Taylor Support Shropshire Premier Bowls League
Newport eye summit for first time, Archie eye moving off the bottom
Week 14 of the Flowfit Shropshire Premier League could see a change at the top and bottom of the league. Current leaders Meole Brace face a tough trip to Bowring, the most improved team of the season so far. Meole have never won at Bowring but could do with doing so as the team one point behind them, current champions Newport, face an easier trip to 13th placed Bylet. Newport have won there the last four years and with two players who play on a Tuesday in the Highley League at the Bylet will fancy their chances of a good win. But Bylet’s form has improved recently, beating Wrockwardine Wood and getting 6 off the Bayley and Castlefields. Meole may be helped with three of Bowring’s players unavailable; Jack France, Mark Taylor and Andy Morgan. So home captain Rich Lawson admits “it’s going to be a difficult game as Meole are up there for a reason. I’m sure those who are coming into the side will give it everything but i will take any kind of win against such a good team.”
Down the road from Bowring sees a clash of Telford teams as Wrockwardine Wood travel to Sir John Bayley. Wrockwardine won there 8-6 last season and for this reason home skipper Tom Roden is wary of them. “They played the green very well last year and maybe we underestimated them as they were struggling at the time, but this year I know we can’t.” Wrockwardine should hopefully welcome back players who missed last week due to holidays and the Isle of Man Festival which will help their cause, however those like Steve Downs who stepped up and won last week may have done enough to retain their place. Another team welcoming back players from the Isle of Man Festival is Castlefields, who missed Callum Wraight and Rich Goddard last week. However they did beat Archibald Worthington 12-2 and will hope for a similar score against another Whitchurch team in Chester Road. But Chester Road have done well away this season, only scoring less than 4 once so will be a tough proposition down at Queen Street.
Archibald Worthington will be hoping it is only a week long stay at the bottom of the league as they host Wem USC. With Bylet’s tough game against the champions they will hope to be able to overtake them. Their home form has been up and down with beating Meole Brace and losing to the Bylet but will be hoping they can find more consistency there. Wem’s last trip to Whitchurch was a 12-2 defeat down the road at Chester Road and they will be hoping for a few more points to push them up the table. Two teams who have impressed the most this season meet at Burway where Ifton make the long trip down the A5 and A49. Burway have been decent at home, averaging more than 10 points a game but Ifton have had some good scores away, 5 last week at the Bayley and 6s at Bowring and St Georges so something has to give down in Ludlow. Ifton will hope to have new Welsh Merit Champion Leighton Roberts back in their side as he was busy reaching the Isle of Man final last Friday.
St Georges have used their concession against Hadley USC, with the game to be played on Wednesday 22nd July.
Week 14 Fixtures
Bylet v Newport
Archibald Worthington v Wem USC
Bowring v Meole Brace
Burway v Ifton
Sir John Bayley v Wrockwardine Wood
Castlefields v Chester Road
St Georges P-P Hadley USC (To be played Wednesday 22nd July)