Shropshire businessman reaps bowls reward
A Shropshire businessman who is a big backer of bowls has reaped a winning reward.
James Blair, who is sponsoring the big name District Invitation 8 later this month, triumphed in the final one-day competition run at the Whitchurch club as part of round 23 of the North Shropshire Parks’ winter series.
And Sir John Bayley Club bowls chairman Blair, who owns Telford-based Blair Heating Services, beat one of the stars who will compete at the District on March 29 in Sunday’s one-day final.
He accounted for Wem USC and county legend Derek Wright 13-12 in a cracker, having edged out Andy Armstrong 13-11 in the semi-finals while Wright was beating Ian Howell by the same score.
Wright responded by winning his group in the afternoon round robin only session run by organiser Jamie Brookes on another fine day for the series. “We had a brilliant total of 77 entrants with 28 bowlers in the one-dayer and 49 in the round robins session,” said Brookes.
Other afternoon group winners were father and son Gary and Conner Whitehall, consistent junior performer Akeel Khan, Jan Wakefield, David Cunningham, Phil Jones, Andy Marshall, Harry Brookes, Andy Armstrong and Jock Timlett.
Round 24 heads back to Shrewsbury club Greenfields this coming weekend with the top three in the overall series points table – Alan Boulton, Chris Elsbury and Phil Jones – separated by just one point.
Quarter-final scores from the one-day KO at District – Wright 13 Elsbury 7; Ian Howell 13 Stuart Rutter 10; Blair 13 Richard Proudlove 4; Armstrong 13 Carl Hinton 8.
n Shropshire stars Jamie King and Clay Flattley were among the first qualifiers in the West Brom Open, booking a place in the April 10 finals day line-up.
