A NEW bowls competition in Warrington has attracted a starring cast.

Legends of the sport and leading club players from Warrington and beyond will contest the overall £2,000 prize money at St Oswalds Parish Club in Padgate on Saturday, September 18.

This event, a one-day invitation 32, is the brainchild of sponsors Maddocks Funeral Directors and is being organised by Warrington star player Lee Johnstone, whose father Tommy will be among the competitors.

Dave McGlynn, manager of Maddocks funeral Directors, said: "We have been serving the people of Warrington for generations and after the toll the Covid situation has taken on the local community we decided to try and put something back into that community by supporting one of its bowling clubs.

"We came up with the idea for this event and are sponsoring it. It has drawn top competitors from across the north west, Yorkshire and the Midlands.

"The idea is that they will compete for 'The Maddocks Shield' and this will draw a crowd to watch and to support St Oswalds bowling club which has really felt the effects of the recent lockdowns and the loss of revenue/members that has resulted."

The action will start at 11am and the draw includes the St Oswalds club qualifier Dave Bennett, who beat Karen Galvin 21-16 to earn his place in the line-up and will face Yorkshire's Bob Hitchen.

Draw: Chris Ashton v Tommy Johnstone, Daniel Jones v Noel Burrows, Billy Speed v Richie Goddard, Josh Mordue v Paul Dale, Wayne Ditchfield v Kevan Shaw, Dave Bennett v Robert Hitchen, Jack Hargreaves v Darren Plenderleith, John Brown v Gary Ellis, Jason Cornes v Danny Roberts, John Bailey v Damian Morrison, Glynn Cookson v Danny Barwise, Tom Vickers v Neil Bithell, Chris Mordue v Alan Manuel, Chris Cooke v Jack Dyson, Dave McDermott v Graeme Wilson, Terry Glover v Liam McEgan.

The ‘Jack Hargreaves v Darren Plenderleith’ game will be a repeat of the recent Alford Hall ‘John Garrett’ Invitation final, which Jack won.

The winner of the St Oswalds Maddocks Shield will receive £700 of the £2,000 purse, while the runner-up will collect £400, the defeated semi-finalists £250 and losing quarter-finalists £100.

Spectator information is that the bar will be open, bookmaker present, hot food and drinks available, scoreboards in operation and there will be a raffle.