Three international bowlers are spearheading the formation of Wrexham’s first ever tenpin bowling league.
Sisters Kelly, 16, Rhian, 12, and Bethan Jones, 11, are all members of the Welsh Junior squad and have qualified to represent Wales when they take on the other three home nations at the Under 16 Triple Crown Championships in Ireland in the summer.
In the next fortnight Kelly, who attends St Joseph’s High School, Wrexham and Rhian, who attends Rhosnesni High School, will jet off to Germany to the European Youth Tenpin Championships.
Their proud dad, Paul Jones, who is the licensee of the town’s Cunliffe Arms, is to be secretary of the new handicap league based at tenpin at the Eagles Meadow shopping centre.
According to Paul, it’s about time Wrexham has its own tenpin bowling league.
He said: “We are in the process of setting up the league and I want to stress right from the start it’s all about mixed abilities. It’s a handicap league so the scores even out.
“My girls are joining a team and it’s a great way of spending an evening. I would say as long as someone is capable of racking up a score of around 100 in a full game, without using lane bumpers, then they are more than good enough to play in the league.
“League night will be Monday evenings and teams will be made up of three players. Of course a team can have as many players registered as they wish but only three will play a night.
“That means, for example, 10 students can form a team so long as only three play in each league match. That way if someone can’t make it one night it doesn’t matter too much as there will be someone to take their place.”
Paul is now looking for teams to sign up and he plans to hold a league meeting before a ball is bowled to set out the league’s rules.
He said: “A player will pay £7.50 per night to play. That covers the match of three games as well as some money going into a cash pot for prizes at the end of the league.
“We are looking for a minimum of 10 teams and already have nearly that number, however, the more teams we have the better the league will be.
“I would encourage anyone enjoys a regular night out to try something different and to get some friends together and join the league.”
Manager of tenpin, at Eagles meadow, Vince Brown, says the league will be a sporting first for the town.
He said: “Bowling leagues are the staple diet of any tenpin bowling centre and a league here in Wrexham is well overdue. The league should run for around 27 weeks and there will be cash prizes at the end of the season.
“It really doesn’t matter who makes up the team’s trio of players on league nights, male, female or youngsters. And being a handicap league it means players of mixed abilities can play side by side on level terms.”
Kelly Jones says she is looking forward to playing in the league after she returns from the European Junior Championships.
She said: “At the moment my sisters and I travel to Bromborough for competitive tenpin bowling as that is where our coaches are based.
“Playing in a handicap league in Wrexham will be great and it’s about time we had a league in the town.”
Anyone wishing to find out more about Wrexham Tenpin Trio Bowling League can contact the secretary Paul Jones on 01978 311177.
