The comps keep coming for the League’s bowlers following on from the Fletcher Junior Doubles at Trench at the weekend.
The under-18 knockout attracted 11 pairs to Trench on Saturday 11th July and, after an agonising defeat in last year’s final, Ellis Griffiths and Jack Cooke scorched to the title this time.
The Prince of Wales Hotel and Monkmoor combination, who lost the vital tie 21-20 12 months ago when a big lead went to waste, won an all-Shrewsbury final 21-1 against Emily Hotchkiss and Jack Lawrence on a lightning fast green.
It was so hot that ties were played to a limited number of ends so that players didn’t suffer heat exhaustion ahead of Shropshire’s vital junior match next day, the home leg of which was back at Trench.
The 11-end semi-finals saw Ellis – a Mid Shropshire Senior Merit semi-finalist just last month – and Jack beat new county junior singles champ Jordon Millman & Logan Church 10-3 while Emily & Jack saw off Ellis Reeves & Jacob Brookes 10-7.
Ellis and Jack are pictured receiving the shield from county and League junior selector Brenda Slingo, who announced after the stunning British junior county championship was secured next day with a win over Wales, that she was giving up her Shropshire junior duties – but thankfully not for those with the League alongsdie Spencer Clarke.
The comps keep coming with a first Round Robin on Saturday 18th July at Bowring, with 32 places available for a 10am start to 15-up matches in groups that led to the knockout stages.
Then that night there is the little matter of the Monday Merit finals night at Edgmond from 5.30pm for 16 qualifiers from a record entry of 76. Can’t wait . . .