Stretch and Killen team up to win a big cash prize
Two Shropshire bowls pals have teamed up to win the biggest prize purse of their blossoming careers.
Chris Stretch and Joe Killen stormed to the £500 top cheque in the Fleetwood Open Pairs on Saturday at the Fylde coast venue.
The duo, team-mates for Adderley in the Whitchurch League, beat Scott Taylor and Terry McMullen 21-13 in the final.
They enjoyed quick-fire 21-7, 21-4 and 21-11 wins to reach the semi-finals from a field of 32 before they just pipped Andy and Danny Ferris 21-20.
Shifnal-based Killen, who bowls for St Georges in the Premier League, was an Autumn Waterloo finalist at the same venue last year while Stretch enjoyed a fine winter campaign in the Bandit Bowls promotions.
But there was little joy for Shropshire bowlers in the £1,000 George Pritchatt Memorial Ladies Classic at Willenhall Nordley with only Lisa Pessall (Trench) managing to make round two before bowing out.
Prince of Wales Hotel and Shifnal were left to reflect on what might have been after going so close to pulling off County Cup upsets.
They missed out on places in the quarter-finals of the KGJ Insurance-backed 12-a-side bowls knockout by the narrowest of margins against Premier League opponents.
The Prince lost by just three shots to Bylet at Childs Ercall, skipper Cheryl Caswell delivering the vital 21-11 card for the Bridgnorth side on Wednesday night.
Shifnal had seven winners against Meole Brace at Whitchurch’s District Club but lost by 10 chalks as three winners in the back four nearly got them over the line, Craig Wilson’s 21-6 middle four win the key for the Shrewsbury side.
Non-Premier dark horses Woore got past Newport by 31 at Greenfields with Derek Wright winning 21-3 on a night when last year’s beaten finalists Castlefields had a bye into the last eight.
Holders Sir John Bayley saw off Ifton by 50, Wem USC enjoyed a fine 21-shot victory over Hanwood at Allscott Heath with Sarah Weaver their 21-9 best and Burway defeated Hanmer by 20 at Meole Brace.
A Castlefields victory has given Shropshire bowls three clubs in the last 16 of the relaunched Free Press Cup for top Midlands teams.
The Shrewsbury side completed a 22-shot overall win over Haunchwood in the five home-five away knockout, Hayden Lewis winning 21-8 in the home leg on Sunday after Tom Palmer had won 21-5 away on Saturday.
Their reward is a tie against The George, to be completed by July 8, while Wem USC must tackle Penn and Sir John Bayley face Atherstone Cons.
But Wrockwardine Wood missed out when beaten by 10 by King George V, Rob Roden’s 21-5 best card at home not enough to cover a 31 shot loss with five losers away.
