One of the titles the League is so proud to win is now safely back in Mid Shropshire hands.

The League’s over-60 bowlers regained the Shropshire veterans inter-league championship with a sparkling, unbeaten display at Old Shrewsbury.

Captained for the first time by Ian Evans, they landed the Derek Wright Shield for the first time since 2018 by beating the B team of hosts Tanners Shropshire in scorching sunshine on Saturday 10^th June.

Having conquered Tanners A and Whitchurch A in their eight-a-side round robin group, Mid Shropshire romped to victory in the final of the Shropshire Verti-Drain-sponsored event by 37 shots, 156-119.

Phil Harris was a 21-7 star on the No.2 green where Pete Burd also won 21-13, Ian Evans himself to 14 and Les Mumford ran out from 17-10 down to make it a clean sweep.

Over on the No.1, Charlie Wilde and Tony Parsons managed Tanners B’s only wins with 21-15 cards as John Clarke (21-10) and Dave Brown (21-16) made sure of the Mid Shropshire triumph.

“It was a hard day on two tough greens, but well worthwhile as the guys bowled their socks off and it paid off – a tremendous day for us all,” said a delighted skipper Ian.

Tanners league chairman Andy Jones thanked Old Shrewsbury for their hospitality before asking league and county secretary, Dawn Grey to make the presentation.

Mid Shropshire’s closest game on the day was a four chalk group win over Tanners A, with Tony Roche’s 21-12 the best of their five winners, while Tanners B defeated Whitchurch B and Shropshire Ladies to top their table.

OUR PICTURE shows host league secretary Dawn Gay handing the Derek Wright Shield to Ian Evans – and the whole squad is pictured in a post under Competitions

For full details please see the competition results section of the SCGBA website

It’s all systems go for the League tomorrow – Saturday 10th June – on two fronts.

First, a team led by new captain Ian Evans will head for Old Shrewsbury and the 2023 Shropshire veterans inter-league championship, starting at 10am.

Then at 6pm, at Sir John Bayley, the League’s Under-25 Merit will be staged on the bottom No.1 green with organiser taking entries at £5 each on the day. Sadly, reigning champion Aaron King is unavailable to defend the crown.

Madeley CC bowler Ian and his veterans squad have had to put up with seemingly endless confusion surrounding the running of the over-60 event tomorrow.

The late withdrawal of the Shropshire Premier League entry and doubts about the participation of the Shropshire Ladies team were the main concerns for the organisers.

That’s the duty of the hosting Tanners Shropshire League who, in the circumstances, opted to leave the draw for the group stages of the eight-a-side competition until the last minute.

Dawn Gray, the secretary of both the Tanners league and county association, confirmed that the Tanners will now be entering two teams, with the aim of having two round groups of three sides in each and the winners to contest the final.

Tony Roche, PICTURED with the veterans shield in 2016 and then County President Phil Scott after three straight successes, is a member of the Mid Shropshire squad along with fellow past captain Peter Spragg, Dave Brown, Les Mumford, John Clarke, Pete Burd, Phil Harris and Ian Delves.

Member club Trench are planning to mark their centenary in style this year.

A special day to celebrate the 100th birthday will be held on the Sunday of the August Bank Holiday weekend, with long-serving secretary and groundsman David Evans having solved the club’s long-standing problem with parking by organising two available sites nearby.

Trench – voted to have the best green in Telford last year – will bring down the curtain on the special season by hosting the League’s annual ladies v gents challenge match and then their Open Mixed Doubles on Sunday, October 8.

Limited to 32 pairs at £20 – one homester allowed per pair – there are qualifiers at 9.30am and 1pm with the last eight to play for a £300 first prize from 5pm, bookings to Lucy Evans on 07359-202580.

Meanwhile, all 32 places in the revised Bowring Open on October 1 have been taken and the organisers of the first LLP Open at Bylet have launched a big push to get closer to filling the 64 available spaces in the one-dayer on July 9.

Comps Details

Wenlock Olympian Society doubles KO at Much Wenlock on Sunday, June 25 – Maximum of 32 pairs at £10 each, entries to Bob Mumford on 01952-727138, 07539-955576 (email [email protected]).

LLP Open at Bylet – 64 spaces in one-dayer on Sunday, July 9, sponsored by County Loos with £600 for winner and revised prize money list. Entry £20, no home bowlers, bookings to Steve Reeves on 07946-612912.

Wenlock Olympian Society singles KO at Broseley – on Sunday, July 9, from 10.30am. £5 to enter, names to Gail Hall on 07825-641814 ([email protected]) by June 30.

Competitions continue to come thick and fast for Mid Shropshire bowlers to consider entering – and it’s not just events promoted by the League either.

New comps sec Rob Burroughs will re-launch the Mid Shropshire Mixed Doubles on Saturday 3rd June at Edgmond with a 10am start.

Entries will be taken on the day before that time but Rob is taking them in advance on 07901 229623.

“The entry fee is £10 per pair but this does not need to be paid yet as it will be invoiced to clubs later on in the season,” explained Rob.

It’s another big weekend for village club Edgmond and their award winning green,

For on Sunday they have an open charity singles knockout with entries costing £5 and the winner to receive the Richard Chesters Memorial  Trophy. Names will be taken until 10.45am before an 11 o’clock start.

Also coming up on the local comps scene are twp chances to win Olympic gold medals . . .

COMPS CORNER

Wenlock Olympian Society doubles KO at Much Wenlock on Sunday, June 25 – Maximum of 32 pairs at £10 each, entries to Bob Mumford on 01952-727138, 07539-955576 (email [email protected]).

