No stopping Josh Bradburn from grabbing Senior Merit prize

The 32-year-old, who captains St Georges in the Premier League, got his hands on the magnificent Charles Beddard Trophy with a string of consistent performances on Sunday.

Returning to one of his former clubs, Bowring, Bradburn beat Sam Millward of Wrockwardine Wood 21-15 in the final on the older green, making the most of a mark just in front of the clubhouse to land the £250 first prize and ticket to the Champion of Champions.

He raced 12-6 and then 15-8 ahead before Millward had a little burst – but, no matter how much he talked and gestured to his bowls, the left-handed Wrockite could not stop Bradburn from getting over the line.

The last few ends were watched by his wife Emma and three-year-old son Theo and, with his mum Trish in tears, Bradburn said afterwards: “The green was immaculate and although Sam played well, no-one was going to beat me in the final today. Thanks to everyone who stayed to watch and especially my dad (Roy) who is my biggest supporter – this is as much for him as it is for me.”

Bradburn, now back firing on all cylinders after taking a short spell out of the game, defeated past County Merit winner Martin Lloyd (Woore) 21-19 in the semi-finals.

Millward accounted for four-time winner Peter Farmer (St Georges) at the same stage as a large chunk of what had been a decent crowd on a cool day drifted away to watch England’s footballers in the Euros.

All four semi-finalists will represent Shropshire at the British Senior Merit finals just over the Staffs border at Pennfields on July 27 after a day that will live long in the memory of county president Brenda Slingo.

Her former team-mate at Madeley Court, Mabel Finnigan, was also in the spotlight at Bowring as she received a warm round of applause for receiving the British Empire Medal earlier this year in the King’s Honours for her services to bowls.

Bradburn’s biggest scare had come much earlier in the day when he just scraped past Dave Nicholls 21-20 – the Albert Road Exiles man one of 10 non-Premier bowlers who made the last 32 line-up.

But it all came right for the popular Telford man at the end of a day he will never forget, his triumph followed by a flood of congratulatory messages.