Bowls round-up: Cotton sets up a shot at an open double
It was quite a weekend for Wrockwardine Wood bowler Josh Cotton as the open competition circuit sprang into life in Shropshire over the weekend, writes Malcolm Fletcher.
On Saturday night he qualified for the finals of the £1,280 Shifnal Spring Open by beating reigning County Merit champion Josh Bradburn 21-11 after being 10-7 down.
Not content with that, Cotton headed into the Black Country next day and kept up his good form by qualifying for the April 13 finals day of the big money West Brom Open, which boasts a £1,200 first prize.
Joining Cotton in the Shifnal finals on Saturday, March 29 (6pm) will be hot favourite Callum Wraight, former homester Tom Killen, Nick Jones, Emmet McKinley, Chris Worthington, Dan Taylor and Callum Mitchell.
The following Saturday – April 5 – will be finals day in the £2,575 Edgmond Open and the first four sessions delivered plenty of big name qualifiers.
On Saturday they were husband and wife Stuart and Jackie Rutter, Martin Gaut, Wraight and Worthington again, Joe Dicken, Dan Williams and Martin Simcock.
Twenty four hours later the successful eight were Jamie King – from 17-8 down against Spencer Clarke - Scott Simpson, Sam Millward, Andy Armstrong, Rhys Marshall, Matt Beeston, Mark Parsons and Rikki Higgs.
Proud record
Young Shrewsbury bowler Emmet McKinley has a record to be proud of in the Bandit Bowls one day competitions this winter.
He went into Saturday’s one-dayer at Meole Brace with 22 other entrants having won one on November 9 and been beaten finalist in two others.
And despite losing two of his round robin group games, McKinley (Oxon) was unbeatable in the knockouts stages at Meole, defeating Cedric Bancroft of Woore 21-17 in the final to claim the bulk of a £161 total purse.
He survived a tough 21-19 tie with Nigel Ferrington (Prince Hotel) in the semi-finals while Bancroft was edging out one-day comps star Scott Harries (SJ Bayley) 21-20.
McKinley, who also qualified for the finals of the Shifnal Spring Open over the weekend, beat Ash Wellings 21-18 in the quarter finals when the other results were – Banrcoft 21 Gill Owens 15; Harries 21 John Lea 10; Ferrington 21 Adrian Owens 17.
Champagne on ice
The champagne is on ice and long-time leaders Chirk will be crowned champions of Shropshire top winter league on Friday.
Newcomers to the District Invitation league last winter when they were runners-up, the Welsh border club are guaranteed to go one better ahead of the last night of the 2024-25 campaign.
Chirk take on bottom of the table Calverhall on the back green at the Whitchurch club on Friday with a 21 point lead after all 10 teams had played 12 matches.
Malpas Sports can secure runners-up spot with a win on Wednesday against Crewe, while Adderley face District on Thursday before Chirk’s championship parade and the presentation of prizes.
