Competitions galore across Shropshire - bowls round-up

A superb full house of 32 under-18 bowlers will contest tomorrow’s Millman Sinclair Junior Open.

Eight 13-up round robin groups, starting at 12 noon at the Telford club and with entrants handicapped according to the level they are playing at, will produce quarter-final line ups for main and consolation knockouts.

And thanks to sponsorship, organiser Stuart Church, will pay out a total of £500, with £150 to the main champion and £50 to the consolation winner.

The rush of under-18 competitions continues the following weekend with the Tilstock Junior Open on Saturday, May 2 – this time a straight 21-up knockout for 32, with consolation KO, entries £5 to Rob Burroughs.

And two weekends later, on the Sunday, May 17, he will run the Baron Cup at Castlefields for 32 entries to play in age related groups to produce a knockout line-up.

Stan Frith Memorial Open

The chance to play on the greens that will host the British Champion of Champions in September has Premier League bowlers heading to Owley Wood tomorrow.

A £1,000 first prize is added incentive as the club based just off the A49 in Weaverham hosts the first ever Stan Frith Memorial Open, a one-day competition for field of 64.

Current Champion of Champions Ash Wellings returns to the venue armed with great recent memories to mix it with the likes of Chris Mordue, Matt Gilmore and Greg Smith.

Undoubted star of the season to date, Shropshire No.1 Callum Wraight, has taken a late vacancy and also hoping for a slice of the prize purse are Sir John Bayley trio Scott Harries, Reece Farr and Nick Wyer, Tom Killen and Sinclair star Conor Chamberlain.

County Cup

A total of 18 entries mean there is just one County Cup preliminary round tie to be played on Wednesday, May 6.

That’s when Wrockwardine Wood, 2021 winners of the top team knockout in Shropshire bowls, have been paired with Premier League rivals Meole Brace at the neutral venue of Chester Road men’s green in Whitchurch.

While that will be a 12-a-side showdown, the 10-a-side race to the Shropshire Cup starts on May 20 with five ties for non Premier bowlers.

The Wrockites and Meole feature again while first-time entrants Johnstown will take on Bridgnorth at the Prince Hotel in Shrewsbury.

Open competitions

August is proving ace for the two Shropshire bowls club hosting open competitions that month.

All 32 places in the new one-day Hanmer Open on Monday, August 31, have been taken and organiser Matt Beeston has a reserve list as the lure of a £700 first prize has done the trick.

It’s the same good news for Ash Wellings who is running the new £3,000 Reclaim Tax UK Hanwood Open as all four qualifiers are virtually full in the countdown to finals day on Saturday, August 29.

The Dennis Lewis Open on Sunday, May 31 at Sir John Bayley, a one-day 64 with £10 entry for a potential £450 top prize, is also half full.

But there are plenty of places left in the £1,500 Beryl Taylor Memorial at Shifnal with its qualifiers on Saturday nights in June and finals night on July 4, entries £20 to Nathan Lacey.