Callum Wraight is right back in winning groove at Open

Wraight, who has so far only played fixtures on the Panel – one-off matches among some of the nation's top bowlers – since lockdown restrictions were eased, showed he has not lost his touch in competition settings by winning in Derbyshire.

His success at the Open competition came after coming through two qualifying fixtures and four rounds, including the final, on finals day.

Castlefields king Wraight, who was in the form of his life last year, winning 16 tournaments to end 2019 ranked No.1 in Britain, breezed through qualifying, beating Derbyshire bowlers Jeff Tatem and Ryan Worthington to four and five, respectively.

Shrewsbury-based Wraight returned to Littleover four days later and was pitted against was of Derby's elite bowlers, Paul Stretton, in the round of 16, in a repeat of a Meole Brace semi-final held around a decade ago.

And that contest proved to be the toughest of Wraight's journey to the winner's cheque of £250.

The Shropshire bowler was facing an early exit when he found himself 13-2 down, but managed to launch a stunning turnaround to beat Stretton 21-17.

There was a more familiar feel to Wraight's quarter-final as he went head-to-head with Castlefields team-mate Jon Palmer, who is one of Birmingham's top performances and has bowled for Shropshire.

But Wraight proved too strong in a 21-11 success and made light work of semi-final and final games against local Derby players Matt Milsom and Gareth Nash.

Milson was seen off 21-8 before Wraight rounded off the competition in style in front of socially distanced spectators with a 21-11 victory in the final.

"I've been playing competitively for six weeks but not had any competitions," Wraight said.

"I went there on the Tuesday night for qualifying and got through two games.

"Paul Stretton is a good player, he's one of the best from Derby. I'd only played him once before 10 years ago in a semi-final at Meole Brace.

"But I was playing him at his neck of the woods at a green I'd never played at. I only entered because I wanted to play competitive bowls after my partner found the competition on the Facebook Crown Green competition page.

"I had a horrendous start, 13-2 behind and managed to get in, got him on a little mark and won 21-17 and it was fairly plain-sailing after that."

Wraight added: "I was giving the green away to them but I took to the green, it was my kind of green.

"I was quite pleased, first competition of 2020, late on in the year, but it was nice to win.

"I had a really good year last year, managed to win 16 tournaments and finished British number one. I was really looking forward to this year pushing on but the whole thing (virus) has snookered it.

"But it was nice to win on Saturday to know I'm still playing pretty well."

Covid-19 guidelines on competition mean regular sanitation and playing with individual jacks, while referees are not permitted to touch the jack with their hands.

After months without bowls, Wraight is making up for lost time and has a number of competitions in the coming weeks, beginning with the East Coast Festival in Whitby next week.

Wraight, who has been with partner Zoe and two-year-old daughter Olivia throughout the lockdown, has bowled four times in the Panel, where he opened up with a heavy defeat to Neil Bithell but has bounced back with three victories.

He faces a stern test in the shape of top Radcliffe bowler Paul Dudley on the opponent's green on Friday.