Gaut in hot form to bag Series win
The big freeze was no big deal for Martin Gaut or the North Shropshire Parks Winter Series.
A frozen green early on at Shawbury’s Elephant & Castle didn’t stop a huge entry competing in round 17 on Sunday – or Telford-based Gaut from landing the £50 first prize.
The star of Bowring’s Harris Cup triumph last season, Gaut beat Phil Jones (Nantwich Park Road) 13-12 in the final as organiser Jamie Brookes – the new secretary of the host club – enjoyed another good day for the popular series.
“Although it was a dry, clear and pleasant morning, we had, initially, a very frozen green which presented different bowling decisions as it thawed out,” he said.
“But again we had a fantastic turnout of 49 competitors.”
Shropshire Premier League officer Gaut was making his sixth appearance of the winter and improved on a run to the quarter-finals last month by beating Christie Hughes (Meole Brace) 13-4 in the semi-finals.
Runner-up Jones beat District’s Matt Beeson 13-3 at the same stage and the quarter-final scores were: Matt Beeston 13-3 Chris Elsbury; Phil Jones 13-6 Gary Whitehall; Martin Gaut 13-8 Kerry Dance; Christie Hughes 13-6 Luke Grocott.
Twelve round-robin groups coped with the big entry and the points gained by Jones lifted him to joint second in the Series table on 237 with Gary Whitehall, just behind leader Chris Stretch on 243.
Round 18 at the weekend is at Old Shrewsbury where two greens can cope with an even bigger entry on the day. Report by 9.30am, cost £7 and £4 for juniors.
