Week 6 Review

Bylet beat Ifton, Dragons defeat Meole, Hanwood hammer Chester Road

It was a night of big home wins in all but one of the week 5 matches in the Flowfit Shropshire Premier Bowling League. The most eye catching result was Bylet beating league leaders Ifton 11-3. Returning player Scott Harries provided the biggest card of the night, winning 21-2 and earning MVP. For Ifton Darren Lacey was best winner and MVP winning 16. St Georges have joined Ifton in top spot on 52 points after defeating Meole Brace 12-2. Captain Tony Rhodes commented on a “great result and spirit in a fantastic game. Weirdest first four I’ve seen with 2 winners each and all games 21-11. Pete Grimston was immaculate in the corners (to win 11 and MVP) as a stand out for us. Pete Bound was excellent for Meole Brace (winning 11 to be joint best winner with Colin Beaman and earn MVP). The guys then stepped up and won all 8 remaining games including very good performances from Andy Morgan and Simon Madeley (best winner winning 3). Lewis Scott continues to make us smile! I was surprised with the result because Meole are a very good side but on the other hand I know we have it in us to do that!”

The biggest home win of the night was Hanwood beating Chester Road 13-1, a week after Chester Road did the same to Newport! Joint captain Mark Shore was delighted with the win! “A great result for us last night. A week of dry weather and the Hanwood green was in immaculate condition for the home team. First four and game of the night between Tony Hotchkiss and Ian McDonald was a classic. Ian bowled excellent (to win MVP) and led a fantastic lead at 20-19 up with the Jack in a perilous position but Tony called long tapes and the mark was two centimetres short of a mark. This gave Tony the chance to set a tough mark and get out 20. After that the Hanwood experience on the green showed through. Again Danny Wornell produced a superb performance against Mark Holland keeping up his fine start to the season. Into the back and and Rob Jones got off to a good start in his home debut against Martin Lloyd but Martin’s experience showed through and put in a great performance to get the Roader’s only point (winning 10). Ash Wellings at number one ended the Hanwood captain’s curse (11 games without a win for the three captains) with a copper winning 21-3 card. Fellow captain Mark Shore then put in an MVP performance beating the previously unbeaten Andy Moss 21-9. After Chester Road’s fantastic result against the champions last week we were delighted to have put in such a big performance. Now on to take on SJB in the cup on Wednesday and a big game Friday against HUSC!”

Wrockwardine Wood and Wem USC used home advantage well to record 11-3 wins over Hadley USC and Burway respectively. Wrockwardine’s best winners were John Clarke and Martin Williams 7, with new signing Mark Jones gaining MVP for impressing on his first time on the green and winning 15. Hadley captain Rob Burroughs also won 7 to be best winner while James Duce won 16 to be MVP. Colin Smith added another home MVP for Wem USC, winning 8 to be joint best winner with Fred Bailey. Kiah Roberts also won 8 for the visitors, but Peter Griffiths won 20 to be MVP. There was another 11-3 at Newport where they beat Bowring, but it was a close affair with the best card being only 14, Sam Millward and Alan Davidson for the home side. Phil Emery earned MVP for winning 19 while Aaron King won again 17 to be best winner for Bowring but John Cooke got MVP for winning 18. Home captain Mark Selley was happy with “a great result after being 2-2 after the first four. To lose only one game, in which John Roberts was game on against Rob Roden and then went through a narrow gap. was great. Wayne Lawrence was 9-0 down and won in his first Premier game for 6 years!”

The only team to get a good points haul away from home was Sir John Bayley, who got a great 6 at Castlefields. After a shared first four, in which Clay Flattley and Keith Walton won single figures for the home side and Scott Simpson won 11 for the visitors to be their best winner, Castlefields took a 5-3 lead with Mike Beer winning 12 for MVP. But despite Andy Duckett winning 5 the Bayley took the other three winners in the back four, led by Paul Evans 13 MVP win to earn an excellent 6. Captain Spencer Clarke was “delighted to get 6 winners in what was a competitive game played with great spirit by both sides. I didn’t see Alex’s game but he must have played well (to beat Callum Wraight) and to be honest there was some excellent bowling by both teams. A good result for us but we need to back it up next week with a decent performance at home to Wem USC.”

Ifton and St Georges are level at the top on 52 points, with Ifton on top on aggregate. At the bottom Hadley USC are 3 adrift of Wem USC. Aaron King and Alex Jones are the only two players who have won all 6 games, with Paul Evans and Colin Smith joining Aaron and Stuart Rutter on 3 MVPs.