Taylor Support Shropshire Premier Bowls League
Castlefields face tough Newport test, Hadley look to upset, Hanmer face Champions test
Castlefields face Newport in the game of the 1st round of the Barlows Fire & Security Alan Mayhew Trophy. Both teams have featured in one of the last two finals and both will fancy their chances of winning this competition. There will be added spice with Castlefields having won at Newport earlier in the season in the rain, but the drier weather might not help the away side so much this time. Castlefields skipper Keith Walton knows it’s a “tough game for both teams, but we will go all out to win as always.” There are two other clashes involving teams who have won away on their opponent’s green. Burway won on Bowring so will hope to repeat the trick and make the final like they did in 2014, but Bowring will be eager to get one back on the Ludlow side and make their second final themselves. Bylet caused what surely will be the shock result of the season in winning on St Georges in May so will be hopeful of progressing in a competition they have struggled to win a game in recently. St Georges will be looking to make another final after making the KGJ Insurance County Cup final showing they can perform in the cups this season. Ifton are the other finalists and have shown their form in the cup rather than the league. They play Chester Road who beat them comfortably at home a few weeks ago despite Ifton’s good record on their green. Chester Road also have a good record on Ifton so it could be a case of two close home wins.
Hanmer enter the competition as a Premier League club for the first time but face a tough task against League Champions Sir John Bayley. Hanmer captain Dave Ellison is “looking forward to the challenge of playing the Bayley again and hope to give a good account of ourselves. I think the rain we had on Friday has slowed the greens down so it could be which away team copes better with the conditions.” Hanmer did beat the Bayley a month or so ago at home but the Bayley can call on their 6 winners to go there again. Vice-captain Rob Burroughs says “we did pretty well there in the league just dipping out on the aggregate so hoping that we can do the business there again. The green might be a little quicker than then as we’ve had a couple of dry days so we need to adapt as a team there in order to give the home side a platform to build on.” Hadley USC are the invited team in this year’s competition and face local rivals Wrockwardine Wood. Hadley have won in the past on Wrockwardine but Wrockwardine did the double over them last season. Captain Jim Fletcher says “it is a tough game and we will do our best.” Wrockwardine will feel with their home green they can go far in this competition but will be wary of the Mid Shropshire League leaders. Wem USC and Hanwood both have good home greens so it could be a battle of the big home wins. But Hanwood did well at Wem earlier this season with Wem also struggling away. But Wem will hope their good home form will get them through.
Holders Meole Brace have a bye.
A reminder that dress code does apply.
1st round Fixtures:
Hanmer v Sir John Bayley
Meole Brace W/O Donnington Wood
Ifton v Chester Road
Hadley USC v Wrockwardine Wood
Wem USC v Hanwood
Bylet v St Georges
Newport v Castlefields
Burway v Bowring