Shropshire champions battle hard for right to finish third

Reigning champions Sir J Bayley may have been left in the dust by the top two this year, but they are fighting hard to finish as high up the table as possible.

They consolidated third place as they shared a 208-208 aggregate result with fourth-placed Hanwood – in a match that featured only one single-figure success.

However, the Bayley Boys managed to edge the games 7-5, so took eight points to the visitors’ seven.

Michael Cooper, Paul Evans, David Lloyd, Alex Jones, Scott Simpson, Chris Worthington and Clay Flattley were Bayley’s seven winners.

Gary Neal won 21-6 to help Hanwood share that aggregate scoreline, while Andy Duckett, Wayne Phillips, Richard Lawson and Simon Lane were also on the mark for them.

Wrockwardine Wood marched on serenely at the summit with a 9-3 (242-166) triumph over Wem USC, thanks in part to single-figure successes from Scott Moseley (21-6) and Stuart Rutter (21-7).

Castlefields are now 24 points back in second – but still 22 clear of third-placed Sir J Bayley – after a 7-5 (235-197) triumph over fifth-placed St Georges.

Graham Wall recorded Castlefields’ best result with a 21-6, while Michael Beer (21-8) also picked up a single-figure win.

Tommy Lowndes (21-3) was in fine form for Ifton in their 7-5 (218-207) win on the road at third-bottom Chester Road.

Brian Hayes edged out Mark Holland 21-20 in the closest game, while Dave Bond, Ian Dutton, Neil Kershaw, Martin Jones and Leighton Roberts were also victorious.

That moved Ifton up to eighth in the standings, with Newport just one point and one place behind them after an excellent win on the road themselves.

They were 9-3 (227-189) victors at second-bottom Highley thanks in part to a best scorecard from Mark Selley (21-6).

Dale Rudrum, Keiran Buckley, Philip Emery, Stephen Handley, Aaron King, Ashley Gregory, Ian Whittington and Simon Oldcorn were Newport’s other winners. David East (21-8), John Heath and Danny Statham replied.

Highley are now just one point clear of Bylet after the league’s bottom side went down 8-4 (221-207) at home to Burway.

Sam Millward (21-9) got Bylet’s best result, but Kiah Roberts (21-7) led Burway to 10 points and seventh in the table.

Meole Brace stayed ahead of Burway in sixth thanks to a 7-5 (237-193) over Hanmer.

Julian Cooke led the way for Meole Brace with a superb 21-3 triumph, while Mark Thomas also won 21-5.