Shropshire Bowling League trio are in battle to avoid a relegation play-off

Ahead of Friday’s final round of fixtures, Bylet occupy the bottom spot on 139 points – four points behind Wem USC and a further point adrift of Highley.

They are all trying to avoid an October 7 clash with the winners of tomorrow’s pre-play-off, which will feature Market Drayton League champions Adderley and Mid Shropshire champions Horsehay.

Highley did their hopes of staying up the world of good, climbing off the foot of the standings by taking nine points from their 7-5 (224-201) victory over Meole Brace.

Dave Scriven led the way for Highley with a 21-10 card, while Ben Dixon, Phil Chester, David East, Stuart Gittings, Frank Leak and John Heath also picked up individual wins.

Their final match of the season sees them travel to fourth-placed Castlefields.

Bylet slipped into bottom spot with a 9-3 (232-161) defeat at Hanwood – despite the best efforts of individual winners Jamie Taylor, Gary Cooper and Sam Millward.

They host sixth-placed Ifton in their final match of the season on Friday.

Second-bottom Wem USC may have gone down to defeat at home to second-placed Sir J Bayley, but picked up five valuable points in their 7-5 (208-181) reverse.

Colin Smith (21-11) got Wem’s best card, while George Williams, Ian Metcalfe, Derek Wright and Alex Hassall were also victorious.

Chris Ward (21-5), Scott Simpson (21-8), Alex Jones (21-9) and Clay Flattley (21-9) were all single-figure winners for the Bayley boys.

Wem visit 10th-placed Chester Road in their final match of the season.

Hanmer mathematically secured their survival, despite a 9-3 (237-173) defeat at Newport, for whom Dale Rudrum (21-6), Mark Selley (21-7), Keiran Buckley (21-9)and Philip Emery (21-9) were all single-figure victors.

Champions Wrockwardine Wood saw off long-time challengers Castlefields 213-196 on aggregate, after sharing the 12 games with them. Their cause was helped by single-figure successes for Steve Roberts (21-6) and Steve Broome, while Andrew Jones, Liam Stevens, Jamie King and Rob Roden were also on target.

Dave Peach (21-7) got Castlefields’ best result, but that was their only single-figure victory – though Adam Jones, Graham Wall, Russell Pugh, Michael Beer and Andrew Judson also triumphed.

Elsewhere, Ifton thrashed Burway 10-2 (242-162) thanks in part to big wins from Neil Kershaw (21-6) and Craig Griffths (21-7).

And St Georges earned a 9-3 (235-256) victory over Chester Road, with a superb 21-2 triumph for Roy Bradburn, along with other single-figure victories for Andy Morgan (21-4) and Sonya Lucas (21-6).