Another league agrees player rule switch
Another Shropshire-affiliated league has agreed to allow bowlers to play twice in the same match.
The decision was made at the Malpas Senior Citizens League’s pre-season executive meeting and follows in the footsteps of moves already taken by the Whitchurch and Malpas leagues.
Veterans league chair John Mitchell explained: “It was decided that if the lowest team from a club with more than one team were short of a player then a player would be allowed to play twice.
“This is to try and avoid a player turning up expecting to play a game but ends up receiving a walkover.
“It will be tried for the 2019 season and if it is decided that is not viable, or felt that it is being abused, will be looked at for another season.”
Clubs in the eight-a-side league on Wednesday afternoons will only be allowed to play a maximum of two players twice per match.
There may be no Parks Winter Series action this weekend but it’s still a north Shropshire club that's in the spotlight.
Bridgewater will officially open a new pavilion and switch on new floodlights at their Whitchurch base at a special ceremony on Saturday at 6.30pm.
Champions of the Market Drayton League for the last two seasons, Bridgewater did bid for a place in the Shropshire Premier League via the play-offs in 2017.
But, having concentrated on improving their facilities in recent times, club president Ray Foster, chairman Ian Price and secretary Isobel Jones will be among a proud membership on Saturday.
More than a dozen Shropshire Premier League bowlers have accepted invitations to play in a big Easter Monday event.
Led by past winner Callum Wraight, they will feature in the Les & Mel Evans Classic at Cannock club Chadsmoor on April 22.
His Shropshire senior team colleagues Colin Beaman, Wayne Rogers, Mike Beer and Stuart Rutter are also part of the 32-strong field along with Peter Farmer, reigning Autumn Waterloo champion Jon Palmer, Greg Smith, Mark Picknell and Bayley boys Scott Simpson, Chris Ward, Gordon Hawkins and Ant Bracken.
First of the singles ties is at 10.30am and Lynn Pritchatt, one of the organising team, urged: “Please support this important event on our calendar. You will be assured of a very warm welcome and some fantastic bowling.”
