Shropshire bowlers could miss British championship
Shropshire's top bowls team is in danger of being pulled out of the British Championship – as there is nobody willing to pick it.
There was total silence when county chairman Barry Jennings asked for nominations for selectors of the senior team at the association's AGM last night at Shrewsbury's Reman Club.
The lack of volunteers followed an earlier vote of 53-11 in favour of making a new deadline of December 31 for nominations for the four selectors to serve with the County President in future, and making current senior county players ineligible for the posts.
That effectively means that whoever picks this year's team will only serve for one year before the 2014 nominations have to be in under the new rule – but there were still no takers for the positions.
Former county secretary Ian Gaut proposed that, given the circumstances, the county should now advertise for four senior selectors on an interim basis – with current senior players still allowed to serve – and the motion was carried.
Only Mick Jones of the Gang of Four selectors who delivered the Crosfield Cup as Shropshire became British champions in 2009 may be willing to carry on.
But current players Derek Wright and Colin Beaman have ruled themselves out of the reckoning for 2012, annoyed by a vote that makes it appear that delegates don't feel players are now fit to be senior selectors – even though they have done the job in the past.
Jennings stressed: "If we can't get selectors by the next County Executive meeting we will have to pull out."
