The first round of the Main June Festival kicks off today (Tuesday) and as always there is a host of local and visiting bowlers all vying to put their name on the coveted trophy.

Mark Hughes (Crossgates) has been in brilliant form in recent festivals and he will be hoping he can add the main crown to his tourism title. If he wants to progress though he will have to beat former winner Phil Kerruish (Onchan) in a very tricky opener. Fellow locals Rob Monk (North Ramsey) and Dave Hughes (South Ramsey) will be hoping to make a name for themselves and book a place in the last 8. This will be easier said than done with perennial favourite Ian Nicholson (Victoria) and a host of other talented visitors in the section.

There are more potential winners than I care to mention in the next 32 with Tommy King (Kirkham), Andrew Spragg (Calow BC), Danny Sillitoe (Maltby MW), Paul Bailey (Meersbrook) and Nigel Hughes (Wirral) all visitors with the class to go all the way. Stuart Garrett (Douglas) is the pick of the locals in this section and he can overcome the mammoth test of Bailey in the opener who knows how far he could go.

The next page has locals Colin Kelly (Marown), Peter Slinger (Onchan) and Trevor Quayle (Castletown) all hoping to go all the way and clinch the main crown. It wont be easy however with names such as Jack Dyson (Meersbrook BC), Mike Tunstall (Wirral) and Martin Gilpin (Victoria) in close company.

John Bailey (Llanrwst BC), Dave Jackson (Railway) and Callum Wraight (WEM USC) are three names that jump of the page to me in this section but when you look a lot closer there are a host of other players who could go a long way. Charlie Priestly (Goerge & Dragon) Mark Bramhall (Kirkham) and Kevin Quirk (Onchan) are all more than capable of booing a place in the last 8 if they hit their form.

Ballacashtal finalists John Kennish (South Ramsey) and Matthew Keggen (Onchan) lead the charge for the locals in the next 32 of the draw however they certainly won’t have things all their own way. Wayne ‘The Beast’ Ditchfield will be bookies favourite to get out of the section unscathed however there are plenty of talented giant slayers around in the form of Jack Hargreaves (George & Dragon), Kez Smith (Crossgates) and Chris Barton (Wirral).

Matt Gilmore (Wirral) and Barry Booth (Victoria) is an interesting first round match with the winner potentially going a long way. Matthew Kelly-Walley (Strettor) is no stranger to doing well in festivals and will be hoping this is his year. Glynn Hargraves (Onchan) and Phil Kelly (Marown) have both performed will in recent years and will be hoping that one of them is still alive and kicking come Friday.

Last years winner Neil Withers (Marown) will be hoping to emulate his 2013 success however he has the unenviable task of giving the field a 2 point start so progress to the latter stages, whilst not impossible, will be extremely tricky. Jordan Cain (Onchan) is in a rich vein of form at the moment and if he carries this with him into Festival week could certainly raise a few eyebrows. Robbie Fitzpatrick (Morton House) is just one of the many visitors who will by trying to halt the Manx march.

David Bradford (Onchan) is another local who could go a long way but like Withers is backed marked 2 chalks for his September success. Bradford is joined in the section by this Onchan team mate Matthew Quirk who fell at the final hurdle last year. Just like in all the other sections the last one is no different with too many potential winners to name but watch out for the ever present Richie Goddard (WEM USC) who always seems to bring his A game to the Isle of Man.

Alan Moore and Hilary Kermode were not in a charitable mood as they fought their way through the field of 29 pairs to the Tony Brown Doubles title.

They were on their game all competition crowning a tremendous day with a 21-14 final win over Jordan Cain and Paula Firth.

The ad hoc pair of Moore & Kermode showed all the experience and tenacity of an established team which was no more evident than in their epic semi-final tussle with Neil Wilthers and Hannah Kermode, Hilary’s daughter, in which they edged home by the narrowest of margins winning 21-20. Firth and Cain were also on top form at the put out home greeners Peter and Ann Oates at the same stage.

Castletown should be commended on a great competition which raised £266 for Tony Brown’s nominated charity which this year is the Castletown Endowment Committee.

Whilst the champions of today had their turn last weekend at the Men’s Manx Championship, Saturday was a day all about the champions of tomorrow.

Approximately 40 children took part in the multi-coloured spectacle that is Manx Youth Games at Nobles park bowling greens in blistering sunshine, and the standard of bowling just like the weather couldn’t have been better.

As well as regular bowls matches between the regions there was a host of other games such as bowls ‘golf’, target bowls and obstacle bowls as well as the ever popular roll ups.   

Crown Green Bowls is a sport for all ages, and this was definitely the case on Saturday with all spectators and parents getting a chance to take part, and leaving with the harsh reality that is was not as easy as their talented children made it look.

Praise must go to co-ordinator Glynn Hargraves and his team for all the hard work throughout the year which has culminated in a fantastic finale which the sport can be extremely proud of. Glynn is himself a double Manx Champion and I don’t think it will be too long before some of his protégés are following in his footsteps.

There were 29 pairs who took part in The Capital International Cup mixed doubles at Port Erin Bowling Club.  The weather stayed dry for the afternoon. There were some very close games which could have been worthy of a final.

Semi Finals:

Amanda Lawler & Bob Clark 21-20 Paula Firth & Jordan Cain
Chris Price & Peter Slinger 21-9 Joyce Ogden & Mike Hargraves

The Final went to the brother and sister team of Chris Price & Peter
Slinger after some very close ends.