Wenlock Olympian Society singles KO at Broseley – on Sunday, July 9, from 10.30am. £5 to enter, names to Gail Hall on 07825-641814 ([email protected]) by June 30.

LLP Open at Bylet – 64 spaces in one-dayer on Sunday, July 9, sponsored by County Loos with £600 for winner and revised prize money list. Entry £20, no home bowlers, bookings to Steve Reeves on 07946-612912.

Edgmond Open Mixed Doubles – for 32 pairs on Saturday, August 12. Entry £25, qualifiers at 9.30am and 1.30pm, last eight to receive prize money with £250 for winners. Contact Sarah Gleholmes on 07792-428685.

Record numbers – for this century! – are entering League competitions this season as it enjoys a welcome post pandemic bounce.

Interest in the Harris and Ashton Cups is up and there were 20 entries in the Over-60 Merit at Donnington Wood on Saturday 20^th May – the highest number since the comp was launched in 2016.

A sunshine day sure helped and the bowler who finished the day most tanned was Ian Gaut (see Competiton News for full scores).

The former League secretary, made a Life Member in 2020, triumphed at one his former haunts and is pictured after getting his hands on the Ray & Jeff Hutchinson Trophy.

League chiefs now hope for increased interest in the next event, the Junior Day – with Under-18 Merit, Under-15 Merit and Fletcher Doubles – on Saturday 24th June from 11am, venue tbc by organiser Rob Burroughs.

Can Sinclair bowler Dave Brown be a hat-trick hero in a League Merit as Trench celebrate the easing of their parking problems?

That’s the question for tomorrow – Saturday 20^th May – as the Over-60s crown goes up for grabs at Donnington Wood from 2pm (entries taken on the day).

Dave won the inaugural competition in 2016 and was champion again last year, receiving the Ray & Jeff Hutchinson Trophy – as pictured.

That trophy was donated to the League by Jeff, the former secretary, president and life member of the league who sadly passed in March – so it will be a poignant day.

Meanwhile, Trench club secretary Dave Evans is delighted to report: “Following discussions with the owners of the New Inns MOT & Service Centre, Trench BC are pleased to announce that the owners have kindly agreed that bowlers can use their forecourt for parking on match nights and Sundays.

“The post code is TF2 6PF and it is just 150 metres from the bowling green.

“In recent years The Kitchen Depot have allowed us to use their car park, and we can continue to use this facility on match nights only (not Saturday & Sunday).

“For many years, due to our location, parking has always been an issue for both our members and visiting teams.

“Hopefully, this additional parking will help to ease the problem, and we would encourage all visitors to make use of these facilities’.

‘We would like to thank the New Inns MOT & Service Centre and The Kitchen Depot for their help and support.”

Extra, extra . . . read all about it! The first MSBL Newsletter has now been emailed direct to all club secretaries.

The Newsletter – designed and compiled by fixture secretary John Palmer – has been produced in place of the monthly League meetings that were consigned to history this year.

Its production honours the pledge of the officers made at the AGM and it contains their reports, news from around the League and diary dates. Feedback would be appreciated.

And it will be available for all the League’s bowlers to see via download on this site, under the Admin icon

Her opponents hit a brick wall was the tribute paid to Ellie Wall as she made League history.

It came from Mid Shropshire President Mike Potter as he saluted the Wrockwardine Wood bowler as the first winner of the Monday Divisions Merit, the new competition launched for players bowling primarily in teams in divisions four, five and six.

Ellie, who has just returned to playing after a seven-year break, raced to a 21-6 victory over Bowring’s Steve Hendy in the Bank Holiday Monday final played on the No.1 green at the Sir John Bayley Club.

“Fair play to Ellie, she bowled superb all night and was the deserved winner,” said a magnanimous Steve, adding to Mike’s words of praise at the presentation buffet that followed the action.

Former Shropshire junior Ellie, a member of the Wood squad that won the British Ladies club championship last month, beat Ian Bates of Hadley USC in her semi-final on her way to a £55 first prize.

At the same stage former Premier League bowler Steve was a 21-17 victor over another returnee to the game, Emma Chetwood of Newport, in front of a crowd of around 50 on a warm but damp night.

Quarter-final scores – Bates 21 Leila James (Bowring) 18; Wall 21 Patrick Evans Jnr  (Newport) 8; Hendy 21 Michael Furness (Shifnal) 12; Chetwood 21 Paul Mills (Shifnal) 18.

OUR PICTURE shows the history makers – Monday Merit winner Ellie Wall and runner-up Steve Hendy

More League history will be made tomorrow – Monday 8^th May – when the first finals of the new Monday Divisions Merit are played.

Wellington’s Sir John Bayley Club from 6pm is the place to be as 8 bowlers who play primarily in divisions four, five and six on Monday evenings will battle it out for a trophy donated by League President Mike Potter.

It will be the second trophy donated in two years by Mike (PICTURED) after he so generously gave the League a cup to go to the runner-up in the Senior Merit.

The historic first finals field includes two bowlers each from Bowring, Newport and Shifnal and former county junior Ellie Wall, a member of the Wrockwardine Wood squad that won the British Ladies club championship again last month.

 Launching the new competition is one of the latest initiatives from the League’s officers as they keep trying new ideas aimed at moving Mid Shropshire bowls forward, rather than standing still.

An entry of 45 in last Monday’s qualifiers was highly encouraging –  and means organiser Rob Burroughs has been able to produce a prize money structure that sees all eight finalists rewarded for their efforts, the winner to receive £55.

Finals night draw – see Competition News