Taylor Support Shropshire Premier Bowls League
Bottom spot and top 6 spots to be decided
There are still many decisive issues to be sorted in the final week of the Flowfit Shropshire Premier Bowling League with only three teams that can’t realistically move up or down the table. The main and crucial issue is bottom spot where Archibald Worthington lead Bylet by 7 points. But Archibald Worthington face a tough trip to Burway, a team who have been excellent at home but are coming off the back of a home defeat by Wrockwardine Wood last time out. Archie got 4 there last year and 3 the year before so will be looking for around that to give themselves a fighting chance to stay off bottom. Bylet though know they can get a good home win at home to 12th place Hadley USC. Hadley have had a poor season compared to last season but did get 5 at Bylet the last two seasons, and Bylet know that they will have to improve on that if they are to have a chance of staying off bottom spot. A reminder that if both teams are level on points then a pre-playoff game is needed to decide who finishes in bottom spot.
The other big issue is who finishes in the top 6 and entry into the Pool A. Newport are confirmed as champions but spots 2nd down to 10th are all to be decided. Meole Brace have a 6 point advantage over Ifton in 2nd place going into their final game at 5th placed Sir John Bayley. The Bayley will be looking for a big win to cement their top 6 place so Ifton could yet sneak 2nd place with a win on their trip to 11th placed Chester Road. Ifton got 6 there last year and with Ifton’s improvement and good winning run they could go close to winning there this time round. Wrockwardine Wood are the most disadvantaged out of those fighting to be in the top 6 as they are face a tough away trip to Castlefields who are just outside the top 6 in 7th. Castlefields know that a 10-4 win by over 48 chalks will seal a top 6 spot but have got players missing due to a wedding so Wrockwardine will be confident that they can get the result they need to finish at least top 6 and maybe higher. St Georges currently in that 6th spot have a tough home game against the Champions Newport and will need to win to make sure they stay at least there. But Newport won there 9-5 last season and will be looking to do that again to end their season on a high.
Bowring versus Wem USC will have a significant effect on who finishes 8th to 10th, with Bowring being a point above Wem in 8th spot. It will have also have a significant effect on who wins the averages too as Bowring’s captain Rich Lawson knows that if he wins he will win them. But if he doesn’t there are still another 7 players who can in one of the closest averages in the history of the league. For the MVPs Rob Burroughs leads on 8 with two players who can still join him, Steve Roberts of Wrockwardine Wood and Paul Williams of Castlefields. The consecutive wins have already been won by Rich Lawson and Nicky Jones on 13.
Week 26 Fixtures:
Bylet v Hadley USC
Burway v Archibald Worthington
Sir John Bayley v Meole Brace
St Georges v Newport
Chester Road v Ifton
Castlefields v Wrockwardine Wood
Bowring v Wem USC