Judson hits the mark for bowls success
Andy Judson has finally emerged from the shadow of his big pal, Shropshire No.1 Callum Wraight, to win a major title of his own.
Judson, who has spent all year on reserve for the county senior team, hit the £650 first prize jackpot in the Lea Hall Floodlit Open, writes Malcolm Fletcher.
The Shrewsbury-based Castlefields bowler beat Kirk Stevens from Warwick & Worcester club Moor Lane 21-16 in Sunday night's final.
Judson, better known as AJ, had defeated two other Shropshire Premier League bowlers on the way – Sir John Bayley pair Chris Ward 21-8 in round two and Tom Roden 21-18 in the quarter-finals.
Premier League chief Rob Burroughs said: "The league would like to congratulate Andy on his win, which hopefully will get him in the 2017 Champion of Champions as it did for Scott Simpson this season."
Judson won just seven of his 21 Premier games for Castlefields as the County Cup and Mayhew Trophy finalists finished runners-up to Sir John Bayley.
But he obviously got the winning habit during 10 days spent in Blackpool accompanying Wraight for his Autumn Waterloo and Champion of Champions campaigns.
Nick Wyer, a member of the Hadley USC team that lost the Premier play-off final against Hanmer at Bicton, went out in the quarter-finals to Stevens.
A Shropshire father and his two sons will feature in tonight's finals of the Grocontinental Prees Doubles.
Peter Farmer and his eldest son James will take their place in the last eight at 6.30pm eager to go one better than last year when they lost in the final.
But also in the hunt for a £600 first prize will be Farmer's youngest son Matthew, the Shropshire junior team regular who teamed up with Childs Ercall team-mate Ben Gibson to qualify.
And if both partnerships win two games, there would be three Farmers contesting the final!
Four-time County Merit winner Farmer senior has hit form of late, winning the Bowring Open earlier this month and proving how good his partnership is with James by beating Burway stars Wayne Rogers and Kiah Roberts 21-18 in their Prees qualifying session.
But tonight's field is littered with quality, including Chester Road stars Andy Moss and Martin Lloyd, who beat Callum Wraight and Derek Wright to qualify for finals night.
There's also Ifton's Isle of Man September Festival winner Leighton Roberts, Newport's proven doubles title winner Mick Jones and Shrewsbury star Keith Wall as contenders with their partners.
All tonight's action will be on the club's smaller green.
Draw: Keith Wall & Steve Broome v Peter Farmer & James Farmer; Tim Jordan & Scott Moseley v Tommy Cooper & John Cooper.
Mick Jones & Craig Barker v Andy Moss & Martin Lloyd; Matthew Farmer & Ben Gibson v Leighton Roberts & Nick Hughes.
