In a very close match at Purt le Moirrey, on Friday 20 May, where four of the nine games ended 21-20 (two going the way of each side), Marown had their second win of the season, with six wins and two 20’s amassing a total of 172 points against Purt Le Moirrey. At the top of the table, Castletown dropped just one point against Ballaugh where Jenny Maddrell had the better of Kim Foy 21-20, while Port St Mary did not have it all their own way at Peel, reaching a total of 156 points, although they did win the match. It was a similar story for South Ramsey who were kept to the same score, 156, by Nobles’. Mooragh Park had two winners against Port Erin and also Vicky Lloyd-West reaching 20 against Lynda Cadamy. Onchan won 4 games and had a 20 courtesy of Flo Kelly against Pat Kelly, but with Douglas winning three games to single figures were well behind on points..

League leaders Port St Mary were two strong for Port Erin,in the C Tarleton Hodgson sponsored ladies’ league onWednesday 18, coming away with a maximum, Lynda Cadamy being top-scorer for the visitors. Chasing teams Castletown and South Ramsey also had good results on the night, Janet Monk denying Castletown a full-house while Dee Lewis was the fly in the ointment for South Ramsey. It was also a good night for Peel Sunset at Marown, although only winning 6 games a 20 for Cath Parker against Rosie Winckle and Lynda Wilson’s 18 against Shirley Whelan meant they dropped only 14 points. Although losing 4-5 on games, Douglas finished 4 points ahead of Ballaugh in the closest match of the night, the closest game of the match seeing Muriel Cain just lose out 20-21 to Pat Mason. Nobles had a 5-4 advantage, but a 20 from Kim Hargraves against Pauline Worrall, and 19 for Lin Ruscoe against Roma Ware gave them a good points advantage.

The quarter-finals of the Jean Kelly Team Handicap competition took place on Thursday 12 May. Peel travelled to Castletown, and lost 6-3 on games although one of their games was won to single figures courtesy of Joyce Kelly. The two other winners were Shirley Corrin and Philippa Taylor. In reply for the home side Hannah Drewett and Hilary Kermode both had good wins to single figures and with four other wins Castletown had the advantage 168-138 on points, which gave them a narrow win by 5 points when the handicaps kicked in.

Mooragh Park also got close when they travelled to South Ramsey. The home side had a 7-2 advantage on games, with Jenny Moore and Helen Caley winning to single figures. The two winners for the visitors were Helen Martin, to single figures, and Rosemary Quirk. Gill Morgan fought well to reach 19 against Nicola Kneale as did Vicky Lloyd West who lost out 20-21 to Moira Anderson. Taking the handicap into account Mooragh Park were just 8 points short of causing a major upset !

Port St Mary were determined that there would be no surprise result as they faced their fellow club members. With Chris Price being the only winner for Purt le Moirrey, and the home side winning three of their games to single figures, the handicap made little impact on the final scores.

Nobles won 6 of the 9 games when they travelled to Port Erin, with Rebecca Teare and Jayne Smith both winning to single figures. Despite a good win to single figures by Lynda Cadamy, the home side were always on the back foot, ending 25 points down before handicap, their 5 point advantage making little difference to the final result.

Top scorers of the night in the C Tarleton Hodgson sponsored ladies’ league on Friday 13 May were Purt le Moirrey, winning 6-3 on games against Onchan who were unfortunately a player short. There were some close games with Dee Lewis reaching 19 against Roma Ware while, for the home side, Debra Cooper reached the same score against Maureen Payne and Sandi Lowe went one better against Wendy McDowell. Another high scorer was Ballaugh, who also won 6 games, three of those wins being to single figures.The closest game of the match saw Brenda Bowyer just lose out 18-21 to Maureen Wright. Four of Port Erin’s players won to single figures in their 6-3 defeat of Marown, while Leah Vickers fought well to reach 18 against Shirley Whelan. Castletown won 5-4 on games against Port St Mary, but wins to single figures by Wendy Kennaugh and Jayne Kneen gave the visitors victory by the narrow margin of 6 points. Despite being gifted a game by Nobles’ Peel Sunset could only win a further three games. With three wins to single figures Nobles’ ended with an advantage of 9 points, although there were some close games along the way, Joyce Ogden reaching 19 against Shirley Corrin, while Kim Hargraves came through against Jean Quine by the same score. South Ramsey’s 4-5 deficit on games became a victory on points with Gill Dixon and Lyn Bolton winning to single figures, as did Brenda Williams for the opposition, and three of their players reaching 18 points.

