Duo in the money on Champions weekend
The Champion of Champions crown may have eluded them, but Castlefields bowlers still pocketed plenty of prize money during the Blackpool bowls bonanza.
Shropshire No.1 Callum Wraight and team-mate Jon Palmer both landed major prizes at the Waterloo home of the sport after helping the Shrewsbury club to the Premier League championship – just one of the many honours Fields have won during a superb season.
But Wraight and County Merit champion Spencer Clarke failed do make an impact on Saturday’s Champions day, Wraight losing 21-18 to Martin Gilpin while the Sir John Bayley man got 16 off Matt Gilmore as Welshman John Bailey went on to triumph.
It was hardly surprising that Wraight came up short, having played five games of 31-up the day before, reaching the semi-finals of the Charlie Tattersall Memorial Open on the Waterloo and then winning the £1,000 four-man challenge at Marton Institute on Friday night.
The 31-year-old won two games before losing 31-29 to former British No.1 Graeme Wilson in the Tattersall, but recovered to beat British rankings leader Simon Coupe 31-29 and then big Midlands rival Greg Smith 31-21 in the final at Marton – after damaging one of his bowls early on in proceedings.
The venue was packed at £2 a head and happy organiser Tommy King declared: “Well done Callum – a great win!”
Palmer’s magic day came in the Autumn Waterloo as he beat Phil Lee 21-14 in the final, having had a great win over hot favourite Coupe, from nearby Preston, 21-15 in the last eight.
Premier League chief Rob Burroughs led the tributes, saying: “The league would like to congratulate Jon on his success, even more remarkable after not playing at all last season and doing his cruciate knee ligament just a few months ago.”
Rich Goddard of Castlefields made the last 64 at the Autumn Waterloo while, also in Blackpool, Newport skipper Sam Millward reached the quarter-finals of the Talbot Trophy before losing out to Jack Dyson 17.
Meanwhile, Wraight reached the last eight of the £5,300 Brighouse Classic, beaten 21-20 by Ben Stapleton as Coupe went on to claim yet another title by beating All England winner Chris Mordue 21-7 in the final.
Shropshire’s disappointing Champion of Champions weekend continued in the women’s knockout on Sunday.
North Shropshire Ladies Merit winner Susie Lawson and her Shropshire counterpart Jodie Rutter both bowed out in the first round to leave the county without a win over the two days at Blackpool’s Waterloo.
