Taylor Support Shropshire Premier Bowls League
Tomorrow sees the first of possibly three pre-playoff games between Tanners Shropshire League Champions Hanwood and Market Drayton League Winners Hanmer ,with potential Mid-Shropshire League Champions Donnington Wood waiting to take on both teams if they are successful in winning their league. But Friday night will all about two teams who have are no strangers to the playoffs, having played in them 5 times, as they clash on St Georges bottom green at 7 p.m. with Mike Potter as referee and competitions secretary John Coxill in charge.
Hanwood have managed their squad well this season, having 16 players eligible (look below for the list) as they won the Tanners Shropshire League comfortably. Joint captain Mark Shore will be hoping that this rotation will enable him to select a 12 suitable for the bottom green on St Georges. “Myself and fellow joint captains Ash Wellings and Mark Parsons and the rest of Hanwood BC are looking forward to Friday’s match with our friends from Hanmer. With our recent history we have developed a massive amount of respect for Dave and his team and think without doubt they are one of the best outfits outside of the premier league. We expect real tough game and very much doubt there will be more than 15 chalks between the teams come the end of the game, time will tell which way. Since last years playoffs we have added to our squad three players with premier league experience in Tony Hotchkiss, Nick Davies and Phil Price. We hope with our experience of the playoffs and these additions we will finally make the push into the premier. Our team will also include the newly crowned Waterloo champion Greg Smith. We wish Hanmer all the best but obviously there can only one winner come 9:30 Friday.”
Hanmer have also rotated their squad having 16 players available for the game. Captain Dave Ellison says “the game will bring forward a match predicted by many back in March this year. I think it’s a great testimony to both sides that they have won their respective leagues again. We, like Hanwood, have a few new faces this season and stalwart Lee Peate who came out of the Premier this season to help us reach the playoff position and hopefully make it back into the premier with Hanmer. I predict a very tight game and it’s a shame that the losers will have to possibly try again next year because both teams would comfortable hold their own in the Premier League.”
Whatever happens the game promises to be a close affair like it has been in previous years, but both teams know it is the only a small step on the way to becoming a Premier League club.
Hanwood Players Eligible:
| Pos | Player | Played | Won | Lost | Agg |
| 1 | Wayne Phillips | 19 | 16 | 3 | 113 |
| 2 | Dave Burton | 16 | 14 | 2 | 154 |
| 3 | Mark Shore | 17 | 13 | 4 | 81 |
| 4 | Ash Wellings | 19 | 13 | 6 | 72 |
| 5 | Carl Bowers | 18 | 12 | 6 | 68 |
| 6 | Danny Wornell | 19 | 11 | 8 | 35 |
| 7 | Phil Lyttle | 17 | 11 | 6 | 31 |
| 8 | Tony Hotchkiss | 15 | 10 | 5 | 88 |
| 9 | Russell Wellings | 18 | 10 | 8 | 59 |
| 10 | Nick Davies | 17 | 10 | 7 | 47 |
| 11 | Dave Payne | 16 | 9 | 7 | 26 |
| 12 | Mark Parsons | 11 | 8 | 3 | 60 |
| 13 | Steve France | 13 | 7 | 6 | 28 |
| 14 | Phil Talbot | 10 | 6 | 4 | 16 |
| 15 | Greg Smith | 6 | 5 | 1 | 58 |
| 16 | Phil J Price | 8 | 5 | 3 | 28 |
Hanmer:
| Pos | Player | Played | Won | Lost | Agg |
| 1 | Dave Ellison | 22 | 18 | 4 | 146 |
| 2 | Lee Peate | 19 | 16 | 3 | 110 |
| 3 | Jack Butler | 17 | 14 | 3 | 131 |
| 4 | Alan Faulkner | 22 | 13 | 9 | 60 |
| 5 | Mike Gilpin | 15 | 11 | 4 | 103 |
| 6 | Adrian Smout | 16 | 10 | 6 | 10 |
| 7 | Graham Bennett | 10 | 9 | 1 | 87 |
| 8 | Joey Williams | 12 | 9 | 3 | 50 |
| 9 | Gaz Jones | 8 | 7 | 1 | 55 |
| 10 | Melvin Jenkins | 11 | 7 | 4 | 38 |
| 11 | Mathew Scott | 10 | 7 | 3 | 19 |
| 12 | Andrew Armstrong | 7 | 6 | 1 | 18 |
| 13 | Robin Bennett | 6 | 5 | 1 | 37 |
| 14 | Dan Hughes | 6 | 4 | 2 | 16 |
| 15 | Martin Jones | 9 | 4 | 5 | 2 |
| 16 | Marcus Hughes | 7 | 3 | 4 | -5 |