Shropshire Star

Gary Whitehall the winner from a record turnout

Gary Whitehall was the star of the show as the North Shropshire Parks winter series hit another new high.

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The Adderley stalwart won round two at Prees on Sunday when a sunshine day proved a big hit.

“Well all I can say is wow! On a lovely warm day we had a record breaking 51 entrants – and thanks must go to all of them,” said chuffed series organiser Jamie Brookes.

Whitehall, who had played Friday night bowls for Hanmer in the Premier League before joining Crewe Post Office in the Mid Cheshire League’s premier division this year, beat Matt Beeston (District) 13-7 in the final.

In the semi-finals Whitehall defeated Carl Preece (Elephant & Castle) 13-9 while Beeston accounted for three-in-a-row Winter Series champion Rich Lawson (Bowring) 13-6.

And the increasingly popular closed season series will break new ground early next month by leaving its traditional North Shropshire home.

In recent years it has always taken a break so as not to clash with the monthly District Winter Round Robins in Whitchurch.

But this year, with the agreement of District officials, who have struggled to accommodate big numbers in the past, the series will continue to run on the same days – but at venues well away from Whitchurch.

That means a round at Old Shrewsbury on November 4, following on from round three this coming Sunday at Tilstock.

Quarter-final results from Prees - Gary Whitehall 13-7 Mike Gilpin; Carl Preece 13-7 Ged Ashley; Matt Beeston 13-11 Susie Lawson; Rich Lawson 13-8 Paul Bradley .

Reece Farr, part of the Bowring team that won the Harris Cup, triumphed in the first of the re-launched winter opens at Stoke club Florence.

The young gun beat two homesters on the way to the first prize while Graham Turner of St Georges made the quarter-finals.