-8 down to Will Childs in the last eight but only conceded two more while Taylor beat Andy Armstrong 21-19, Grimston saw off Ayden Smith 21-8 and Farmer converted a 10-0 lead on Cumbrian Dan Edmonds into a 21-14 card.
The title winner's heroics came just 24 hours after he had come through the first qualifying session with three wins in the revamped £6,600 PML Burway Open, a comp he has won numerous times before.
He was joined by Adderley’s Ed Proudlove who had Stuart Rutter and Spencer Clarke among his scalps while former Burway man Wayne Rogers came through over a weekend of four sessions along with Yorkshire father and son, Chris and Josh Mordue, Nathan Baker of neighbours Ludlow Castle, Dan Taylor and John Dewey.
Potteries Panel
Joe Dicken lost money but won vital points as he went solo as the only Shropshire bowler involved in week nine of the £5,000 Potteries Panel.
The Sir John Bayley man won his qualifying group two match at Leek Beggars Lane 26-16 against Adam Jackson.
That took him up to second place in the table and on course to qualify for the last eight for next month’s finals night.
But Dicken, who has kept playing throughout the winter, had not started the evening well as he lost his 25-end £100 cash challenger game against Danny Ferris also 26-16.
Shropshire’s Reece Farr, Callum Wraight, Jordan Millman and Danny Williams all hope to push their claims for finals night slots when the Panel action continues on Thursday.
