Juniors will finally get their trophy after British bowls review

A jam-packed day tomorrow for Shropshire bowlers includes an official celebration time for the county’s jubilant juniors.

All the squad picked for the triumphant British under-18 county championship campaign have been invited to a special event at Wrockwardine Wood BC in Telford from 11am.

And the proper trophy, so conspicuous by its absence when Shropshire beat Wales in July to end a 20-year wait for another triumph, will be presented by British President Steve Davies.

After the ceremony, which includes individual prizes for bowlers and selectors and pictures, the plan is to play the finals of the Shropshire Boys and Girls Merits that were not played when the county qualifier was held at Childs Ercall.

There will also be a fun doubles competition for the junior players, parents and selectors with pairings drawn out of the hat.

Tomorrow also sees the £1,000 Calverhall Handicap Doubles, the North Shropshire Ladies Merit at Adderley (10am), the Tanners league’s Tony Poole Charity Triples at Old Shrewsbury (10am) plus the Highly League doubles finals.

They are at Shifnal with a 1.15pm scratch time for both the division one and two knockouts, the finalists including home duos Dan Wilson & Kevin Brazier and Shona Baugh & Laura Steventon.

Then on Monday it is Shrewsbury seniors citizens against their Mid Shropshire counterparts in the annual match for the Alf Dixon Trophy at Old Shrewsbury at 1pm.

Cup finals

The end-of-season burst of bowls cup finals starts tonight for two Shropshire leagues.

The Market Drayton and Molson Coors Mid Shropshire both have double headers at Bridgewater BC in Whitchurch and Newport respectively.

District B are the only first division side to have reached Dayton’s main doubles knockout for the Jim Swire trophy and they have an 18 shot handicap to overcome to beat Victoria A from 7pm at on the big green.

Division two rivals Hanmer A and Calverhall A meet on the other green at the same time for the consolation prize of the Bernard Lazarus trophy.

Wrockwardine Wood C are holders of Mid Shropshire’s main Ashton Cup for its Monday division teams but have a mountain of 70 shot difference to beat Allscott Heath E of division seven on Newport’s No.1 surface at 7pm.

The Ashton Shield final starts 30 minutes earlier on the No. 2 with division five duo Shifnal C and Sinclair C going head to head.

Meanwhile, Shropshire and Sir John Bayley star Scott Harries is rated a 20/1 outsider to win the Rudheath Open finals from 5pm, the last 16 at the Northwich club chasing a £1,200 first prize including Greg Smith, Gareth Coates and Wayne Ditchfield.

Harris Cup

The cream has risen to the top in two team knockouts run by Shropshire bowls leagues while another comes close to the boil.

Mid Shropshire’s Harris Cup final will be an all Premier-affair between Castlefields and Wem USC on Saturday, September 12, at Bowring after both claimed notable scalps.

Fields beat league champions Sinclair in their five home-five away semi-final as Wem ousted holders Sir John Bayley with Phil Jones a 21-9 winner in Telford to add to a clean sweep at home.

Division one rivals Adderley A and Woore A will contest Whitchurch’s Jubilee Doubles final, but only after reigning champions Woore tied on aggregate with District C and needed the most winners rule to go through.

It was close too for Horsehay A in the quarter-finals of Highley’s main President’s Cup as they finished level with Stockton A, but with five winners out of the 8 games and also the best winner in Steve Reeves (21-3) to progress.