Callum Wraight to feature in Shropshire Panel

He will feature in the first ‘Shropshire Panel’ promotion at Donnington Wood from 7pm – with spectators heavily involved.

Castlefields king Wraight will star alongside fellow double County Merit winner Andy Moss, Wrockwardine Wood No.1 Stuart Rutter and Sir John Bayley star Scott Simpson, writes Malcolm Fletcher.

Wraight takes on Moss while Rutter faces Simpson in two 40-end games (41 if tied), with double chalks on offer every five ends and a spectator to go onto the green and place the block on ends five, 15, 25 and 35.

All players will be allowed 15 minutes practice before the start time and Wraight already has an open title success at Donnington on a stunning bowls CV that includes British Senior and Junior Merits and the Champion of Champions.

But the Shrewsbury-based ace had endured something of a lean season until finally crossing the line first in the St Andrews Invitation 16 Classic in Burnley last weekend with a 21-20 victory over local bowler Craig Rammell.

He’d lost to Shropshire team-mate Clay Flattley 21-20 in the final of the Woodley Spring Classic in April and was starting to feel this might just be a year to forget.

But the Burnley boost, followed by a last 16 appearance in the Derek Fletcher Classic in Bury on Sunday alongside Wrockwardine Wood’s Martin Gaut, has got Wraight back in the mood ahead of tonight’s Panel event.

Like Wraight and Gaut, Tom Roden of Sir John Bayley was a first round loser on finals day of the Helsby Classic on the Wirral on Saturday, beaten 21-7 by Nick Shaw.

Tonight is the first of a number of big occasions for Donnington Wood this year with the club’s No.2 green picked to host the Molson Coors Mid Shropshire League’s Senior Merit finals on July 1 (2pm start).

Meanwhile, neighbours Wrockwardine Wood will stage the Mid Shropshire Under-25 Merit on Saturday (6pm) – entries taken on the night before that time – and organiser Phil King may use both greens if he gets over 32 entries, as he did last year.