Thrilling finish to Autumn Doubles at St Georges
A final play-off was the fitting thrilling climax to a successful launch of new and unique open bowls competition in Shropshire.
Finals day in the first St Georges Autumn Doubles ended with four of the biggest names in the game locked in a battle for a £900 first prize.
But county star Callum Wraight, playing with Welsh ace John Bailey in the two person 31-up event, couldn’t get the better of Warwick & Worcester big guns Greg Smith and Ryan Prosser in ‘normal time’.
British No.1 Wraight beat Smith 31-26 but Bailey lost by the same score to Prosser and so, with the crunch clash tied 57 shots apiece on aggregate, the final went to a seven-up play-off.
And in that Prosser got the better of Wraight 7-5 as the lion’s share of £2,100 in prize money headed into the Black Country on Saturday night.
“What a great finals day we had, with two play-off games, including the final when Ryan Prosser finally overcame Callum Wraight to claim the first prize for Greg Smith and himself,” said happy promoter Ian Gaut. “Comments regarding the format were very favourable and, as usual St Georges, know how to put on any event as it should be for the players and spectators alike.
“On behalf of St Georges BC, we would like all those players who entered the competition and made it such a great event – and to all those members who had anything to do with the qualifying or finals day, a heartfelt thanks from the organisers and myself for all your efforts.”
Sadly, Shropshire stalwart Rich Goddard was unable to take his place with Tom Palmer in the last eight due to Covid, but county bowlers still had a good day.
Semi-final scores: Wraight 31 Scott Harries 25 & Bailey 31 Spencer Clarke 29 (62-54); Smith 31 Nick Wyer 19 & Prosser 31 Gareth Herbert 17 (62-36).
The saga of North Shropshire Ladies and their unfinished President’s Cup campaign is over.
It was back in May that they opened their campaign in the British Ladies’ county bowls competition with a 60-shot victory over Staffordshire.
But the crunch clash with South Staffordshire in July, that would have settled who won the trophy and prize money, was postponed by the Whitchurch-based association due to the first extreme heat wave.
They tried to set a new date but then South Staffs could not raise two 12-a-side teams for the home and away legs – and they ended up conceding the match.
But North Shropshire have now received a letter from the sport’s national administrator, Brian Hampson, saying that the governing body did not feel it was right to present the trophy and prize money as the decisive match had not been played.
Chris Sayers, chairperson of North Shropshire Ladies, said she understood and agreed with the decision, safe in the knowledge that the county would be returning to the main championship next year anyway.
