Snap! Shropshire Ladies go to county final

They too are through to their county championship final after recording a stunning home and away victory over mighty Yorkshire on Sunday.

And they did it by 31 shots overall – one better than the men's 30-chalk win over North Lancs & Fylde in their last-four tie – to book a final showdown with Warwickshire.

That clash takes place on Sunday, August 21, at the neutral venue of Stretton BC in Burton.

"It was another great weekend for Shropshire bowling with both the men's and ladies county squads reaching their finals," said delighted away team captain Louise Cotton.

Awesome

A fantastic start of a clean sweep of the first four of the home leg on St Georges No.1 was slowly eaten into by the visitors, limiting Shropshire to just a 14-shot winning margin in Telford.

But an awesome winning performance in Huddersfield to win by 17 got the job done in style, bringing memories of county championships triumphs in 2008 and 2013 flooding back.

"I was very proud of our away squad, who fought hard on a difficult green to minimise any losses and gain as many chalks as possible," said Cotton, who is also Shropshire Ladies' competition secretary.

"The stars have to be Sally Clee at home at No.1, with her defeat of Andrea Buckley 21-7, while at the same time Jen Rogers was beating home bowler Lorraine Hurst 21-9.

"Those results panicked Yorkshire, who were banking on those two players to have good wins.

"At home the Shropshire front four continued to oust the regular front four players who normally win to single figures.

"The away team fought hard and Jane Archer winning with a 21-8 card in the back four meant the results of the last two at home failed to dampen our spirits.

"And once the sums had been checked, and we knew we could not be beaten, the remaining players finished off their games to pave the way to an away win by 17 – a fabulous result against a formidable team."

That's five straight wins this year and, on this kind of form Cotton & Co have no need to fear final rivals Warwickshire at all.

Full scores, at St Georges No.1 – Sally Clee (Wrock Wd) 21 Andrea Buckley 7, Sian Skelton (Wrock Wd) 21 Nichole Farrar 16, Alison Cotton (Meole) 21Dawn Bray 12, Sonya Lucas (S Georges) Alexis Lunn-Gadd 14, Julie Pearce (Meole) 14 Helen Gilroy 21, Natalia Connor (Meole) 21 Debbie Talbot 12, Marg Fray (SJ Bayley) 19 Debi Davis 21, Jodie Rutter (Wrock Wd) 21 Mo Chambers 20, Clair Barker (Meole) 14 Katy Turner 21, Cheryl Caswell (Wrock Wd) 21 Viv Abell 15, Tracy Ryan (Meole) 12 Karen Hill 21, Hollie Bishton (Wrock Wd) 9 Sally Turner 21. Shropshire won by 14, 215-201.

At Almondbury Liberal Club – Lorraine Hirst 9 Jen Rogers (Meole) 21, Karen Whitefoot 21 Gill Chambers (Broseley) 18, Karen Gant 13 Lisa Pessall (Hadley USC) 21, Fern Beaumont 21 Shirley Jones (Wrock Wd) 17, Suzanne Howarth 21 Selina Oates (Broseley) 17, Linda Gledhill 21 Siobhan Harding (Hadley USC) 19, Alicia Ormsby 21 Angela Gaut (Wrock Wd) 19, Suzi Ladbrooke 21 Lisa Neal (Oxon) 15, Chloe Hirst 21 Pauline Wilson (Broseley) 19, Julie Best 15 Louise Cotton (SJ Bayley) 21, Julie Mallinson 17 Carleen Doody-Millington (Hadley USC) 21, Jacquie Roper 8 Jane Archer (Old Shrewsbury) 21. Shropshire won by 17, 226-209.