Jack storms to junior title with a trio of big wins - bowls round-up

Three convincing wins in the latter stages took Shrewsbury’s Jack Cooke to success in the latest junior open bowls competition in the county.

The Monkmoor bowler won the Tilstock Junior Open thanks to a 21-9 card over Myles Fisher (Wem USC) in Saturday’s final, after enjoying 21-10 and 21-11 wins.

A field of 17 entries at the north Shropshire village club meant a reduced prize fund with Logan Church and Ellis Griffiths the beaten semi-finalists.

The consolation knockout was won by Jacob Wall as he beat Harry Talbot 21-15 on a day that delivered competitive action for the under-18s preparing for the weekend’s junior county match against champions Yorkshire

“Some brilliant bowling by our juniors – a really high standard, great for the future of Shropshire bowls and a great day,” said a Tilstock spokesman.

Shropshire veterans inter-league bowls championship

Title holders Molson Coors Mid Shropshire will have three teams trying to retain the Shropshire veterans inter-league bowls championship when they host it tomorrow.

Ten teams will be play in round robin groups at Bowring in Wellington and on Wrockwardine Wood No.2, with the No.1 green there to stage the semi-finals and final.

The three group winners and best runners-up will make the knockout stages of the six-a-side competition for over-60s, with the Derek Wright Shield being won by Mid Shropshire A last year with victory over a Premier League side.

Dress code rules apply and tomorrow’s group draw is:

On Wrockwardine Wood No.2 from 10am – Mid Shropshire C, Tanners Shropshire B, Premier Yellow, North Shropshire B.

On Bowring 1 (old green) from 11am – Mid Shropshire A, Tanners Shropshire A, Premier Blue.

On Bowring 2 (newer green) from 11am – Mid Shropshire B, Tanners Shropshire C, North Shropshire A.

£5,000 invitation

Double County Merit winner Rich Goddard has put a closed season health scare behind him as he heads north tomorrow hunting a title he’s won before.

The Castlefields man is one of only two past winners in a 32-strong field at a £5,000 invitation 32 at Huntley Unionist in Bury.

Some of the biggest names in the game will be chasing a £800 first prize but Goddard has enjoyed a good start to the season with club and county and a spokesman for the Bury club: “The Shropshire star has every chance tomorrow.”

Clubmates Callum Wraight and Andrew Armstrong also travel north tomorrow to play in the final Tom Baron Trophy at Woodplumpton in Preston, a one-dayer for 32 bowlers.

But Wraight will have to head back to play in the finals of the £4,000 Adderley Open tomorrow night before returning to Preston on Sunday for the last 16 of the Penwortham Open.

Best Kept Green competition

Can any Shropshire affiliated club match the condition of the bowling green at Edgmond?

That’s the question that will be answered by this year’s Dennis UK SISIS Shropshire Best Kept Green competition, entries for which have to be in by Sunday, May 31.

Village club Edgmond have won the title for the last two years, their competitions attracting full house fields and requests to host events coming as a result.

“Regional judging will be end of June/early July with final judging at the end of August,” said a county association spokesperson. “There is also a new category this year for most improved green, which will be judged on previous results.”