Hail Horsehay – the Mid Shropshire League champions for 2022.

The first division winners may have missed out on the Premier League play-off after losing to Adderley, but they still have much to proud of after ending an 85-year wait to lift that trophy again.

For it was back in 1937 that Horsehay, founder members of the League, were last crowned its champions!

Their 2022 squad is pictured before their narrow loss to Adderley in a pre play-off clash at Meole Brace.

The ‘Hoss’ pipped Wrockwardine Wood A to the title by the narrowest margin in all seven divisions – just one point – after scoring a 10-3 home win over Hadley USC A on the last night of the fixtures.

But it was still a good season for the Wrockites as they topped division six and also the Dennis Lewis Thursday Division.

Bridgnorth enjoyed a title double too after topping divisions three and five while Shifnal A were clear second division champions and Ashton Cup winners Newport C finished top of the pile in the fourth division.

Bridgnorth did the League proud as the Dave Ellis ladies versus gents challenge match was re-launched on Friday 30^th September to bring the curtain down on the season.

The club’s members worked frantically to get the game on after heavy rain all day – and then were perfect hosts with a smashing after match buffet.

The gents won the 15-a-side fun match by 35 shots and now lead 3-1 after the Memorial Shield was launched in memory of the League’s former results secretary, who was a member at Bridgnorth. Gents captain Ian Wilson is pictured with the winning team for 2022.

A review of the evening is on the agenda for the League’s October executive meeting on Tuesday the 4^th, which will be followed by a ceremony to honour 3 new Life Members – Keith Pessall, Angela Gaut and Colin Rudrum.

 Notice for the October 2022 Executive Committee Meeting

To be held on Tuesday 4^th October at the Sir John Bayley Club at 7.30pm

AGENDA

1  Chairman’s remarks to open the meeting

2  Apologies & In Memoria

3  Minutes of the September Management Committee Meeting

4  Matters arising

5  General Secretary’s report & Correspondence

6  Fixture Secretary’s report

7  Competition Secretary’s report – including cup finals review

8  Treasurer’s report – club annual accounts to be paid by October exec meeting

9  Dave Ellis Shield –  report from Ladies v Gents match Bridgnorth

10 Planning for next season – following an officers meeting that considered:

Fridays in 2023 survey results, other club feedback, cost of living concerns

11 Annual Dinner – Saturday 21^st January 2023 at The West Stand @ TUFC

12 County matters – report from executive meeting on 3^rd October

13 Any Other Business

14 President / chairman to close the meeting

PLEASE NOTE: This meeting will be followed by a presentation ceremony to honour the League’s Life Members for 2022 – Keith Pessall, Angela Gaut & Colin Rudrum

FAILURE to send a representative to this meeting will result in a £5 fine

DATE OF NEXT MEETING: management on Tuesday 2^nd November at SJBC at 7.30pm

The curtain comes down on the League’s 2022 season with the Dave Ellis ladies versus gents challenge match at Bridgnorth on Friday 30^th September, starting at 7pm.

This fun challenge fixture was last played in 2019 when the gents won at Shifnal to take a 2-1 lead , after the ladies had drawn level with victory at Allscott Heath 12 months earlier.

Those who have agreed to take part in the 2022 match are listed below – and bowlers will be paired against someone of their own ability so there should be no fears of a mis-match.

It looks like a 15-a-side showdown looms so captains Pauline and Ian Wilson will be  putting 5 blocks on at a time to try and get through in normal match timings

There will be a buffet afterwards, which hosts Bridgnorth are kindly covering the cost of, but the League will be running a raffle, with the proceeds to go to charity.

The late Dave Ellis, who started the revolution in terms of getting bowls results published more quickly by computer, was a Bridgnorth member, so it is fitting that this match is finally played on his former green.

Players taking part:

Ladies	Club	Men	Club
Jayne Craggs	Allscott	Mick Price	Bridgnorth
Karen Smith	Bowring	Karl Fuller	Bridgnorth
Pauline Wilson	Bridgnorth	Colin Hemsley	Bridgnorth
Jan Hetherington	Chelmarsh	Derek Bolton	Chelmarsh
Carol Marsh	Chelmarsh	Roger Marsh	Chelmarsh
Eunice Williams	Highley	Richard Green	Highley
Diane Green	Highley	Brian Williams	Highley
Tena Martin	Highley	Martin Beddow	Highley
Sue Conneely	Shifnal	Keith Banks	Much Wenlock
Val Johns	Shifnal	Tom Killen	Shifnal
Emma Duncan	Shifnal	Akell Khan	Shifnal
Pat Simpson	Shifnal	Dan Wilson	SJB
Linda Lowe	Shifnal	Steve Pessall	St Georges
Shavorne Osborne	Trench	Paul Osborne	Trench
Verena Swinnerton	Worfield	Bill Swinnerton	Worfield

It’s crunch time this week in the League’s top 3 divisions with the final fixtures of the season on Friday 23^rd September.

