The Trend sponsored Ladies’ over 60’s league has reached its halfway point with last year’s winners, Port St Mary A in a commanding first place. Peel Sunset are in second place, holding a narrow lead over Castletown in third.
Returning after their break, Onchan were top scorers of the morning, winning five of their six games against Breagle, whose lone winner was Steff Swift. Port Erin visited Port St Mary B and gained a win by just 3 points despite winning 4-2 on games in the closest match of the day, the two winners for the home side being Roma Ware and Ann Maddrell to single figures. Port St Mary A did not have it all their own way on their visit to Nobles, drawing on games, but a good win to single figures by Val Macfarlane gave them a reasonable points advantage. Peel Sunset won four games against Ballaugh, three of them to single figures while the signature match of the morning saw Lynda Wilson come through 21-20 against Mary Simmonds. Mooragh Park had a good result at Villa, drawing the match on games. However wins to single figures by Muriel Cain and Margaret Corlett gave the home side a win on points. Kay McKiernan and Moira Anderson had a ding-dong battle with Moira just coming through 21-20.It was close at Marown where the home side had a 4-2 win on games, but Jan Osborne‘s winning to single figures cut their points advantage to just seven..

Tuesday 23 May – Both Port St Mary teams had a successful morning as A and B each posted a maximum. The A team played Villa and won three of their games to single figures, the biggest resistance being put up by Margaret Corlett who reached 16 against Win Collister. The B team played host to Mooragh Park, who fought well with four of their players reaching double figures. Castletown fell four points short of a full house as Kay Primrose-Smith, who came through 21-20 against Anne Oates, and Steff Swift both won their games for Breagle. Port Erin had the better of Ballaugh, in a match where all six players reached double figures, winning 4-2 on games. Each encounter at Marown was very close, the match ending level on games with no player scoring less than 16. Two of the games went all the way with Celia Joughin losing out 20-21 to Joyce Gardiner, and Marcia Pearson just pipping Rita Callan by the same score. It was also close at Peel where it ended level on games, the home side taking the match by 6 points..

Thursday 25 May – The good week continued for Marown as they travelled north to Mooragh Park, where they replicated Tuesday’s score of 119, winning five games, the lone winner for the home side being Maureen Lacey. Steff Swift continued her good form from Tuesday, being the only winner for Breagle against Port St Mary A, who won three of their five games to single figures. Edwina Reid spoiled the party for Douglas as her win denied them a full house, while Port Erin had a 4-2 win over Peel, winning two games to single figures. The two winners for the visitors being Heather Horsburgh and Mary Moffatt, Joyce Kelly making a spirited come-back to reach 16 from all but 8 down. Nobles visited Castletown where they had two winners, Sylvia Kennaugh, to single figures, and Josie Harding. For the home side Marie Ashurst also had a win to single figures. It was all square on games at Onchan, the closest match seeing Joan Murphy come through 21-18 against Lynda Clarke.

The conditions were anything but clement in the Trend sponsored ladies’ over 60’s league on Tuesday 16 May. Peel Sunset travelled North where the gale force winds and “different” green led to some very interesting bowling. The westerners were up to the task, winning all six games, although Ann Chapman almost spoiled the party, reaching 20 against Lynda Wilson. Philippa Taylor denied Port St Mary A a full house against Marown, while it was Villa’s Kay McKiernan who was the fly in the ointment for Castletown. The two winners for Breagle at Nobles were Sylvia Maddrell, to single figures, and Gwen Tuck who edged out Viv Cook 21-19. Kay Primrose-Smith almost levelled the games score, reaching 20 against Sylvia Kennaugh. Ballaugh had a successful journey to Douglas winning 4-2 on games, the two winners for the home side were Sue Caley and Jan Osborne who pipped Ann Gale 21-19.Port St Mary B demonstrated the advantage of fighting for every point, as despite losing 2-4 on games they won the match by two points. Their winners were Chris Holland and Roma Ware, while Dot Mylchreest lost out 20-21 to Jean Quine.

The four matches in the preliminary round of the JMS Veterans’ Shield were very close and certainly it was a morning when the handicappers could be congratulated. The biggest winning margin was 6 points, posted by reigning champions, Port Erin, against Onchan. Although ending level on games wins to single figures by Jean Thackrah and Mavis Franks left the visitors short even with the handicap. Peel Sunset played host to Mooragh Park and had 45 points to make up on handicap. Maureen Lacey denied the home side a full house and despite their best efforts Peel fell 2 points short. Again it ended level on games at Nobles where Josie Harding’s win to single figures gave the home side a six point advantage which was reduced to one when the handicaps kicked in. Port St Mary B won 4-2 on games with Pauline Worrall winning to single figures as did Kath King for Douglas. In play the home side won 103-98, but the away side’s extra 5 point handicap left the scores level. However in this situation the side that scored the most points in play go through so Port St Mary B move through to the next round.

There was a disappointing field of 22 at Peel, on Saturday 13 May, for the Gladys Cowell Over 60’s competition sponsored by Gladys’ grandson Nigel Rawlinson. However, as the competitors said, what the entry lacked in quantity was more than made up for by the quality! The standard of play and some very close matches confirmed the truth of that statement.

The horrible weather during the morning cleared to give a reasonable afternoon, although it was beginning to get very cold for the final stages.

Quarter-finals: Mary Moffatt 21, Margaret Tasker 6; Philippa Taylor 21, Libby Andrade 14; Maureen Payne 21, Tricia Bull 10; Rosie Winckle 21, Celia Joughin 16.