With Elaine Moore being off island for the. Ladies’ Average Merit Classic in Shropshire, there were only five matches played in the C Tarleton Hodgson sponsored ladies’ league on Friday 6 May. The match between South Ramsey and Purt le Moirrey will take place on Wednesday 25 May.

Ballaugh had little answer to the might of Port St Mary, having only two winners in Ann Gale and Christine MacDonald, while the reigning champions won six of their seven games to single figures. Port Erin also recorded just two wins when they visited Noble‘s, courtesy of Voirrey Curphey and Mavis Franks. They nearly added two more as Phil Dobson reached 19 against Joyce Ogden and Leah Vickers took Jayne Smith all the way before going down 20-21.It was 5-4 in games for Peel Sunset at Onchan, helped by the home side fielding eight players which also gave the westerners a fair points advantage. Marown went down 3-6 to Castletown but there were some very close games with Rosie Winckle and Pat Withers reaching 18 points and Shirley Whelan losing out 20-21 to Kath Kinley. The closest match of the night was at Douglas where the home side took the five games with Paula Garrett and Muriel Cain winning to single figures, as did Janet Monk and Martin for Mooragh Park.

Port Erin recorded the highest score of the night in the C Tarleton Hodgson sponsored ladies’ league on Friday 29 April, against a depleted Onchan team. Dee Lewis was the loan winner for the visitors, while as well as two walk-overs the home side won four of the seven games played to single figures. There were some very close games at Castletown, where despite a close win on games the home team finished with a sizeable points advantage. Sue Peach reached 18 against Kim Hargraves while Marie Ashurst lost out 20-21 to Sylvia Kennaugh. South Ramsey maintained their pressure towards this year’s title with a good win at Peel, winning 7-2 on games with three wins to single figures. The two winners for the home side were Shirley Corrin and Heather Horsburgh. With two good wins, Mooragh Park kept Port St Mary’s total down, although the reigning champions won 7-2 in games, four of the games to single figures. Ballaugh had a 5-4 advantage on games against Marown, although Rosie Winckle almost reversed that reaching 19 against Ellie Faragher. However the home team’s three wins to single figures meant they won by a clear points margin. The points at Purt le Moirrey were very similar to those at Ballaugh, the home team winning three of their 5 games to single figures to give them the advantage on points.

The Jean Kelly Memorial Handicap team knock-out competition got under way on Wednesday 20 April. Douglas did not have too far to travel for their match at Noble’s, but the home side had the upper hand, leading 5-4 on games, although once the handicaps kicked in they won by a narrow margin of 7 points. The battle of the Smiths saw Julie have the better of Jayne by 2 in the closest game of the match.

Onchan could only field eight players to give Castletown an advantage that they didn’t really need, as the visitors won six of the eight games played, Hannah Drewett and Kath Kinley winning to single figures. The two winners for Onchan were Maureen Payne and Lynda Clarke while Dee Lewis reached 19 against Kim Foy.

Port St Mary were in imperious form for the visit of Ballaugh winning seven games, five of them to single figures. The two winners for the travellers were Jenny Maddrell, to single figures, and Pat Mason who edged out Tricia Bull 21-20.

South Ramsey were another team not to be denied on the night, their form making short work of Marown’s handicap. Five of their seven wins were to single figures, as was Shirley Whelan’s for Marown. The other winner for the visitors was Mary Alderson, while Rosie Winckle fought hard to reach 18 against Lyn Bolton.

