Even more joy for in-form Callum Wraight across the country

The Castlefields man won trophies at the Royle in Rochdale on Friday night and at Sabden in Clitheroe on Sunday evening to further boost his rich pickings for the season.

And sandwiched in between was a hard-to-take 21-15 defeat in a top class final of the Flixton Invitation 32 in Manchester on Saturday against big Midlands rival Greg Smith, meaning he picked up £320 as runner-up and not the £600 that went to the winner.

Wraight, now 35, won the huge Blesma Trophy at the Royle by beating Tom Eccles in the final 21-18, and his success in the Sabden Floodlit finals meant he picked up the biggest slice of a £1,200 total prize pot.

Three days bursting with action had started with yet another victory at the Red Lion, Westhoughton, home of the British Professional Panel, this time 41-36 against former British No.1 Gary Ellis.

The Shrewsbury taxi driver takes on Dave Higginbottom on the Panel today ahead of another weekend of open title hunting, starting on Saturday in the finals of the £3,300 Ray Leath Memorial at Willenhall Nordley. The last 16 there includes fellow Shropshire stars Spencer Clarke, Mike Beer, Clay Flattley and Martin Gaut – who play each other in round one for the last 16 – and Jamie King, who opens with a rerun of his recent Midland Masters final against Aaron Tapper.

It was a day to forget for the Shropshire qualifiers in the British finals of the Mel Evans MBE Centenary Mixed Pairs.

County champions, Dave Card Rosebowl holders Scott Moseley and Natalia Connor (Meole Brace), and father and daughter Rich and Susie Lawson (Hanwood-Prince Hotel) both fell at the first round hurdle.

Moseley & Connor lost 21-10 to Manx duo Trevor Quayle & Lyn Bolton in Saturday’s finals at Washlands in Burton while the Lawsons bowed out 21-13 against Kevin & Amanda Nicholas of Wales.

An all Warwick & Worcester final saw Emily Kernick & Ryan Prosser edge Michelle Jones & Ben Harris 21-20.

An eighth winter series run by North Shropshire Parks will have lift-off at a brand new venue this weekend.

But lingering concerns over C-19 infection rates means organiser Jamie Brookes will continue running the round robins in separate three-hour sessions when the 2021-22 version is launched at Newport on Sunday.

“The shortened summer season is nearly complete – which basically means hello Winter Series,” said a buzzing Brookes.

“This season, due mainly to Covid uncertainty, I am running it, initially, in the round robin only sessions format (with no knockout ties) at 9am, 12 noon, 3pm and also 6pm if needed.

“All the rest is the normal – 13-up games, with handicap, played in round robin groups with points for the series table and entry costing £5. We start on Sunday at a new winter series debut green of Newport (TF10 7DX) and, as long as Covid permits, I’ll rotate around a lot of greens throughout the winter.”

All bowlers are eligible to enter by contacting Brookes (07522 624773) and advising, in order, which two sessions are best for them to play in.

Most open competitions have enjoyed a ‘bounce factor’ as 4,500 of the 6,000 plus bowlers in Shropshire returned to post pandemic action.

But Newport club officials were left feeling flat after their efforts to attract just 32 players to the one-day Newport Open on Sunday failed.

Despite the lure of a £200 first prize, promoter Steve Anyon said: “The Open didn’t take place.

“Despite all our efforts, only 12 bowlers applied for a field of 32 – somewhat disappointing.”