Both semi-finals were tense affairs. In the first Philippa had the better of the early exchanges, taking a lead of 13-8 before Mary won three of the next four ends to close to13-14. Once again Philippa took control and looked a shoo-in to win the game at 19-14, but Mary dug in to win the next six ends and move into the final. In the other semi-final things were pretty even for the first half of the game with Maureen 13-12 ahead after nine ends, before winning three of the next four ends to lead 17-13, when Rosie  upped her game to level at 17-17.However Maureen won the next three ends to book her place in the final.

Semi-finals: Mary Moffatt 21, Philippa Taylor 19; Maureen Payne 21, Rosie Winckle 17.

In the final Maureen was ruthless racing to a 16-7 lead after nine ends, but as she showed in her semi-final, Mary is a fighter and scored 7 on her next four ends to get back within two points, before Maureen finally ran out the winner 21-15.

The presentation was made by club president, Heather Horsburgh, who congratulated the players and thanked everyone who had helped during the afternoon.

There were two maximums posted in the Trend sponsored ladies’ over 60’s league on Tuesday 9 May. Port St Mary A were quite ruthless against their club colleagues, Port St Mary B. Tricia Bull and Val Macfarlane both won to single figures while the main resistance came from Chris Holland who reached 18 against Win Collister. Douglas rued their visit to Port Erin as the home side showed them no mercy, winning all six games, two of them to single figures. Sue Caley came closest to giving the visitors a game, reaching 19 against Jean Thackrah. There were two close games in the west when Maureen Payne and Wendy McDowell, for Onchan, won to 19 and 18 against Heather Horsburgh and Cath Parker to keep Peel Sunset just 5 points short of a full house. Castletown won 4-2 on games at Marown in a match where all six players gained double figures, Mair Moore coming closest to levelling the games score when she reached 18 against Joy Stephens. Mooragh Park fought well at Ballaugh, with wins by Moira Anderson, to single figures, and Ann Chapman,while it was a nail-biter at Villa,where the match ened as a draw on games with the home side snatching victory by one point.

Four teams shared the top score of 116 points, and with another four clubs passing the 100 point mark it was a high scoring morning. Peel travelled to face champions Port St Mary A and managed to win two games, courtesy of Joyce Kelly and Mary Moffatt, while Lynda Wilson reached 20 against Kath Looney. Jenny Cain spoiled the party for Villa, being the lone winner for Breagle, although Hesba Skelly almost added a second game as she just lost out 19-21 to Mary Black. Onchan were in storming form against Ballaugh who had just the one winner in Voirrey Oates while Ellie Cowell was the sole winner for Mooragh Park against Port Erin. Port St Mary B were a player short at Castletown but did come away with two wins from Brenda Hawkard and Chris Holland who edged out Joy Stephens 21-20. The closest match of the morning was at Nobles where the match ended level on games with a win to single figures for each team. The stand-out game saw Josie Harding just come through 21-20 against Marcia Pearson in a match which saw a win for the away side by 3 points.

Breagle may have wondered whether their journey north, in the Trend sponsored over 60’s league on Tuesday 2 May, had been worthwhile, as their opponents, Marown, finished the morning with a full house. However with all six players reaching double figures the visitors ended with a respectable points total. Things were much tighter at Douglas where it ended level on games, with two games won to single figures by each side. .Douglas made the most of home advantage coming through to win by one point. At Ballaugh Peggy Griffin was the lone winner for the home side, denying Port St Mary A a maximum while at Peel good wins by Barbara Young and Ann Hollingworth kept the home team’s score down. Port St Mary B drew on games with Nobles, but with Sylvia Kennaugh winning to single figures and all the Nobles’ players reaching double figures the visitors ended with a fair points advantage. It was also close at Port Erin, where the home side won by just eight points.

Both Peel Sunset and Port St Mary B fell one game short of a full house in the Trend sponsored over 60’s league on Thursday 27 April. Peel travelled to Nobles, where Heather Horsburgh was their lone loser thanks to Lin Ruscoe, while Pat Dacre almost gave the home side a second game, losing out 20-21 to Cath Parker.

Sylvia Maddrell was the fly in the ointment for Port St Mary B after their long journey to Breagle, winning to single figures. Two games in this match went all the way with Stef Swift and Hesba Skelly reaching 20 against Dot Mylchreest and Chris Holland respectively.

Onchan and Douglas drew on games with the home side winning on points – the other three games ending 4-2 on games. Voirrey Curphy and Mavis Franks were the two winners for Port Erin at Port St Mary A, but with three home players winning to single figures the home sided ended with a significant points advantage. 

Philippa Taylor and Celia Joughin were the two winners for Marown at Villa, while Ann Gale and Brenda Bowyer won for Ballaugh at Castletown where despite all their players reaching double figures they fell just three points short of the 100 point mark.

The weather was not kind on the morning of 25 April in the Trend sponsored over 60’s ladies’ league. At Peel the match coincided with the period of high tide, so the cold and strong winds were accompanied by the sea spray coming over.

For Breagle Gwen Tuck and Sylvia Maddrell mastered the conditions to take two games of the home side. Onchan recorded a maximum at Moorage Park, where just two of the home side managed to get into double figures, while at Douglas Jan Osborne spoiled the party for Port St Mary A, denying them a full house. Sue Caley almost added a second game for the home side, reaching 20 against Kath Looney.

Port Erin had a good win against Castletown, winning four games. All the Castletown players reaching double figures kept the final points difference to single figures. It was another close affair when Port St Mary B played host to Villa, the match ending level on games with the visitors finishing just ahead on points. Ballaugh and Nobles also tied on games, but with the home side winning two games to single figures compared to their opponent’s one they ended with a comfortable points advantage.