Juniors crash to heavy defeat after late no-shows
It was always going to be tough for Shropshire’s young bowlers in their British Junior County Championship clash with Yorkshire – and late drama did not help on a day which ended in a heavy defeat.
None of the reserves selected for the away leg at Almondbury Liberal BC in Huddersfield turned up, causing late panic in the travelling party.
The situation was resolved with Zoe Fenwick, picked as a reserve for the home leg at Hanwood, making a last-minute switch to play more than 100 miles north in Yorkshire.
So it was no real surprise that reigning champions Yorkshire won both home and away for a 95-shot overall success, leaving county chairman and junior selector Phil Scott far from happy. “No reserves showed up away and they didn’t tell us,” he lamented. “We fetched a home reserve from Hanwood, Zoe Fenwick, who got 16 and showed her dedication to Shropshire – and our thanks go to the drivers who met halfway to bring her, Iain Wilson and Paul Fenwick.”
Bayley birthday boy Luke Morris (21-17) and Shropshire player of the match award winner, 11-year-old Jarrett Cotterill from Newport (21-19), were the county’s only winners away. But there was only one single-figure loss in a battling display in the circumstances to keep the deficit down to 54 chalks.
“Overall against a strong Yorkshire team the players did well,” said Scott. “We went for broke by picking a hard green, which is exactly what Yorkshire did at home.
“But it was a good performance from all and there are some young stars in the making in our squad.”
Home match award winner Tom Killen (21-11) was the best of only four winners at Hanwood where Yorkshire won by 41 to impress County President Mike Potter.
“Hard luck Shropshire, let’s hope for better luck next month against Wales,” he said. “But congratulations Yorkshire – a great bunch of kids that adapted and played a tricky green very well and they deserved their win.”
