County’s Premier class go chasing big bowls prizes

The Premier Merit finals take place at Tilstock tonight from 6.30pm and tomorrow five of the league’s biggest names take aim at the Champion Champions title on its 50th anniversary.

Owley Wood at Weaverham – just off the A49 – is the venue for men’s Champions day, but first there’s a £300 first prize to battle it out for tonight at the Whitchurch area village club, the scene of the Premier’s first Merit finals 30 years ago.

And county No.1 Callum Wraight, who celebrated his 38th birthday yesterday by playing in the finals of the Talbot Trophy in Blackpool, has his sights set on triumphing both tonight and tomorrow.

The Castlefields king claimed his 21st big money title of the campaign when he won the Rastrick Classic by beating Simon Coupe 21-18 at the weekend, but he lost in the last 16 of the Autumn Waterloo at Fleetwood when beaten by the same score by the eventual title winner, Gareth Coates of Yorkshire, on Tuesday.

He’s the 6/4 favourite to take a crown he’s never won at Tilstock tonight, the quarter-final draw being Jamie King v Gary Whitehall, Ton Roden v Joe Killen, Wraight v Liam Stevens, Scott Harries v Rich Lawson.

Then tomorrow Wraight takes on arch rival Greg Smith (Wrockwardine Wood) in round one of the Champion of Champions while County Merit winner Josh Bradburn (St Georges) has the task of taking on Yorkshire big gun Chris Mordue.

Wraight, Smith and Mordue are past winners of the Champions honour and also in the hunt tomorrow are Ifton star Leighton Roberts and Isle of Man June Festival winner Jon Palmer of Castlefields.

Ifton will be another packed venue tomorRow as the St Martins club hosts its annual open pairs for the Malcolm Hughes Memorial Trophy, a full house of 32 pairs chasing a £400 first prize.