Pace Hots Up

This photo shows a tall sign saying halfway, with grass hedges and a grey road by the sign.

In the blink of an eye – or so it seems – we are at the halfway point of the 2022 season and the pace is really starting to hot up.

The venues for the Senior Merit on Saturday 30th July and the Under-25 Merit on Saturday 20th August have now been finalised by organiser Phil King and can be found in Competitions News.

Wednesday 10th August is quarter-finals night in the main Harris Cup and semi-finals time in the Ashton Cup for Monday division teams, with the consolation KO for the Ashton Shield starting on Wednesday 27th July. And the good news is that new Highley secretary Richard Green has found the Harris Cup lurking in a cupboard in club pavilion and has returned it!

Then, a week after the final fixtures of the campaign are played, Bridgnorth have agreed to host the annual ladies versus gents challenge match for the Dave Ellis Shield. on Friday 30th September.

Dave, who started the computer revolution with regards to bowls results last century (!), was a member of Bridgnorth so it is only fitting that this fun game is played there this time around.

Looking further ahead, make a note of the date of Saturday 21st January 2023 . . . as that’s when the League’s annual presentation dinner is poised to return!

General secretary Malcolm Fletcher reported to the July executive meeting:  “I have already sent a letter of congratulations to Sinclair but I’d like to place on my record my thanks to that club for all they did to make Mike Potter’s County Senior Merit finals day last month such a special one. Very well done to Dave Evans of Trench too for being named one of two Unsung Heroes on the day.

“The thanks of the League also go to Wrockwardine Wood for acting as the perfect hosts as we staged the Shropshire veterans inter-league championship. Without clubs like this giving us use of their facilities we simply can’t play our part on the county stage.

“On the subject of young bowlers, there are new junior inter league shirts on the way thanks to Sinclair member Kerry Millman, to be first used at the 2022 Shropshire championship on Sunday 11th September.

 “With no League meeting in August, I am planning to call an officers / sub group meeting to discuss some of the ideas we will be talking about later on the agenda – and Steve Wall’s idea for a new 6-a-side division on Thursday afternoons for men and women of all ages.”