In-form Callum Wraight hoping to justify favourite tag
It’s not often that a bookmaker is wrong so the odds are there is only one winner of tomorrow’s biggest day on the Shropshire bowls calendar.
Reigning British Merit champion Callum Wraight was as short as 9/4 favourite to add to his three previous triumphs when Kevin Price opened his book for the 2023 County Merit finals day at Newport (11am start).
How the 36-year-old Castlefields king copes with the vagaries of the No.1 green nearest to the clubhouse will be vital – but his energy levels may be the most important factor.
For the father of two has had to cope with games galore and sunshine all the way at the Isle of Man June Festival this week as he powered through to the latter stages of both the men’s main singles and the Tourism KO.
And on his way home to Shrewsbury today, Wraight is playing in the finals of the Layton Institute Classic in Blackpool from 10am – being paired with Ian Grady of Skelmersdale in the last 32 – before a quarter-final appointment in the Wigan Subs Classic at 6.15pm against Preston ace Simon Coupe.
Wraight is one of five past Merit winners in tomorrow’s 32-strong field aiming to lift the magnificent Charles Beddard Cup, alongside Peter Farmer, Rich Goddard, Spencer Clarke and Kiah Roberts.
Former Newport man Farmer, now back at St Georges, has an incredible Merit record of four triumphs and six defeats in the final.
But it is Clarke – the 8/1 joint second favourite tomorrow along with Scott Harries – that Wraight will be keeping an eye on in the opposite half of the draw.
For it was the Sir John Bayley stalwart who denied Wraight the crown in both the 2018 and 2019 finals – so what price another crunch showdown in the last tie tomorrow?
There are three past runners-up in contention too with Will Tarrel, Rich Lawson and Keith Wall all eager to go one better.
Add to that three former Shropshire Junior Merit winners in Ashley Wellings, Harry Church and Ben Hinton, plus the recent County Handicap winner in Scott Moseley, and it’s clear that proven title winners abound.
The prowess in competitions far and wide of Martin Gaut and Jamie King can’t be ignored either so perhaps Wraight won’t have it all his own way as the bookmaker fears.
