Merit wait is over for Minton
It’s been success most of the way for Pat Minton since reaching the Shropshire veterans stage.
But one title he craved, the Peter Morris Cars Mid Shropshire Senior Citizens League’s Merit had eluded him – until now.
The 72-year-old Sir John Bayley bowler finally got his hands on the trophy when he triumphed earlier this month on finals day at Hadley USC.
It was, however, a bitter-sweet moment for Minton as he had to beat team-mate John Nash 21-18 in the final before receiving the prize from league president Ken Tonkiss.
Minton raced through his semi-final, beating Bylet’s Tony Steadman – a double winner of the title and Shropshire Veterans Merit champion in 2017 – 21-7 while Nash was defeating Bob Parry of Highley 21-19.
Winner of the division one averages in 2013, Minton is a key member of the Bayley team that has won the PMC-backed league for seven years in a row, adding other team titles on the way, including the Shropshire Senior Citizens Cup last year.
