Taylor Support Shropshire Premier Bowls League
I’d like to start this year’s report saying thank you to all those that have helped me in my first season as secretary of the league. This thank you goes to all the clubs members that have helped throughout this season by inputting squads and results so promptly as well their representatives who have been timely with the admin side of things. Next goes to Mike Beckett, his revolutionary results system is operating across 60 leagues and counting across the country as well as Costa Del Sol Bowls League and the BCGLBA County Championship. Thanks also to the committee for their help this season, I think the league has been as strong as ever at the top by applying the rules in place and looking for ways to tighten up the rules in the league. My predecessor, Mark Burroughs, helped a great deal early on by informing me of what the job entails along with showing me the efficient ways in which he worked.
Highest on my list of thank you’s goes to FLOWFIT for their sponsorship, we have been very fortunate to have sponsors like FLOWFIT and their support shown to us over the years.
The 2015 season was a highlight with champions, NEWPORT, setting a new record of 5 Consecutive Championships. This shows their well-deserved dominance of the last few years by finishing 18 points above Meole Brace and Ifton in second and third respectively. The battle for top 6 and places in the Pool A Premiership Trophy went all the way down to the last night of the season. Fourth place was Sir John Bayley, only 5 points ahead of seventh placed Wrockwardine Wood; between them were Castlefields in fifth and St Georges in sixth. Ifton won the Most Improved Team award being 39 points better off this season than last, their Matches Won tally of 17 was only matched by the Champions and Ifton won more away matches than any other team.
At the opposite end of the table we saw Archibald Worthington finishing bottom, only 3 points short of Bylet. This meant that The Archie had to face the dreaded Playoffs…
The 2015 Playoffs saw previous SPBL club, Donnington Wood, try to get back in the league. They joined Playoff regulars Hanwood and Hanmer in fighting for the right to face Archibald Worthington to get in. Hanwood got through the pre “Play Off” games triumphing over the two other hopefuls Hanmer by 9 chalks and Donnington Wood by 36 chalks. In the Playoff Final, which was well staged at Allscott Bowling Club hosting a crowd of up to 400, Hanwood, helped with a good start including a 21-7 winner, were the victors by 46 shots, the largest win in a Playoff Final. This means that as sad as it is to lose a founder member in Archibald Worthington it is still good to welcome Hanwood back into the league after a 19 year absence.
The Alan Mayhew Trophy next, the final saw the holders, Newport, play Burway at the Pontesbury old Nags Head green. This final went all the way to the end and saw Mick Jones using all of his ability and experience at the end of the match to earn himself the Mike Hinton man of the match award and Newport the victory by only 1 chalk.
The Premiership Trophy was played at the end of the season and the Pool A Final was won by hosts Sir John Bayley on their Top Green by 18 chalks over Ifton. The Bottom Green saw the Pool B final between Hadley USC and Burway, the Ludlowers were victorious in this close encounter by only 3 shots.
Now for the individual awards, Stuart Rutter (Wrockwardine Wood) took the John Coxill Trophy at Allscott beating Tony Rhodes (St Georges) 21-5 in the final. This well attended event (28 entries) showed the young talent in the county too with Jamie King and Justin Pegram reaching the semis. The League Treasurer Robert Burroughs (Hadley USC) was the League Averages winner with 21 wins and an aggregate of +120. “Statto” also won the league MVPs award, receiving the award 9 times from opposing teams. The most consecutive wins trophy was shared this season by Richard Lawson (Bowring) and Nicky Jones (Ifton), both with 13 game winning streaks. The Mike Hinton Pairs winners were Callum Wraight & Luke Jones (Castlefields) defeating Paul Evans & Scott Simpson (Sir John Bayley) 21-17 in the final at Sinclair, this event received 19 entries this year an overwhelming improvement on the previous year’s 4!
This concludes my report. Many thanks for taking the time to read it and I hope you all have a successful season in 2016 onwards.
Martin Gaut
Hon. Secretary 2015