Week 14 Preview

Leaders face champs test, Meole travel to Bowring, Bayley and Chester Road aim to close gap

The leaders St Georges face a Champions test in week 14 of the Flowfit Shropshire Premier Bowling League as they travel to Newport. They currently are four points clear after beating them 11-3 last week and will be looking for a good haul to keep them at the top. Newport captain Mark Selley knows “it is a tough game ahead as St Georges have quality bowlers and are playing well together. All we can do is try and keep our home record going.” Meole Brace, in 2nd, also face a tough test as they travel to Bowring, but are helped by the fact that two of their bowlers are practising the green for the County, as well as the fact they won their first ever Premier League Trophy on Saturday. This gives “us a chance to follow Saturday’s triumph with another competitive game” according to captain Mark Thomas. “Rich Lawson has given good younger players long runs in the team and his vision is paying off. They are a together side who don’t lose big away and have scored good points at home. We will have to be at our best to get a result.” Bowring will be looking to match or better the 10-4 loss they had at Meole on Friday, a result which would take them back above the visitors.

The two teams locked in 3rd place on 101 will be looking to take advantage of the tough trips for the top two as they host the bottom two. Sir John Bayley play Hadley USC after beating them 11-3 away last week and will be looking for something similar this week. Hadley are nine points off bottom, and will be looking to better Bylet’s result at Chester Road, a team that is on a roll at the moment. Chester Road have scored 43 points from their last 4 games and will be looking for their third 13-1 win of the season at home. Bylet after a good start are winless since they won at Wrockwardine Wood in Week 8, so will be looking for as many points as possible to keep out of trouble at the bottom. Castlefields will be looking for a good home win as they host Hanwood. Castlefields were missing key players on Friday but still managed to get 5 at the Cock Inn and will be looking for more of the same from their last home game against the Bylet, where they won 12-2. But Hanwood have got better and better on the road and will have good green knowledge of the Fields’ green, so will be looking for a few points to take home.

Ifton enjoyed their best home win of the season since their opening 14-0 win but face a tough trip to Burway. Captain Dickie Jones knows “they are a good home side. With some of our players getting their form back it would be good to perform better away than we have so far this season.” Ifton have yet to win away since their win at Hadley in week 2, a contrast to their away form last season when they won 8 away, and know if they are to get back near the top they need to return to that form. Burway will be looking to bounce back from their home loss against Meole Brace in their last home game, and will hope they will be buoyed by the fact they have the new Shropshire Merit champion Wayne Rogers in their ranks. Ifton won at Burway in 2014 but the other two results were big home wins, so it could be interesting which way it goes. Wem USC will be looking to bounce back after their 12-2 defeat at Wrockwardine Wood last week when they host them. Captain Mike Dulson “will be looking to bounce back tomorrow on home turf. Looking at the weather forecast for the next two days heavy rain is expected so this may make the tie more difficult. Wrockwardine played extremely well on Friday, far better than their current league position shows. However we have been playing well at home recently and we’ll be looking to continue this form.” Wrockwardine will be looking to continue moving up the table after a disappointing run of form and match last year’s finish.

Week 14 Fixtures:

Bowring v Meole Brace

Newport v St Georges

Sir John Bayley v Hadley USC

Chester Road v Bylet

Castlefields v Hanwood

Burway v Ifton

Wem USC v Wrockwardine Wood