County Merit winners return for another bid

Reigning champion Rich Lawson and 2022 winner David Lloyd can’t wait to play in Sunday’s finals at Bowring, the Wellington club where they both enjoyed success, including County Cup and Harris Cup triumphs.

Lawson, now playing Premier League bowls for Hanwood, has drawn 2023 Shropshire Junior Merit winner Rhys Marshall (Castlefields) right at the bottom of the draw for the 32 qualifiers.

And Lloyd, part of the all-conquering Sir John Bayley team based just down the road from Bowring, has been paired with Jamie Brookes (Adderley) in the same half of the draw.

A pair of second division bowlers stunned two of the biggest names in Shropshire’s oldest bowling league to score a shock title success. Clive Little and Ian Blundell won the Oswestry League’s Jubilee Pairs competition by racing to a final victory over Llangollen big guns Dave Edwards and Dave Bond.

The Llangynog duo won the clash against the 2021 title winners 21-5 on Sunday at Chirk AAA to put the icing on a dream day and earn the plaudits of organiser Roger Candlin. Little and Blundell ended the day £200 richer, having defeated Llyr & Rhian Jones 21-17 in the semi-finals while Edwards and Bond were beating Andrew Jones & Gary Wilkie 21-9 as 24 pairs took part.

Bowlers in Shropshire’s biggest league don’t have much room to manoeuvre if they want to watch England’s games in the Euros football championship.

Tonight’s (TUES) final group game against Slovenia in Germany clashes with top flight fixtures in the Whitchurch Bowling League, but clubs have been told they cannot call them off.

“The committee have decided that, if any of England’s European football matches are being played on a match night, the (bowls) match may be played earlier or later than 7pm as long as both teams agree,” said a spokesman for the North Shropshire Crown Green Association which runs the league.

“The match cannot be postponed.”