New bowls leagues are launched at indoor club for new year

That’s the programme – pandemic permitting – organiser Ernie Shea has finalised and is scheduled to start the third week of January.

But there are no evening leagues for club members at the six lane centre on the Sports Village as there was not enough interest before the entry deadline.

“The start date will be the week beginning Monday January 10, but there aren’t enough teams for the evening leagues,” said Shea. “I’m happy with the daytime figures though as there are enough to run for 12 weeks.”

The number of teams confirmed in each league are – Mondays: nine in the Aussie Pairs at 10am, nine in the Triples at 2pm; Wednesdays: eight in the veterans triples at 2pm; Thursdays: seven in the triples at 10am; Fridays: 10 in the singles at 10am. SIBC boasted a membership of about 250 in pre-Covid days and, since the centre re-opened in October, after being used as a vaccination base, that number is back to more than 150 and growing.

But the ladies versus gents Christmas match was cancelled due to Covid concerns and vice-captain Cynthia Hedley has already called off the club’s planned friendly matches in January.

n Shropshire could be left without a team in the top bowls league in the West Midlands in 2022.

The Summit Garage-backed Midland Super League has been suffering from clubs withdrawing since before the pandemic – and now the remaining trio from Shropshire could be about to follow suit.

Telford-based secretary Rob Burroughs confirmed: “Castlefields have withdrawn their Summit team. I think St Georges will follow suit and Wrockwardine Wood may also leave, although the latter two aren’t decided yet.”

St Georges opted out of the league for the Covid-curtailed 2021 season but were Premier Division champions as recently as 2016.