Taylor Support Shropshire Premier Bowls League
St Georges look to use home advantage, Hadley look for win, Meole face champs test
St Georges look to make home advantage count tonight in week 15 of the Flowfit Shropshire Premier Bowling League as they play surprise league leaders Chester Road. St Georges are only two points off top and with only having played 6 games at home so far out of 14 they are well placed in the league table. Chester Road in contrast have had 8 home games but have made that count as they lead the table, and will be hoping that their away form will help them stay up the top end of the table. Captain Paul Fowles knows “it will be a tough game but we could not be in better form.” Sir John Bayley are second and will be looking for a second away win at the Bylet, a team who hasn’t won since May. The Bayley made the most of Hadley’s trouble taking 23 points from their two games against them and will be hoping to continue that form to stay near the top of the table. Bylet need to get back to the form that beat Ifton 11-3 at home but this weather won’t be helping getting pace into their home green. They are now only 8 clear of Hadley USC, another team that hasn’t won since May, but they will be looking to start to get to winning ways when they take on Wem USC. Captain Rob Burroughs knows “June wasn’t a good month for us but again it’s the same old story, we keep losing the close games. Against the Bayley at home we lost four or five games 17 or above and if we had won most of them it would have been a good result. We must have lost about 20 more close games this season so this is why we are down there. It’s a case of closing them out and getting that little bit of luck we have lacked this season. Still 12 games to go and 168 points to play for!”
Meole Brace are in 4th place but face a tough test at home to the Champions Newport. Meole’s form has picked up in recent weeks, and with their Alan Mayhew Trophy win a week ago, have some momentum behind them, especially given their 8 points at the Bowring on Wednesday. Captain Mark Thomas comments “Mark Selley (captain of Newport) brings his side to us on Friday no doubt hoping to take a good score away with him. We will be pushing for a double figure win to keep us in the hunt, hopefully it will be achievable.” Castlefields are still looking to win consistently well at home, which joint captain Callum Wraight admits. “By our own expectations we are a little bit disappointed. We have only been scraping in 8-6 wins at home and that will be a key focus over the second half of the season.” Bowring scrambled a draw at home to Meole Brace on Wednesday and will need to do better than when they didn’t get a winner on Castlefields in their Black Tech Ltd Alan Mayhew Trophy Semi Final tie. Wrockwardine Wood will be looking for another big home win that they got last Friday, 12-2 against Wem USC, as they entertain Burway. Burway have picked up some good points away from home, including a win at Hadley and 6 at Chester Road, so will be hoping to continue their good record at Wrockwardine, they have scored 5 and 6 there in their three seasons in the league.
Ifton versus Hanwood has been postponed as a result of Wales playing Belgium tonight. It will be played on Sunday 24th July at 6 p.m.
Week 15 Fixtures:
St Georges v Chester Road
Bylet v Sir John Bayley
Hadley USC v Wem USC
Meole Brace v Newport
Castlefields v Bowring
Wrockwardine Wood v Burway
Hanwood P-P Ifton (to be played on Sunday 24th July)