Page 1 - Front Cover

Meyrick - The Best Ever

N o discussion on the Shropshire County Merit is ever complete without its
most successful player – a man almost certainly the best to ever play the
game – Dick Meyrick.
Born during The Great War in 1915, Meyrick did not start bowling until the early 1930s
at St Julian’s on the banks of the River Severn. His genius was almost immediately
apparent as he captured his first major success by winning the county handicap at
the tender age of 19 in 1934.

However, it wasn’t for another ten years that he began his unparalleled
dominance of the Shropshire Merit, defeating Bill Gennoe in his opponent’s
fifth Merit Final appearance. This was only the second competition after
a three year break as a result of the outbreak of war in Europe. The next
quarter of a century saw Meyrick utterly dominate the competition
as he went on to win the tournament an incredible 11 times –
the likelihood of this ever being threatened (never mind beaten)
remains slim.
At National Level, he went on to win the All England 4
times and won the BCGBA Coronation Cup in 1947.
Meyrick’s record for Shropshire was equally incredible;
his first call-up came at age 18 and he went on to play 109
times for the county over a 43 year period, winning 76 of his
games at an eye-watering aggregate of +491. This included
winning 32 of his 48 away games at +184 – a highlight being a
21-2 win against J.Tideswell of Staffordshire in 1953.

His contemporaries speak of him in tones of admiration. A man of superb skill, ability
to bowl all conditions and marks, able to vary his delivery to confuse his opponents
- all combined with a perfect temperament and a wonderful character off the green.
So brilliant and unique were Meyrick’s achievements that it earned him recognition
away from the immediate bowls world; he was invited
by the Shrewsbury Mayor to star alongside Football
Legend Arthur Rowley and European 400m Gold
Medallist Robbie Brightwell at a Civic Reception in
1963.
Today’s 32 competitors will be determined to
etch their name onto a trophy alongside a man whose
name features on it 11 times - whose mastery of
the Shropshire Merit will forever ensure his name
is synonymous with the great competition –
“Mr Bowls”, Dick Meyrick.

by
LIAM STEVENS