Week 13 Preview

Top two face tough away trips, Bylet aim to move off bottom

The top two in the Flowfit Shropshire Premier Bowling League face tough away trips this week. Leaders Meole Brace go to a Burway team who have been excellent at home this season, averaging nearly 11-3 in their 6 home games so far. Meole skipper knows they will have a tough test saying “they are another team playing well at home and picking up a good number of points. They will be up for this match as they are in the cup final on Saturday. We have to show our metal and bring some points back down the A49.” Burway though may have one eye on the cup final the day after but will want t0 have some momentum going into the final against 2nd placed Newport, who face a tricky away trip to Chester Road. Chester Road hammered Wem USC 12-2 on Wednesday, and despite home defeats against the two Shrewsbury sides by a handful of shots, will fancy taking the scalp of the champions. Chester Road captain Martin Lloyd admits “it will be a good test for us but with the practice from the Wednesday home game it will hopefully mean we can get some valuable points.” Chester Road is the only team in the current league that Newport have not won at, so the visitors will be hopeful they can address that tomorrow.

St Georges will be looking to take advantage of the top two having hard away games as they entertain Wem USC. St Georges have an excellent home record against Wem USC, averaging a 12-2 win over them the last 5 seasons so will be hopeful of a similar result. But Wem will be looking to bounce back from their 2 at Chester Road on Wednesday to pick up a few points. The game of the night is down at Sir John Bayley as 3rd placed Ifton take on the 6th placed Bayley. Home captain Tom Roden knows it will be a tough game for them as “in the past Ifton have been hit and miss due to availability but this year they are a threat every week and we won’t be taking them lightly. A win is the aim and 9-5 or better would be a bonus.” But away skipper Dickie Jones knows the Bayley will be a difficult prospect as “they are a good team where we haven’t done so well recently so 4 or 5 winners would be classed as a good result.” The Bayley have beaten Ifton 12-2 the last two years so Ifton will have their work cut out to get the good result they want but they are an improved team in form this season.

Bylet will be hopeful of coming off bottom spot as they entertain a Wrockwardine Wood side who might be weakened by players being in the Isle of Man, and also with Archibald Worthington facing a tough trip to Castlefields. Bylet have picked up recently, winning at Archie and then getting 6 winners at home to Castlefields so may be hopeful of keeping that form up against a Wrockwardine Wood side who have dipped just slightly after a good run, only beating Burway 8-6 at home and then getting 3 at Bowring. However Wrockwardine will still fancy their chances of sneaking an away win on a green where they have had 5 winners at least the last 5 seasons, which has also included 2 wins there. Archie face a hard trip to Castlefields, but Castlefields have been inconsistent this season, beating St Georges 11-3 but then only beating Bowring 8-6 on their last two home games. Archie though have only scored more than 4 winners once in the history of the Premier League there so Castlefields may be hopeful of a good result to move them up from their lowly 10th position.

Bowring v Hadley USC is a concession used by the Bowring, with the game now being played on Wednesday 15th July.

Fixtures:

Chester Road v Newport

Burway v Meole Brace

St Georges v Wem USC

Sir John Bayley v Ifton

Bylet v Wrockwardine Wood

Castlefields v Archibald Worthington

Bowring P-P Hadley USC (Being played on Wednesday 15th July)