And 3 teams go into the last night of action with the first division championship in their sights and celebratory champagne on ice – with Wrockwardine Wood A in pole position.

They lead by 4 points, thanks to an 8-5 victory by 2 chalks away at Sir John Bayley A in a re-arranged match on Monday, but won’t take anything for granted away to bottom of the table Bylet A.

St Georges A and Horsehay A are joint second and waiting for any Wrockite slips as the Dragons go to Trench A and Horsehay entertain Hadley USC A.

Shifnal A look set to finished top of division 2, pushed all the way by Allscott Heath A, and Shifnal B have given the club a great promotion double by ending as runners-up to Bridgnorth B in division 3.

It’s last match night too in divisions 4-5-6 on Monday 26^th September when a cracking title race between St Georges C and Ashton Cup winners Newport C in the fourth division will be settled.

And the fixtures could not have worked out any better as Newport play hosts to the leaders by just one point looking to avenge an 11-2 defeat at St Georges back in July.

Good seasons for Bridgnorth and Wrockwardine Wood seem sure to be completed by championship successes in divisions 5 and 6 respectively.

But the action does not finish then as Friday 30th September will see the ladies versus gents challenge match for the Dave Ellis Memorial Shield played at Bridgnorth (7pm start).

It’s already looking like 15-a-side, but ANYONE who bowls in the League and wants to play in this fun match should contact general secretary Malcolm Fletcher.

As all bowlers will be aware, tomorrow – Monday 19th September – is a bank holiday for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in London and then Windsor.

And with fixtures due to be played that night, the League’s officers have issued the following advice to member clubs:

“With the end of the season being so close, and so little time to re-arrange fixtures, we have decided that any teams that want to play their matches on the scheduled date of the 19th – with the agreement of their opponents obviously – can do so,” said a League spokesperson.

“But if there any teams who don’t want to play, then that will be accepted – on the proviso that the game is played ON OR BEFORE Wednesday 21st September.

“That’s because the last Monday night fixtures are on the 26th and NO game can be played after that date, ie all teams must finish the season at the same time.”

One game that is definitely going ahead on Monday night is the re-arranged division 1 match between Sir John Bayley A and title chasing visitors Wrockwardine Wood A.

The last Friday games of the season are on the 23^rd and then, on Friday 30th September, the ladies v gents challenge match for the Dave Ellis Memorial Shield will be played at Bridgnorth (7pm start).

There’s been plenty of interest already, especially from clubs close to the venue, but ANYONE who bowls in the League and wants to play in this fun match should contact general secretary Malcolm Fletcher

A clear-cut victory in their fourth and final game took the League’s A team to the Shropshire junior inter-league championship for 2022.

The under-18 bowlers enjoyed five winners from the six games in the decisive showdown with Whitchurch on Sunday 11^th September.

Both teams were unbeaten going into the key clash on Old Shrewsbury’s No.1 green, although the eventual champions had been pushed all the way by Mid Shropshire’s battling B team earlier in the day in the round robin format.

But MSBL took complete control against Whitchurch with skipper Joe Killen, Jordan Millman and Dan Corbett giving them a clean sweep of the first three, before Tom Killen, Akeel Duncan and Will Thompson got the job done.

Five teams had contested the title and it was a great way for the Killen twins from Shifnal to bow out from the Shropshire junior scene – and an ideal early birthday present for Mid Shropshire junior selector Brenda Killen ahead of her big day 24 hours later.

“What a privilege to manage a great Mid Shropshire team,” she said.

“It’s sad to say bye to Joe and Tom, but they will both continue to support and help out with our up and coming bowlers and my thanks go to all the league’s bowlers and their parents and guardians.”

Fellow junior selector Derek Killen added: “It was a pleasure to support all our juniors – they were a credit to us – and big thanks to Old Shrewsbury, the organisers and supporters.”

The A team are seen – in their new shirts sponsored by Kerry Millman’s company – with League officials and the trophy after it had been presented by County and Mid Shropshire President Mike Potter.

DON’T FORGET . . . on Friday 30th September, to mark the end of the season, the ladies v gents challenge match for the Dave Ellis Memorial Shield will be played at Bridgnorth (7pm start). Anyone who bowls in the League and wants to play in the fun match should contact general secretary Malcolm Fletcher.

On Saturday, September 10, at Newport BC (No. 1 green)  

2022 HARRIS CUP FINAL – 6.30pm start

St Georges (Premier) v Hadnall

  The League’s main team knockout is back after a 3-year hiatus cause by Covid .

