Taylor Support Shropshire Premier Bowls League
Top two earn great away results, Wrockites stun Newport, Fletch inspires Bayley
The top two Meole Brace and St Georges earned excellent away results on Friday with both picking up 8 points but in two different ways. In one of the most unusual results we’ll see this season Meole Brace picked up 8 winners at Castlefields but lost the aggregate by 9. Mark Thomas was “happy to win the close games” as Meole took 3 19s and a 20 winner in their 8, with Nigel Bound being the best winning to 7 and Darren Wellings earning MVP in winning 11. But Castlefields’ winners were big, Paul Williams and Graham Wall to 5, the latter winning MVP, and Callum Wraight 10 and Rich Goddard 14, meaning they secured the aggregate in effectively a 6-8 win.
St Georges did it the more convential way at Bowring, having 6 winners and winning the aggregate, but only just. Winning captain Tony Rhodes said they “took advantage of a green with some hold in it” as they took two winners in the front, one of them their best winner Mike Wainwright who won 6. But this was cancelled out by best winner Rich Lawson for the home side to 8. St Georges then took three in the middle to gain a 5-3 lead, Tony Rhodes leading with a 11 win and the MVP award, but Bowring hit back to make it all square on aggregate with Dave Lloyd earning MVP winning 11 and go 6-5 up on games with Mark Taylor and Simon Rhodes left on the green at 14 across. Simon won 18 to win the game for St Georges and Tony was full of praise for his brother coming in for his first premier game of the season and winning them the game.
Newport lost ground to the top two as they suffered another 10-4 away defeat at Wrockwardine Wood. Home captain Stuart Clee said “it was a superb team performance in beating the champions in that manor which reinforces my comments I made earlier in the week. Wrockwardine Wood will not be an easy place to come and play this year and with the attitude and application we showed tonight we gave a real confident performance.” Stuart was full of praise for best winner Andy Jones who earned another MVP award this week winning to 7, and Josh Cotton who “looked like a more competent premier player” in beating Staffordshire County Player Kev Keary. Rob Jones beating Alan Davidson first four 20 set the tone for the night as they 6-2 up despite Dave Rhodes winning 14 for best winner and MVP for the champions. Newport snatched two vital 19 wins at the back, Jamie King and Pete Farmer prevailing. Stuart commented “overall I can’t be more pleased with the team and the results, and I know there is more to come!”
The closest game of the night was at the Bylet where Sir John Bayley prevailed by 2 shots where debutant Jamie Fletcher “was the star of the night” according to away captain Tom Roden as he won to 9 to earn the MVP award. “He was clearly nervous before but once he got on the green he looked and played like a premier regular.” The Bayley were 36 up after 7 games but a spirited Bylet came roaring back with last year’s joint MVP winner Matthew Ealey winning it again and the best win to 6 to force Paul Reeves and Tom Roden to claw the chalks back against Mick Harries and Rob Steventon respectively to earn a narrow win for the Bayley boys, which may inspire them to kick start their season.
In the battle of the United Services Clubs Hadley got the better of Wem 10-4. It was 2-2 after the first four, with Jamie Wyer being best winner and earning the MVP award winning to 7, but Hadley took three of the middle, with Jim Fletcher sharing the coppers with Jamie, and the back four to gain a good result on a heavy green. Mike Dulson was best winner for Wem winning 10, whilst Scott Thomas and Steve Homer had a real good game with Scott running the block for two at 20-19 down to get the win and the MVP award.
Burway will be happy with their 11-3 result against Chester Road, with the two Partridges shining. Both Jolyon and Josh won 6 for best winner, but it was Dad Jolyon who took the MVP. Andy Moss won 11 whilst Mark Burdon continued his impressive 100% record winning 15 and Chris Nicholson got MVP for winning to 19.
Archibald Worthington and Ifton’s game was called off due to the inclement weather.
So at the top Meole Brace and St Georges are still two points apart, but Newport are not 5 behind the Dragons. Only 7 points separate 4th to 12th in a congested mid table while Bylet and Archibald are separated by two points, but Archie have a game in hand.