Pre-Playoff Preview

The pre playoff takes place tonight between Mid-Shropshire Champions Donnington Wood and Market Drayton League Champions Hanmer. These teams took part in last year’s playoffs but were both beaten by Hanwood and did not actually play each other. Hanmer lost by 9 and Donnington 36 which would make Hanmer slight favourites, but Donnington have strengthened this season while Hanmer largely have the same squad that played last year. Hanmer also come in on the back of a great win last night, Dave Ellison saying “our current form is good and a Shropshire Star Cup win last night against a very good Wem USC team means we are going into this game full of confidence. We clinched the league on Friday night after being in pole position all season although Bridgewater took us to the wire. Tonight’s game sees us being pit against the Mid Shropshire Champions Donnington wood who by all accounts seem a really good side. We played them earlier in the season where they came out on top by 35 shots but I wouldn’t read too much into that result at all (as both teams were a few short).” Donnington Wood have a new captain this season with Ayden Smith replacing Chris Worthington, and he comments “the season has been a very successful one, comfortably topping the table with over 300 points and an aggregate of 1,600, and 8 of our players finishing in the top 20 of the averages. The key to our success is the team morale which is what I feel will pull us through the play offs, a mix of youth and experienced can only be a sign of good things. From what I know of Hanmer they are a strong team, they have contested the play offs the last few seasons so we know we are in for a tough game. We don’t have any tactics, our order will be very similar to what we have played all season, we won’t be changing our game for any opponents. Not many of our players have a lot of experience on Meole Brace No.1 at all, but in my opinion that is a good thing as it is a blank canvas, play it as you see it is the saying!”

So get yourself down to Meole Brace for 6.30 p.m to see two of the best teams outside the league scrap for a chance to take on Hadley USC on Friday for the 14th place in the 2017 Flowfit Shropshire Premier Bowling League. Entry is free but there will be a raffle going round with 25% of the total going to Charity, with 25% to Meole Brace and 50% to the league. There will be a new PA system on trial tonight, which if successful, will be bought by the league for future use so the money raised by the raffle will help towards this and hopefully making it a more pleasant and easier event for spectators. The referee tonight is Mike Potter.

There will be updates on Facebook and Twitter, as well as some live action as long as the Internet is good enough!