Premier League honours most consistent player
Shropshire’s elite bowling league has marked the end of its 30th anniversary by saluting its most consistent player, writes Malcolm Fletcher.
Four-time County Merit winner Peter Farmer has won the most games in the history of the Taylor Support Shropshire Premier League since it was launched in 1994 with Battlefield as first-time champions.
“Peter has won the most games in Premier League history with 501 wins out of over 650 games,” said league chief Rob Burroughs. “He won the first ever League Merit, and has added five since - a record.
“Peter started his league career at Hadley USC and, after they dropped out, he went and helped Childs Ercall into the league in 1999, and won his first league averages that season too after winning 23 games.
“He stayed there until 2005, winning the Most Consecutive Wins award in 2002, when he moved to St Georges, winning two leagues there.
“Peter had one season back at Childs Ercall in 2010 and then moved to Newport, winning five consecutive league titles there up to 2019.
“He missed 2021, but then went back to St Georges the year after, and currently has a record of 151 wins out of 198 games there and holds the record for the most consecutive wins overall in the league with 30 straight wins.”
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The weather forecast may be bleak but fixtures are set to resume in three winter bowls leagues featuring Shropshire teams on Monday.
That’s when faltering reigning champions Archibald Worthington are due to resume proceedings in the District Invitation Winter League with a match against Elephant & Castle on the back green at the Whitchurch club.
But runaway leaders Chirk have the most gain as they are scheduled to take on a Calverhall side winless and bottom of the 10-strong table on Wednesday night.
Monday evening is also re-launch time for the Allscott Heath Winter League on the artificial green with Bylet and Donnington Wood lined up to take on two of the host club’s teams in a competition boasting 18 four-side teams.
And leaders Ifton Miners continue their defence of the Bradley Winter League title in Wrexham on Thursday with a four singles-two doubles clash against fourth-placed Coed Talon.
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A father and son with a strong bowling roots were two of the stars as the curtain came down on 2024 for the Bandit Bowls’ winter series.
Ian and Finley Pessall were both winners of their 13-up round robin groups last weekend when round nine saw 89 bowlers in action at Wellington’s Sir John Bayley Club.
Pessall senior is the son of county legend Keith and played a key role in Hadley USC winning the Shropshire Cup last year, while 2024 was young Finley's first full year in the sport.
Tomorrow’s sessions-only round 10 is scheduled for Shifnal, but promoter Jamie Brookes is keeping a close eye on weather conditions, given the forecast for snow.
The organising team ran just the morning and early afternoon sessions at the Bayley and Callum Wraight, Cedric Bancroft and Peter Grimston all cashed in with maximum hauls to climb the winter series points table.
Other table-toppers on the day were Paul Beer, Gus Needham, Phil Jones (Nantwich), Adrian Webb, Graham Rogers, Kerry Dance, Vicki McNally, Craig Jones and Gareth Davies,
Homesters Michael Cooper and James Blair also got in on the act along with Jan Wakefield, Tom Killen, Eleanor Webb, Mark Holden, Mike Briscoe and Dave Hall.
