Peel Sunset were top scorers on Thursday 21 July, although their hopes of a maximum were shattered by Hesba Skelly, for Breagle, who came through 21-20 against Rose Corfield. The other 21-20 in the match went Peel’s way with Jean Quine edging out Steph Swift. Voirrey Oates and Brenda Bowyer were the two winners for Ballaugh against Port St Mary A while the match at Douglas ended level on games. With the three winners for Castletown all winning to single figures the visitors had a good win on points.Mooragh Park had two winners against Onchan in Anne Kean and Maureen Wright, while Moira Anderson lost out 20-21 to Maureen Payne. Villa seem to be on a roll at the moment, gaining a second win of the week at Port Erin by a margin of 10 points in a match that was drawn on games. The Marown players all reached double figures with winners in Shirley Whelan and Mair Moore, but still ended in second place against Nobles

There were two maximums in the Trend sponsored ladies’ over 60’s league on Tuesday 19 July. Port St Mary won three games to single figures but Moira Anderson nearly spoiled their party reaching 19 against Tricia Bull. Nobles also won six games against Port St Mary B whose top scorer was Gill Aughton. Peel Sunset did not get much joy when they travelled to Castletown, the home side scoring 120 while the visitors had only two winners in Mary Moffatt and Heather Horsburgh. Villa had the better of the “local derby” when they played club-mates, Douglas, winning 4-2, the feature game seeing Jan Osborne just lose out 20-21 to Brenda Williams. Despite winning only two games, Onchan won their match against Port Erin by ten points, with Maureen Payne and Rita Callan winning to single figures and Flo Kelly and Libby Andrade both scoring 19. Marown had a comfortable win at Breagle, 4-2 on games and a margin of 15 points

Ballaugh scored a maximum in the Trend sponsored over sixties league on Thursday 14 July against Mooragh who were a player short. There were good performances from Peggy Freeman, who reached 16 against Voirrey Oates and Maureen Wright who went one better against Ann Gale .It was a tight match between Port St Mary B and Breagle ending level on games with just 3 points between the two teams. In the closest game of the match Chris Holland was pipped 21-20 by Hesba Skelly. After their close encounter on Tuesday, Peel were more dominant on home territory on Thursday, winning 5 games with Pat Kelly being the lone winner for Villa. Port St Mary A were made to struggle when they travelled to Port Erin, having just two winners in Tricia Bull and Margaret Tasker, the home side ending with a 10 point advantage. Douglas had two winners against Onchan, Jan Osborne to single figures and Sue Caley who edged out Joyce Gardiner 21-19.

It was unfortunate that Douglas could only field four players against Port St Mary A in the Trend sponsored ladies’ over 60’s league on Tuesday 12 July, allowing the league leaders to add another maximum to their portfolio. Castletown are fighting hard to keep up with the leaders, and dropped just ten points against Port St Mary B. The featured game of the match saw Chris Holland lose out 20-21 to Marie Ashurst. Onchan and Peel finished level on games, but wins to single figures by Joyce Kelly and Mary Moffatt. gave the visitors a win on points while Villa and Marown also ended level on games, despite Villa being a player short, but that gave Marown the advantage on points. Port Erin put up a strong performance at Ballaugh where Ann Gale and Brenda Bowyer, who edged out Carol Kaye 21-20, were the two winners for the home side

It was a tense morning at Douglas in the Trend sponsored over 60’s league on Thursday 7 July, where the home side drew on points with Ballaugh despite winning four of the six games, with all the visiting players reaching double figures. In contrast Port Erin finished with a maximum against Mooragh Park whose top scorer was Moira Anderson on 17 points. It must have been a quick match at Nobles where five of the games, two to Nobles and three to Castletown were won to single figures. The exception was the game between Flo Price and Barbara Young which Flo won 21-19.Shirley Whelan spoiled the party for Onchan by denying them a full house, while Villa enjoyed their trip to Port St Mary B, winning 4-2. Dot Mylchreest came close to levelling the games score, reaching 20 against Brenda Williams. Peel Sunset entertained league leaders Port St Mary A in a match that ended level on games. The home team fought well to all reach double figures, which enabled them to take the match by five points.

There were only five games played in the ladies’ over 60’s on Thursday 30 June as the Mooragh Park team were attending Lilian Slinger’s funeral.

