The third and final round of Junior County matches took place on Sunday 12th July where Shropshire took on Wales in the knowledge that any kind of win would crown them as the 2026 Champions. However, a slip up would result in all three teams winning a game and losing one, and with Yorkshire’s very high aggregate win over Wales in June, it would make them champions and make it three years on the bounce as the Junior County Champions.
Shropshire chose Trench BC while Wales picked Min Y Don, and it was Wales who started the better, with their lead two players at both venues winning. Sam Bennett & James Hinks both won tight games away at Trench, while Dyfan Thomas and Joshua Humphreys won to 12 and 19 respectively at home, and maybe, for a brief second, Yorkshire had a glint in their eyes.
But from this point Shropshire took control at home, and while Jarratt Cotterill and Rowan Fuller pulled back the first two’s deficit, plus a few, it was the middle order of Luke Morris, Harry Grimston & Harris Needham who all ran out with big single figure wins and put Wales on the backfoot in Shropshire.
Thomas Clarke continued the trend in the back four and despite spirited wins from Wales captain, Ffion Gell & vice captain, Satang Samanthong, Shrophire triumphed by 75 chalks at home.
So if Wales continued the good start at Min Y Don, it was going to be a close one.
No, the rest of the card proved why Shrophire deserve to be the 2026 Junior County Champions, as nine of the remaining ten cards all won. Ellis Griffith and Myles Fisher were the stand out winners with 21-7 & 21-8 respectively, but all must have played incredibly well to take a 53 chalk away win and become very deserved champions for 2026.
Congratulations to Shropshire Juniors.
2026 BCGBA Junior County Championship Winners
Full results can be found via the Junior County Championship Competitions Page.
