Wraight and Millward are sitting pretty
It was a good day for organiser Jamie Brookes at the latest North Shropshire Parks winter series gathering in more ways than one.
He got over the disappointment of having a winter one-day competition cancelled the previous day to claim a significant round robin group victory in round 22 of the bowls series at Adderley.
Brookes shone in the Sunday morning sunshine to reel off four 13-up victories over series points table high fliers Phil Jones (Nantwich), Cedric Bancroft, Conner Whitehall and Greg Needham.
Not only that but the points he gained for the table topping feat lifted him to joint 23rd in the table and bang on course to finish in the top 32 this coming weekend to make the main finals on March 26.
That’s when the big money prizes will be at stake, something that clear points table leader Gary Whitehall is gunning for after another group success, despite losing one game 13-12 to David Cunningham.
“It was a really nice sunny early spring day, warm enough to be down to a tee-shirt,” said a happy Brookes.
“There was another great turnout of 66 on another great running green.
“This coming Sunday is the last sessions week and we are at the District Club.”
Other morning sessions table toppers alongside Brookes were Ben Hinton, Daz Fielding, Alan Purcell, Jock Timlett and Gareth Davies.
Lunchtime winners included Mark Holden, Gerald Merry, Dave James and John Rawlinson while the three late session group winners were Dave Bamford, Kerry Dance and Richard Proudlove.
Elsewhere, playing competitive winter bowls on the Potteries Panel has helped give two of Shropshire’s finest a flying start to the new 2023 campaign.
Callum Wraight and Sam Millward both sit top of their groups going into week seven of the Panel at Biddulph tonight and look certain to feature in the finals on April 6 when a £700 first prize will be at stake.
And both took that form into the first weekend of qualifying in the West Brom Open to book places in the finals on April 9, when another top cheque for £700 is the target.
Reigning British Senior Merit champion Wraight enjoyed two 21-9 victories to get through while county senior team-mate Millward had to win just one game, 21-11, to qualify alongside him on Sunday.
Wrockwardine Wood bound Millward plays Stoke legend Barry Booth tonight at Biddulph but Shrewsbury-based Wraight has no game.
Former Shropshire senior team man Jon Palmer landed the £300 first prize at the one-day 32 at Washlands in Burton on Saturday with a 21-18 final success over Conor Chamberlain.
Telford’s Martin Gaut lost 21-16 first game to Andrew Spragg and then lost in his qualifying game at West Brom the following day.
Meanwhile, the new £3,200 Hadley Open – now sponsored by NJ Installations thanks to Nick Wyer – starts this weekend and the Don Bennett Memorial trophy and £700 will go to the winner.
There are four spaces still up for grabs in Saturday’s qualifying sessions, book with Rob Burroughs on 07901-229623, entry costing £20.
It’s starting to look like Old Shrewsbury Bowling Club is fated when it comes to the North Shropshire Parks’ winter one-day competitions.
Snow followed by rain led last weekend’s planned action to be called off, but it was quickly re-arranged for this coming Saturday.
But now that’s off too, organiser Jamie Brookes explaining: “Unfortunately, due to the imminent flooding expected around Shrewsbury, the 11th one dayer planned at Old Shrewsbury on Saturday, March 18, has been cancelled.”
It means that the ninth winter of Parks action will end with round 23 of the round robin sessions at the District Club on Sunday and the finals day at the same Whitchurch venue on March 26.
