Taylor Support Shropshire Premier Bowls League
Second & Third Meet, Fields look to take advantage, Bowring look to bounce back
Second and third place collide in Gamweek 12 of the Salop Leisure Shropshire Premier Bowling League. Sir John Bayley travel to Meole Brace with both teams on a high after good results last week and will know that they need to keep up with Castlefields who start three straight home games. They take on Chester Road first who are reeling after their shock defeat to Hanmer last week and know they need to start producing results if they are to keep away from trouble. The fields will want to improve on their last home result, a 10-4 win over Wrockwardine Wood, to take full advantage of the two other playing each other. Sir John Bayley vice-captain Rob Burroughs admits “we need to make sure we keep in contact with Castlefields as they have three home games on the row. But if we can get a good result tonight and then get two good home wins ourselves then we can do so. We must keep them in sight but Meole will be saying the same thing!”
Hanwood in 4th start three straight away games as they try and battle to stay near the top. Joint Captain Mark Shore comments “we start a run of three away fixtures on the trot. We are hoping we can carry the form we showed at Ifton to try and pick up points to keep in touch with the top end of the table. The first fixture sees us against familiar opponents in Burway. We know this is a very tough fixture but we have plenty of experience on their green so who knows.” Burway will want to build on their away win at Bowring as they return back home where they have done very well this season, and currently sit well placed in 7th. Newport are a team in form but face a trip into the unknown by going to Hanmer, which will be made more difficult by the weather and the form of their opponents. Hanmer will be very confident after their win at Chester Road last week and their early troubles seem like ages ago. Newport have won twice away this season already and will be confident themselves of getting a good score there.
St Georges are in 6th after their home win over Ifton and travel to Bowring who are struggling after their last two results. Bowring vice-captain Rob Roden knows it’s “always a tough game for us against St Georges, they are a top club with lots of class players. We will obviously want a home win and need to bounce back from the home defeat to Burway and our single winner at Hanwood. For a Premier League team we have a very young inexperienced side so we are learning all the while. We have some wiser heads in the side who steady the ship for us. It should be a decent atmosphere around the green and hope we can do ourselves justice.” St Georges skipper Tony Rhodes says “both sides are inconsistent this term. If Bowring produce their A game then it’s a tough proposition. If we perform and play well then there’s points to be had so watch this space!”
There are a couple of key clashes with four of the bottom five meeting. Wem USC need a good home win after poor results in their last three, including a home loss to Newport, and face a Bylet side who have suffered two home defeats in a row, albeit against the top two. Bylet have a good record there, even getting a win, so will hope they can gain a good result there. Ifton play Wrockwardine Wood who are just above them in the table eager to start winning big at home with only their 11-3 opening win over Newport a double points haul this season. Wrockwardine got 4 in their last away game at Castlefields and did win in St Martins two seasons ago and would love to repeat that.
Gameweek 12 Fixtures:
Meole Brace v Sir John Bayley
Castlefields v Chester Road
Ifton v Wrockwardine Wood
Hanmer v Newport
Burway v Hanwood
Bowring v St Georges
Wem USC v Bylet