Well done to our Veterans team who qualified for the first time in the BCGBA Veterans Championships Final on Thursday 4th August. They won all three games on Thursday to get through in style at West Brom FSC.
Team Manager Mike Potter has kindly provided this report below for us on the day’s action.
Shropshire Crown Green Bowling Association – Veterans Team Championship
Qualifying Stage – Thursday 14th July 2022 at West Brom Football Supporters Club
Although, having been edged out twice before in pre-covid years and an enforced 2yr safety break, we travelled to the venue with high hopes that the 10 strong selected squad would do for Shropshire what no other veterans team we’ve previously taken has done, make it through to the final stages in August. And didn’t our boys do us proud as they returned in the early evening as the triumphant unbeaten group winners.
Knowing, winning the first match would put us on a good footing to achieving our goal of qualifying, we began the day facing neighbouring Staffordshire in the “3 on the card” 8-a-side round robin tournament that saw Paul Williams, unluckily from 16-16 finish 16-21, Mark Thomas from 6-13 do well to end 21-16, Andy James from 15-14 go on to win 21-16 & Len Lewis from 9-14 fight back to get 20-21 that would see us 4 in front at half way stage. Then Phil Lyttle converted his 16-14 lead to give us another 21-16, Wayne Rogers from 10-10 played well to win 21-12, Ian Gaut battled from 10-18 to get 20-21, and Derek Wright went from 8-7 to win 21-10 that gave us a +28 win.
Meanwhile, Warwick & Worcester were enjoying the biggest win margin of the day as they saw off North Midlands by 48 hereby making, as our next opponents, W&W were now our biggest threat.
Our second match against Warwick & Worcester did not start well at first but Paul Williams from 7-16 turned his game around to almost run out with a card 21-17, as Mark Thomas from 12-9 up also powered home with 21-10. Andy James from 17-7 despite a good fight back held on to win 21-17 and Len Lewis found himself 3-10 before scoring against some excellent close bowling but managed to make double figures going down 11-21, that gave us a 9 shot advantage in the second half of the match. This saw Phil Lyttle take his 9-8 lead to win 21-15, and Wayne Rogers from 16-16 ran out 21-16. Ian Gaut from 14-12 pushed on to 21-15 and Derek Wright from 14-20 excellently ran out 21-20 that gave us a terrific 7 of 8 winners and a +27 win.
Meanwhile, North Midlands ended Staffordshire’s chances by defeating them by 27 and give themselves the slimmest hope of progressing, but we were in the mood, looking to close the day with a third win.
Our third and final match saw Paul Williams fight hard from 7-14 & 12-19 getting to 15-21, Mark Thomas from 16-14 made his 3rd win of 3 games to 21-17, Andy James from 10-10 also with 3 of 3 won 21-14, Dave Price in his 1st game played well to take a 9-7 lead onto win 21-14 that put us 12 in front. Phil Lyttle from 10-10 added his name to the list of 3 in 3 wins, Wayne Rogers completed a quartet of 100% winning cards as he went from 7-8 onto 21-11, Ian Gaut from 13-17 got back to get 19-21, and Derek Wright played some good late ends to avoid a single figure loss and got up to a creditable 13-21. That gave us a 15 chalk win and finished the day with a +70 aggregate.
Congratulations lads on a dominating display throughout the day truly deserving group winners and we look forward to accompanying the team to the finals venue on 4th August, when known.
Shropshire Veterans Squad 2022
