Callum Wraight grabs bowls glory at the third attempt
It took three attempts but Shropshire No.1 Callum Wraight finally climbed to the top of the tree in the final winter one-day open at Shrewsbury Severnside.
He hit the £120 jackpot in the third and last mixed singles competition on Sunday, having won the consolation KO in the first promotion and been runner-up last weekend.
Proven Severnside title winner Wraight beat former Castlefields team-mate Clay Flattley 21-16 in the final, Flattley having decided to move again this year and re-join their Shropshire Premier League rivals St Georges.
And it was another St Georges man, Ian Gaut, who was Wraight's 21-17 victim in the semi-finals while Flattley was beating Warwick & Worcester county man Tom Palmer to 19 in a close battle.
Numbers were down slightly from the 102 for the second comp, but happy organiser Chris Kershaw said: "We had 80 entries and finished just after 5pm."
It was a day that Shropshire bowlers dominated as Wraight was joined by another past County Merit champion in taking a title.
Bowring's 2015 winner Rob Roden emerged from three homesters in the last four of the consolation KO to win the £50 top prize. He beat Daryl Edwards 21-19 in the final after the Castlefields man had got the better of Colin Beaman of Meole Brace 21-12 in the semis as Roden edged out Dan Petcher of Derbyshire 21-20.
And Shropshire's competition bowlers don't have long to wait for another crack at decent prize money as Ludlow Castle have organised a mixed singles open on Saturday, March 25.
It's a 2pm start after half an hour practice with 16 places at £20 apiece available to chase a £160 top prize, book with Simon Lane on 07854 532511.
Officers of Shropshire's top league are also celebrating securing a new sponsor.
Salop Leisure are now the major backers of the Shropshire Premier League, succeeding Ludlow-based Flowfit who ended their deal at January's AGM.
A Premier spokesman said: "We are proud to announce that we have agreed a sponsorship deal with Salop Leisure for £500 a year over the next two years, with a view to continuing the sponsorship after this period. The league shall now be known as the Salop Leisure Shropshire Premier Bowling League."
Salop Leisure are already established supporters of bowls in the county, having sponsored the Shrewsbury Senior Citizens League for a number of years.
No Bull Apparel – run by Steve Reeves – have replaced Get Branded UK as sponsors of the Premier League Merit.
