Whitchurch claim historic victory
Bowls history has been made with SPS Whitchurch winning the Shropshire veterans inter-league championship for the first time.
Led by unbeaten duo Derek Wright and Cedric Bancroft, they won all four of their round robin games at Wrockwardine Wood to make off with the trophy donated by Wright when the eight-a-side one-day competition for over-60s was launched in 2011.
But the destination of the trophy was not settled until the last game on the Telford club’s No.1 green as hosts Molson Coors Mid Shropshire went into it knowing they needed to beat Whitchurch to add to their record of five triumphs.
They made a cracking start too with a clean sweep of the first four featuring 21-12 wins by Ian Evans and homester John Clarke to take a seemingly unassailable 27-shot lead.
But Whitchurch were not to be denied and Bancroft (21-9), Wright (21-12) and the impressive Peer Madden (21-15) helped them over the line in a thrilling finish to snatch the winner-takes-all clash by two chalks, 141-139.
Skipper Simon Fullard received the trophy from county president Mike Potter and thanked his side for all contributing to an historic day.
And for Wight it was a particularly pleasing occasion as he was a member of the first Whitchurch League side to win the Shropshire senior inter-league crown, in its old 12 home-12 away guise, in 1979.
Five teams all played each other using both greens with last winres Tanners Shropshire winning just one game and Shropshire Ladies two to finish joint second with Mid Shropshire.
Potter thanked hosts club Wrockwardine Wood for their efforts on the day, groundsman Tony
Garmson in particular, adding it had been a good day which had effectively come down to a last game final.
