Castlefields are the best of British!
The champions of the Shropshire Premier League, Castlefields, have proved themselves to be the best team in British bowls.
But the World Club Championship which the Shrewsbury crown green kings hoped to win for the first time eluded them on a weekend packed with drama.
It started perfectly with success in the British Super Cup finals day on Saturday at Littleover, in Derby, when the Fielders edged out the George & Dragon by seven shots in a close eight-a-side 31-up final.
“Castlefields won the Super Cup to become the first Shropshire club to do so since the competition for the Arthur Land Trophy came back in 2014,” said Rob Burroughs on behalf of the knockout organising team.
Despite early wins by Rich Goddard (31-25) and stand-in skipper Jon Palmer (31-26), the Salopians trailed by 12 after the front four of the crunch clash.
But Tom Palmer (31-23) and Callum Wraight (31-25) soon put them in front.
It was left to Ash Wellings to get the chalk that secured the triumph in his 31-23 win while last man Adie Rowe got 30 to make sure after a semi-final scare against the Greville Arms.
Castlefields rallied from 21 down off three to win that tie by 15, Wraight recovering from 2-10 down to win 31-17 while young Rhys Marshall enjoyed a great win against Darren Plenderleith 31-25.
But 24 hours later, after an early start to get to Spen Victoria in Cleckheaton, Yorkshire, the double dream of a world crown ended in the quarter-finals. Castlefields had just two winners from eight games in Wraight (21-11) and Wellings (21-14) as they lost to eventual title winners Crossgates of Leeds by 25 shots.
Shropshire Premier stars including Clay Flattley and Nick Jones were in action for Wrexham-based Esclusham on Sunday and they reached the semi-finals by beating Castle Sports by 16, only to lose to Greville by 11 after the eight games were shared.