Villa put up a tremendous performance against Nobles winning all six games, three of them to single figures, Lin Ruscoe putting up most resistance reaching 16 against Brenda Williams. All the other matches played finished 5-1 on games, Onchan getting the highest score when dropping a mere three points to Port St Mary B, whose lone winner was Pauline Worrall. Breagle’s Sylvia Maddrell was the fly in the ointment for Castletown who finished with a score of 122, while Margaret Scarffe prevented a white-wash for Marown against Port St Mary A. Peel Sunset were pleased with their performance at Ballaugh where only Voirrey Oates stood in their way towards a full house, but did not, at the time, realise that they would be the lowest scoring winners of the morning !!

The return matches in the Trend sponsored ladies’ over 60’s league started on Tuesday 28 June. Peel Sunset started with a maximum against Mooragh Park, while Port St Mary A fell just two short against Port St Mary B, Gill Aughton being the lone winner for the “home” side. Nobles and Onchan shared the games in a high-scoring encounter, the featured match-up seeing Sonja Lees just lose out 20-21 to Maureen Payne. Ballaugh found the journey to Marown worthwhile, coming away with four wins, two, by Ann Gale and Brenda Bowyer, to single figures, while Margaret Scarffe took Maureen Trustham all the way before going down 20-21.Villa had a 4-2 advantage on games over Breagle, while Douglas and Port Erin shared the games with the home side having the advantage on points.

It was back to normal after the break for the TT in the Trend sponsored over 60’s league on Thursday 16 June when the last game of the first half of the season was played. Top scorers were Castletown who dropped just 6 points to Villa who had two winners, Kay McKiernan and Muriel Cain who pipped Barbara Young 21-20.Onchan won 4 games, and with Lynda Clarke winning to single figures, ended with a 15 point lead over Breagle. Moira Anderson and Ann Chapman were the two winners for Mooragh Park at Marown while Maureen Wright fell just short reaching 20 against Shirley Whelan. The closest game at Noble’s saw Kath Looney edge out Sonja Lees 21-19 in a match which league leaders Port St Mary won 4-2, while Ballaugh’s visit to Purt le Moirrey saw them go down 2-4 on games, their two winners being Ann Gale and Brenda Bowyer. There was not much separating the two sides at Peel in a match that ended level on games, with home advantage giving the westerners the win on points over Port Erin.

Shrewsbury is still recovering from its invasion by a party of sixteen ladies from the island, there for the Veteran’s County Championship on Tuesday 14 June. Having arrived on the Monday, the team of eight, plus reserve then played on the Tuesday. After the pleasant weather to which we were beginning to get accustomed to on the Isle of Man, Tuesday turned out to be a bit of a shocker.

Sixteen counties played in groups of four on a round -robin basis, the Isle of Man meeting North Midlands first and going down 89-104, before getting the better of Merseyside 104-98. Half way through the second match the rain and thunder came although the lightning passed either side of the bowls complex, allowing the event to continue. The final match against Lancashire, a team containing several of our Festival regulars, who will be here next week, was played in miserable conditions with the green starting to become water-logged, but dogged determination from the Manx girls meant that although they did not win the score of 101-106 shows the closeness of the contest. Congratulations go to all the team for their efforts, especially Anne Oatea and Margaret Tasker who won all three of their matches. Over all the team scored 294 for and had 308 against, and as an extra boost to their confidence the team they beat, Merseyside, went through to the final where they lost to Cheshire (another team with familiar faces we shall be seeing next week).

Port St Mary A were too strong for Villa in the Trend sponsored over 60’s league on Tuesday 17 May, winning all six games, four of them to single figures. The main resistance came from Brenda Williams who reached 20 against Kath Looney. Maureen Quilliam spared Marown’s blushes, her 21-19 win over Jean Quine denying Peel Sunset a full house. It was Flo Price who spoiled the party for Port Erin, although Sonja Lees almost gave Nobles a second game, reaching 19 against Jean Thackrah. Douglas were a player short giving the advantage to Port St Mary B despite ending level on games. At Ballaugh the home side won 4-2 on games, but the visitors, Castletown, showed the value of fighting for every point ending with a 9 point advantage. In a low scoring match Mooragh Park managed a draw on games against Breagle, who were a player short, and ended just 6 points short of their first win of the season.