Taylor Support Shropshire Premier Bowls League
The 2016 Fixtures are out and the first night has produced a cracker between the top two from last season, Newport and Meole Brace, with the champions having home advantage. Both teams have lost players so far over the Winter so this could be an important marker for either at the start of the season. New boys Hanwood have been handed a tough trip up the A5 to Ifton, the most improved team last season, who will be looking to build on last season and challenge for the title. Bowring against Castlefields will be an intriguing tie with Bowring the most active in the transfer window so far and Castlefields having a youthful captaincy line-in this season. A clash of two of the most successful teams in the 2000s sees Chester Road play St Georges, while Burway will be looking for revenge against Wrockwardine Wood, the only team to win on their green last season. There is a battle of the United Services Club when Wem take on Hadley, with the Wem green being having improved loads over the Winter, and Sir John Bayley play Bylet.
Hanwood’s first home fixture couldn’t come much tougher playing against the champions Newport, while Meole Brace don’t get it much easier with a tie at home against the Bayley, a team with an excellent record on their green. They also take on a team which beat them on their home green last season, Ifton, in their fourth league game, meaning a tough start for the runners-up from the last four seasons.
There are so many games that are between arch rivals or might be a key game that it’s hard to pick them all out. But Friday 20th May and Friday 19th August does see two derbies in Bowring and the Bayley and Hanwood and Meole Brace, along with St Georges taking on Castlefields, so this promises to be an exciting round of fixtures.
The Wednesday fixture has been moved from the main holiday week of the 1st Wednesday in August to the last Wednesday in June, meaning that you will play the same team on the Friday and then the Wednesday, offering something different for the league.
The last games of the season that could prove pivotal sees champions Newport face a tough trip to Wrockwardine Wood, whilst the Bayley travel to Ifton. Hadley USC v Chester Road could be crucial at the bottom with the other games seeing Hanwood play Wem USC, St Georges versus Bowring, Burway travel to Meole Brace and Bylet taking on Castlefields.