Libby Andrade saved Onchan’s blushes in the C Tarleton Hodgson sponsored ladies’ league on Friday 22 April, as her 21-20 win over Anne Oates denied Castletown a full house. Dee Lewis almost gave the home side a second game as she lost out 20-21 to Ann Hollingworth. Despite the visitors winning three of their games to single figures, Onchan managed to push their score over the hundred point mark. Port St Mary also won eight games, three of them to single figures, the lone winner for Douglas being Muriel Cain, while Kath King came close to adding another game when she was edged out 21-20 by Katy Williams and like Onchan Douglas also pushed their score over 100. Port Erin had two winners in Voirrey Curphey and Mavis Franks, but this was not enough to stop South Ramsey’s impetus, as they won five of their seven games to single figures. The closest match of the night was at Noble’s where Ballaugh had a 5-4 advantage on games, but Kim Hargraves reaching 19 against Barbara Graham and Flo Price’s 20 against Alison Millard, together with Clare Cooper’s win to single figures, gave the home side victory by 2 points. Peel Sunset travelled South to play Purt le Moirrey, and came away 5-4 up on games. Two games of note saw Joyce Kelly and Chris Price in a tussle which went Chris’s way 21-19, while Lynda Wilson kept Roma Ware on 20 for five ends as she came back from 12-20 to all-but across before Roma claimed the final point. Mooragh Park made a fight of it when they visited Marown, winning four games and losing by just 9 points. The battle of the night saw Lil Smith lose out 19-21 to Rosemary Quirk.

It is a very rare event for a team to score the maximum 189 points in the C Tarleton Hodgson sponsored ladies’ league but it was a feat achieved by two teams on Friday 15 April. Port St Mary won all nine games against Marown with three players winning to single figures, while Mary Alderson came closest to spoiling their party, reaching 19 against Kath Looney.. Five Ballaugh players won to single figures when they recorded a full house against Onchan whose best scores were achieved by Rita Callan, who reached 18 against Ann Gale, and Leslie Nicholl who scored 19 against Alison Millard. Last year’s runners up, South Ramsey, were in no mood for leniency towards the team who finished just behind them. Castletown could manage only two wins, by Hannah Drewett and Hilary Kermode, both to single figures, while their opponents won five of their seven games to single figures. It was closer in the west where Peel Sunset won 5-4 on games against Douglas. Some of the games were very close, and Sarah Quirk. making her second appearance of the year for the westerners played particularly well to reach 19 against Paula Garrett. It was also 5-4 at Port Erin where all the home players reached double figures, the toughest game of the match saw Lynda Cadamy come through 21-18 against Chris Price. Mooragh Park had a tough struggle against Noble’s, winning just three games, but with so many new players the rebuilding of the team must be on the way up.

It was a miserable night on Friday but all games went ahead despite the rain which got heavier as the evening progressed. Leading scorers were South Ramsey, 6-3 ahead on games with four of their players winning to single figures. The three winners for Ballaugh were Ann Gale, Mary Simmonds and Christine Mc Donald. Mooragh Park also passed the 170 point mark against a depleted Onchan side, with the home side having two winners in Maureen Payne, to single figures, and Rita Callan. Despite a narrow 5-4 win on games, with three of their players winning to single figures, and Wendy Cowin reaching 20 against Celia Joughin, Douglas had a comfortable win on points against Marown. Over in the west, Peel Sunset won 7 games, Joyce Kelly’s win to single figures being balanced by Lynda Cadamy’s for Port Erin. The rest of the games were close with Jackie Elliott beginning to make a habit of taking her opponent to the wire, this time just losing out 20-21 to Sue Jones. The two winners for Noble’s against Port St Mary were Rebecca Teare and Clare Cooper who both won to single figures, as did Val Macfarlane and Jayne Kneen for the visitors. Purt le Moirrey won 5-4 on games against Castletown, but with three wins to single figures and Ann Hollingworth scoring 20 against Edwina Reid the points victory went to Castletown.