   And the re-launch of the showpiece has been given a special feel due to Hadnall marking their first ever entry in the 72-year-old knockout by reaching its climax.

   It’s the first ever 10-a-side final of the competition and it the villagers face a St Georges team who have such a proud record in the Harris Cup, having won it 8 times since 1995.

  But at Newport they have a 42 shot handicap to cope with. COuld well turn out to be a cracker!

Grassroots bowls at its best was the tribute paid to the four teams that contested the Ashton trophy finals.

It came from League president Mike Potter after the two finals for Monday division teams were played at separate venues on the evening of Saturday 3^rd September.

Newport C won the man Ashton Cup on Sir John Bayley No.1 while Allscott Heath C landed the consolation Ashton Shield just up the road in Wellington on Bowring’s No.1 green – but both finals were mighty close as the handicap system worked.

Big wins by Ian Wright (21-5) and Patrick Evans jnr (21-9) helped division four high fliers Newport overcome an 11 shot handicap to beat Bowring C by 10 shots, Dean Heighway’s 21-8 card the best of four winners from the 10 games for the division five promotion hopefuls.

Allscott had an even bigger 16 shot handicap to surmount against Horsehay C, but 21-8 wins by Rob Sutherland and Laura Taylor and 21-9s from Jeff Davies and Casey Starling got them over the line by just seven chalks, Mick Davies winning 21-11 for skipper Des Conneely’s 2019 Shield winners.

“The League thanks all four teams in the Ashton trophy finals for delivering two cracking games played in exactly the right spirit with grassroots bowls the real winner,” said secretary Malcolm Fletcher.

“And sincere thanks to League president Mike Potter and wife Lin for making both presentations at two different venues thanks to a 15 minute difference in the start times.”

Full scores and pictures will be posted shortly under ASHTON CUP and ASHTON SHIELD headlines in Competitions News

Coming up this Saturday – 10th September – it’s the Harris Cup final night with St Georges (Premier) against first time entrants Hadnall on Newport No. 1 at 6.30pm.

Then on Friday 30th September, to mark the end of the season, the ladies v gents challenge match for the Dave Ellis Memorial Shield will be played at Bridgnorth (7pm start). Anyone who bowls in the League and wants to play in the fun match should contact general secretary Malcolm Fletcher

Looks like it may be a long one . . .

Notice for the September 2022 Management Committee Meeting

On Tuesday 6^th September at the Sir John Bayley Club at 7.30pm

AGENDA

1  Chairman’s remarks to open the meeting

2  Apologies & In Memoria

3  Minutes of the July Executive Committee Meeting

4  Matters arising

5  General Secretary’s report & Correspondence

6  Fixture Secretary’s report

7  Competition Secretary’s report – including cup finals updates

8  Treasurer’s report – club annual accounts to be paid by October exec meeting

9  Annual Dinner – Saturday 21^st January 2023 at The West Stand @ TUFC (select menu, set ticket price & club raffle prize charge)

10 Ladies v Gents for the Dave Ellis Shield – at Bridgnorth on Friday 30^th Sept, 7pm start

11 County matters – next executive meeting on 10^th October

12 Planning for next season – Fridays in 2023survey results, other feedback and cost of living concerns

13 Any Other Business

14 President / chairman to close the meeting

DATE OF NEXT MEETING – executive on Tuesday 4^th October at SJBC

To be followed by presentations to the new Life Members for 2022

Due to a number of issues, the League has had to make changes to the schedule for the Ashton finals on Saturday 3^rd September.

The Ashton Shield final will now be played at Bowring, with a later start time so that League officials can switch between venues to make the presentations.

So the revised programme is now

6.30pm start – Ashton Cup on Sir John Bayley No. 1 (bottom green) – Newport C (+1) v Bowring C (+12)

6.45pm start – Ashton Shield on Bowring No.1 (the big crown green) – Allscott Heath C (+1) v Horsehay C (+17)

Dress code rules will apply for both matches and, due to the lack of referees now available in Shropshire, each team will be expected to provide a measurer. And there will be no post match refreshments.

But League chiefs hope both Bayley greens will be in use on Sunday 4th September from 11am for the Under-15 and Under-18 Merits.

 It is also hoped to play the Fletcher Junior Doubles on the same day and junior selectors Brenda Slingo and Derek Killen are hoping for a big turnout in preparation for the Shropshire junior inter-league the following Sunday, being hosted by the Tanners Shropshire League.

 Also coming up:

Saturday 10th September – Harris Cup final night: St Georges (Premier) v Hadnall on Newport No. 1 at 6.30pm.

Friday 30th September – Dave Ellis ladies v gents challenge match at Bridgnorth (7pm start).