Shropshire Star

Callum Wraight kicks off Shropshire challenge

Shropshire No.1 Callum Wraight will be a fitting first on the green as he tries to win the British Senior Merit for a second time on Saturday in Nuneaton.

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The Castlefields king, winner of the crown in 2009, opens proceedings at Griff & Coton Sports Club at 10am, leading the way for a top class field of 64.

Wraight heads a four-strong Shropshire challenge, having won the County Merit for the third time at Pontesbury in June, and starts with a first round tie against Adam Kirby of Warwick & Worcester. It’s a repeat of last year’s Midland Masters final which Wraight won during a season that also saw him come out on top in the Fleetwood Festival, a tournament which is running this week.

Glyn Herbert, like Wraight a member of the Castlefields team that is powering towards the Shropshire Premier League title, is at the bottom of the draw and faces last year’s Meole Brace Open winner Matt Gillies of Greater Manchester for starters.

Runner-up at Ponesbury, Peter Bound, faces a familiar rival as he takes on Hanmer’s Robin Bennett, while his Meole Brace team-mate Colin Beaman plays Cumbria Merit winner Liam Baxter in round one.

All four will be trying to go one better than Andy Moss of Chester Road who lost in the final for a second time last year against Matt Gilmore at Llay RBL.

Saturday’s field also includes Premier League regular Scott Simpson (SJ Bayley) and Keiron Roberts (Ifton), winners of the Staffordshire and Welsh Merits respectively.