Final:

Amanda Lawler & Bob Clark – 13
Chris Price & Peter Slinger – 21

The presentation was made by club chairman Di Benson & Daren Ward from
Capital International.  Thanks went to the sponsor, all the  competitors,  measurer’s, markers and Janet Shilling for her excellent running of the competition during the afternoon.

Report by Di Benson

There was some tremendous bowling in the team event at South Ramsey on Sunday with ‘Its All About the Length’ running out winners over ‘Lil’s Legacy’ in a hotly contested final.

The team of Bob Clark, Mark Kneen, Michael Collister and Neil Withers had just enough to see out a 60-56 win over the family team comprising matriarch Lillian Slinger, her daughters Janet Monk and Chris Price and grandson Robert Monk in a fiercely fought finale to an epic days bowling.

The eventual victors didn’t have things their own way in the final however with one singles game level, being 12-7 down in the doubles and Neil Withers trailing 16-12 to Janet Monk things looked bleak.

The pendulum of momentum however swung and with Michael Collister finishing off his singles game 21-17 against Chris Price and Withers scrapping to a great 21-18 win it left them firmly in the driving seat and at 18-12 up in the doubles to job was done. Credit must go to Lillian Slinger and Robert Monk who managed to see out a magnificent 21-18 win in the pairs.

Fallers at the semi-finals stage were ‘Rosemary’s Boys’ (Kevin Quirk, Roemary Quirk, Matthew Quirk & Glynn Hargraves) and Misserabowls (Alan Moore, Andy Kennish, Dave ‘Dido’ Kelly and Stefan Kelly).

South Ramsey put on another first class competition on and praise must go to the green keepers for a simply immaculate playing surface.

A total of 16 teams turned out on Sunday at Port St Mary Bowling Green to take part in the C.Tarleton Hodgson sponsored mixed triples competition and there was some terrific bowls played on the magnificent surface.

It was the home team of Anne Maddrell, Jane Kneen & Paul Skelly who were victorious thanks to a 21-17 win over the mix and match combination consisting of Jordan Cain, Bob Clark and Amanda Lawler. The home team stormed into a commanding lead at 18-12 with the finishing line in sight, but the runners up dug in and battled their way back to 17-18 before our eventual victors moved through the gears to seal the win.

Maddrell, Kneen & Skelly booked their final berth thanks to some magnificent bowling in the semi-finals where they put out the team of Michal Collister, Matthew & Alison Keggen 21-10. Cain, Clark and Lawler had to work harder for their place in the finale and were behind 17-16 to Alan Moore, Jenny Moore & Andy Kennish before running out with a 3 and 2 in respective ends.

Peter Linck of the sponsors presented the prizes and thanks goes to them for their support of the competition. Thanks also go to Port St Mary bowling club for the playing surface and another well run competition.

The mixed doubles season kicked off in earnest on Saturday at Noble Mixed bowling green as an intrepid line up made the trek to take part in the Spring Doubles. Although the weather started off a bit damp this did nothing to dampen the spirit and quality of bowls on display and as the sun began to shine so did Alison Keggen & Michael Collister who put in some breath taking displays to seal the win thanks to a magnificent final tussle with  Paula Firth & Jordan Cain which they managed to edge 21-19.

It was nip and tuck all the way in the final and the standard of bowls was out of the top draw. There were some epic encounters in the semi-finals too with Keggen & Collister edging out the fancied husband and wife pairing of Fiona & John Kennish whilst Firth & Cain had another battle on their hands but this time they emerged victors as they saw off the challenge of Margaret Tasker and Ken Karran.

Nobles Mixed deserve praise for an extremely well run competition and highlight of the day was definitely Steve Cook’s ‘minion’ birthday cake, happy belated birthday Cooky!

It was an all Ramsey affair in the latter stages of the Any Combination doubles played at North Ramsey’s Mooragh Park green on Sunday 6th April. This was particularly appropriate as the trophy had kindly been sponsored by the Parker family in memory of the late Kenny Parker who was a longstanding and popular member of both North and South Ramsey Clubs.

A total of 28 pairs braved the early wind and drizzle to compete for the trophy and fortunately before long blue skies prevailed allowing the latter part of the competition to be completed in much better conditions. The first semi final was an all North Ramsey battle between the mother and son pairing of Janet and Robert Monk against Steve Gill and Brian Colquitt. In a very close fought tussle it was the latter pair that just emerged victorious by 21 – 17. The second semi final was an even closer affair between Andy Kennish and Alan Moore from South Ramsey and Tony Smart and John Cannan from North Ramsey. Thanks to a four on the last end it was the North Ramsey pairing that edged through by 21 – 19.

The final looked as though it was going to be extremely one sided as Steve Gill and Brian Colquitt raced into a 20 – 10 lead but they lost the jack with the winning post in sight and were never quite able to get the crucial final point as Tony Smart and John Cannan fought back to win 21 – 20.

Fallers at the quarter final stage were Margaret Tasker and Trish Bull, Steve Walmsley and Steve Parker, Matthew Quirk and Michael Collister and Ray Hardman and Gordon Corrin.

The prizes were presented by Steve and Anthony Parker who stated how proud their father would have been to have seen the competition played in his memory.