West is best, while Wraight doesn't have to wait long for a win - bowls round-up

West was best in the Taylor Support Shropshire Premier Bowling League’s Inter-Area championship.

Captain Mark Thomas and his side ended the East team’s dominance of the eight-a-side competition that the Premier launched after being effectively banned from the Shropshire senior inter-league.

They beat the South side in Saturday night’s final at Meole Brace by 19 shots with six winners, homester Dave Redge the best of them with a 21-13 card as Ben Allen delivered the best reply on 21-9.

Just one chalk was all the West had to spare in beating the North team in the semi-final, Thomas winning 21-4 to help them recover from a poor start after Owen Jackson had won 21-3 and Matt Beeston 21-4 for the North.

“The South team beat the reigning champions East by 16 in the other semi, Paul Williams best winner 21-11 in a match decimated bylate call offs,” said Premier Rob Burroughs.

Next for the league is its Mike Hinton Pairs this coming Sunday at Edgmond from 10am, entries costing £12 per pair taken on the day and also open to players from Horsehay and Sinclair.

Les & Mel Evans Invitation Classic

A day without a title triumph over the Easter weekend was seemingly too much to bear for Callum Wraight.

So, having won the Houldsworth Invitation 32 and Edgmond Open but missed out on finals day in the Meole Brace Open, the king of Shropshire bowls went and won the big West Midlands competition on Easter Monday!

The 39-year-old Castlefields headline-grabber took the honours at the £2,000 Les & Mel Evans Invitation Classic at Hawkins Sports in Cannock, beating his main regional rival Greg Smith in the final – and throwing down a challenge to him in the process.

“It was a final that many predicted when the draw came out - Callum versus Greg, the equivalent of a heavy weight contest in another sport,” said promoter Lynn Pritchatt. “Callum made the first break to lead 13-7 and then extended it to 18-9 and eventually earned a 21-16 win to take the prestigious title for the fourth time.

“In his winning speech, Callum laid down a friendly challenge to Greg that he was on the charge to equal Greg’s five titles in a tournament that means a lot to both players.

"I for one certainly would not bet against that happening!”

Wraight beat Aaron Tapper, the conqueror of Meole champion Dan Petcher, in round two and earned his place in the final for the first time since the comp was played at Chadsmoor by beating young Derbyshire star Josh Furniss 21-16.

Smith included Sir John Bayley captain Reece Farr as his 21-4 round two scalp on a day when most Shropshire Premier Leaguers made very little impact.

Potteries Panel

Three Shropshire bowlers will tonight chase the last two tickets to Thursday’s finals of the £5,000 Potteries Panel.

County king Callum Wraight and Sinclair duo Dan Williams and Jordan Millman need to win two games at Knypersley BC in Stoke to make the last eight for the big money night.

But if Wraight beats Jarrod Hamer in his opener and Millman does likewise against Lee Brown, they will clash in a winner-takes-all showdown.

Williams starts against Darren Clutton tonight with the winner to take on either Mat Hill or Martin Wrench to get through to Thursday at Biddulph.

Sir John Bayley duo Joe Dicken and Reece Farr secured their places in finals night by finishing first and second in qualifying group one while Wraight and Millman in group two and Williams in three secured vital wins at Leek Beggars Lane last week to make the play-offs.