Shropshire’s juniors will look to learn and improve

They were humbled by 100 shots overall by Yorkshire as the White Rose county wrapped up an incredible seventh successive under-18 crown.

Defeat by 22 chalks in the home leg at Bowring in Wellington and by 78 at Golcar Liberal Club left Shropshire with just one win from three premier division games.

It meant they finished third in the final table, also behind Wales, to miss out on a decent slice of prize money – but county officials still found plenty to be optimistic about.

“Congratulations Yorkshire and well done Shropshire,” said competition secretary Mike Potter, who ran the home leg.

“To hold a strong, talented team to 22 chalks is something to be proud of and use as a goal to aim for and further improve next year.”

Five winners out of 12 was the return at Bowring while Peter Ashton Trophy winner the previous weekend, Cerys Marshall, led the county’s battlers at Golcar.

“Our juniors put up an excellent fight as they lost out to the champions Yorkshire,” said county official and former junior selector Rob Burroughs.

“They lost by 22 at home with five winners, Jordan Millman the best of them 16, while captain Wayd Pawlowski came back from 19-12 down to run out.

“Up in Yorkshire we had two winners in a 78-shot loss, Cerys Marshall 21-15 and Owen Hanmer to 18, while Rachel Harrison (Prince of Wales Hotel) came in on reserve in the first four to make her county debut.”

It was a sad way for the likes of Shropshire Junior Merit champion Rhys Marshall, Akeel Duncan and Harry Brookes to finish their county under-18 careers.

And now the task for the selectors is to keep growing and improving the pool of talent they have to pick from – and get them as competitively hardened as Yorkshire.

But the kind of fight shown by Sinclair’s Thomas Oare at No.11 at Bowring, when he rallied from 14-0 down after just nine ends to get 18, will give them real hope.

n The new king of Shropshire bowls now has his heart set on a good run at the British Senior Merit finals later this month.

County Merit winner Rich Lawson has been drawn against James Duffin of Cumbria when the 64 qualifiers gather to do battle at Heaton Park in Manchester on Saturday, July 29.

The Hanwood man beat Jamie King to finally win the Merit after two final defeats, and the Wrockwardimne Wood star will face Darren Day from North Midlands in round one.

“Harry Church (Sinclair) will be looking for a good run like in our Merit as he plays Ian Jones from Wales first game, while Ash Wellings (HaNwood) takes on South Yorkshire’s Tom Boyd,” said a county spokesperson.

n The same four clubs have contested the main knockouts run by the Shropshire Ladies.

Disappointed association competition secretary Louise Cotton said: “This year only four teams entered County Cup and D&M Morrey Cup.

“In the County Cup, Wrockwardine Wood beat Broseley and, due to not being able to field a team, St Georges and Allscott Hath have a new date for their semi-final on August 9. The final is on August 19.”

All conquering Wrockwardine Wood repeated their victory over beat Broseley in the D&M and and Allscott Heath beat St Georges, the final to be arranged for later in the season.