Dicken’s winter tale of triumph in round seven
One on, one off was the story for Bandit Bowls’ winter promotions at the weekend as weather conditions intervened.
The seventh one-dayer went ahead at Wem USC on Saturday but round eight of the winter series next day was called off after overnight snow ruled out play at Whitchurch’s District Club.
And it was pretty bleak at the Services Club 24 hours earlier as Joe Dicken of St Georges came out on top of the 14 hardy souls who braved the cold.
“It was very cold and very frozen, but the Wem USC green played well considering,” said promoter Jamie Brookes. “Joe, who’s from Staffordshire but plays at St Georges, turned up with his competition head on and was consistently good throughout. He beat Tom Killen (Shifnal) 21-11 in the final.”
Dicken, who runs open comps at Woodfield, defeated 2021 Shropshire Merit winner Jack Hewitt 21-16 in the semi-finals while the impressive Killen had a fine 21-19 victory over county No.1 Callum Wraight after being his twin brother Joe in the last eight.
Lack of available greens means Brookes is still searching for a venue for the next one-dayer this coming weekend, but the round robin-only winter series sessions are due to resume at Joules in Market Drayton on Sunday.
District being a no-go did give Brookes a chance to rest, the Audlem-based man admitting: “I didn’t realise how tired I was so I had a lazy day getting my energy levels re-charged.”
Quarter-final scores at Wem USC – Dicken 21 Phil Jones (NP Rd) 15; Hewitt 21 Jamie Brookes 11; Tom Killen 21 Joe Killen 17; Wraight 21 David Cunningham 6.
