Callum Wraight is on the hunt for prizes at 12 competitions

Shropshire’s star bowler begins his hunt for success at the East Coast Festival, held in Whitby and Scarborough in North Yorkshire, today.

Wraight will enter the main singles event, with a prize pot of £600, while there are various other competitions throughout the week. Wraight is using the festival as an opportunity of a late holiday with his partner and young daughter.

But the Castlefields bowler’s game face will be on as he aims to continue the form he showed in his return to competitive action in victory in the Littleover Open two weekends ago.

After virtually four months without any form of bowls, Wraight has packed his scheduled between now and mid-October and will continue throughout the winter, meaning it is non-stop action for the county’s top amateur between now and what he hopes will be the start of the regular 2021 season in March.

“I’ve entered about 12, as well as playing in the Panel once per week,” Wraight said. “With the likes of the Isle Of Man Festival not being on this time, I thought I could use my holiday to go up there with my partner and little one.

“Yes I’d love to win it, absolutely. I’m ultra-competitive. I look to win everything I go into.

“I’m focused on winning it and as many tournaments I can for the rest of the year.

“Even looking further ahead, when the season finishes, I’ll be looking to play a bit of winter bowling. I usually have a break because I play so much from March right through till the middle of October.

“But with not playing much this time I’ll do a bit of winter bowling to make sure I’m in good form for March when all the big tournaments come round again.”

Wraight, who balances his bowls career with working in retail, admits the unusually lengthy period without the sport was difficult.

He added: “The year has been like hell for me because I’m usually constantly playing tournaments every single weekend throughout the whole eight months as well as league bowls throughout the week.

“Not being able to send any bowls at all through the whole of lockdown in April, May and June was torment for me. It was horrendous.

“And also I do get quite a lot of income through my bowls so it has hit me hard but you’ve got to get on with it.

“But on a wider scale there’s a lot more important things going on.”

In what comes with the territory, Wraight will be clocking up the miles at the start of next month.

He is contesting competitions in Ribbleside, Lancashire, which is worth £800 to the winner, as well as Kirkheaton in Huddersfield, worth similar. Before that the former Britain No.1 star heads to Castle Private in Northwich for some August Bank Holiday action.