Leading three win again in the Parks

Greg Needham, Gary Whitehall and Craig Jones all topped their round robin groups at round 11 on Sunday at Wem USC.

And those triumphs means the trio have opened a decisive 25-point gap over the rest of the field in the race to the series finals day and the big cash prizes on March 26.

Despite a dodgy forecast, the three sessions of 13-up games still attracted nearly 70 entries, leaving organiser Jamie Brookes chuffed with how the ninth winter series has progressed.

“We had a few heavy shows but the green held up well,” he said of Sunday at the Leek Street club. “Another great turnout of 67 means that, just past halfway through the season, we have had an average of 75 bowlers entering per week. So thanks to everyone who has supported the Parks and me.”

Other series regulars were group winners at Wem, including county ace Callum Wraight, Phil Jones (Nantwich Park Road), Alan Boulton, Ian Howell and Darren Fielding.

There were seven groups to cater for the early morning demand and that’s when Ben Hinton, Kev Jarvis and Brookes himself came to the fore. Chris Stretch, Chris Elsbury and Richard Proudlove were table-toppers in the middle session and host club legend Derek Wright and Linda Harding were among the winners as three groups five were run in the late session.

Tilstock is the venue for round 12, but Brookes has also organised a fifth winter ‘one-dayer’ on Saturday.

“It’s at Whitchurch’s District Club on Saturday and will be 8.30am report for a 9 o’clock start,” he explained.

Prizes are paid out on the day as round robin groups lead to knockout ties, Brookes adding: “I need to know by 10pm on Thursday who is entering for catering purposes.

Sunday’s group win for Wraight followed another tough Saturday in West Yorkshire at the latest Spen Winter Sweep.

He got off to a good start with a 21-15 victory over Kez Smith but bowed out in the last 16 as he lost 21-9 to Stuart King – the Yorkshireman who beat him 21-4 in the the home leg of the 2016 Crosfield Cup final at Greenfields.

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A Telford club’s bid to rejoin the elite of Shropshire bowls for a third time starts in earnest at the weekend.

Hadley USC have had two spells in the Premier League but were relegated at the end of the 2016 season when beaten in the play-off final by Hanmer by nine shots at Bicton.

But now the club’s new secretary Rob Burroughs senses a new feeling of optimism ahead of their AGM and a new big money open competition just before the 2023 league season starts.

“Hadley USC are holding their AGM on Sunday at 6pm in the club’s conservatory,” he said.

“Everything is fine with regards to the social club and we are looking forward to the season ahead and hopefully pushing for a return to the Premier League.

“We have one team in Mid Shropshire division one and are hoping to enter another team on a Friday in division three.

“We also have a Wem League division one team and a division six team in Mid Shropshire on Monday nights.”

Meanwhile, fellow Telford club Sinclair are counting down to their annual meeting on Friday, January 27, at 7.30pm at their Ketley base, secretary Kevin Hall adding: “New members will be most welcome.”