The final stages of the Canada Life International Manx Championship were played at Breagle Glen Bowling Club on Sunday afternoon, with the qualifying rounds having taken place the previous day, there was a healthy 64 entries. The last time the Championship was held in Port Erin in 2006 the final was contested between Paul Dunn and John Kennish, with the latter prevailing to win title number seven. Kennish is the current holder and has since gone on to win another five Championship titles.

As is always the case there were some casualties on the Saturday, with the draw being played down to the last 16, the target being to navigate safely through the early rounds to reach finals day.

Losing out at the quarter final stage were Paul Dunn who lost out 19-21 to Marown teammate Tom Kelly, with the latter having led 12-3, Dunn turned the game around to lead 17-14. Kelly stepped up a gear to win four ends on the bounce scoring six chalks to lead 20-17, only to concede a double. With the game finely poised at 20-19 Tom capitalised on a bit of room to get the single chalk needed to secure a semi-final spot with a 21-19 win. The second quarter final saw John Kennish (South Ramsey) having to mix things up a little, with a determined Mark Moorley (Breagle Glen) going into the lead once again with the score at 12-11 after 19 ends. A solid finish to the game saw Kennish prevail 21-14.

In the bottom half of the draw, the two matches were more straightforward for both winners, as Colin Kelly (Marown) took a decisive 21-5 win over Andy Kennish (Peel), with the latter scoring five singles, whilst Kelly scored seven doubles. David Bradford (South Ramsey) also secured safe passage to the semi-final with a 21-6 win over Peter Slinger (Onchan), with the Ramsey man keeping his opponent down to six singles throughout the game.

The semi-finals saw three previous winners looking to add to their tally, with Tom Kelly hoping to secure his maiden Manx Championship title, as he faced 12-time winner and current holder Kennish, with the latter never going behind in the game, with the score at 13-9 to Kennish, he went on to win seven of the last eight ends to runout with a comfortable 21-10 win.

The other semi-final had the potential to go to the wire, it was seven-time champion Colin Kelly with a five-chalk lead (9-4) after 10 ends. From there two-time champion Bradford took the game by the scruff of the neck, whilst it took another 21 ends to finish the game Bradford got on a mark that had served him well in his previous two rounds, whilst only scoring one double, it was 15 singles that got the Ramsey man over the line with a comfortable 21-14 win to take his spot in the final.

The final got underway with approximately 100 spectators in attendance, for an all-South Ramsey final, it was Bradford who made a positive start scoring a two on the first end. John responded to win the next three ends as he moved around the green on a shorter mark. Scoring two singles and a double to lead 4-2. On the next end two good bowls and not much of a target left Bradford with no other option other than to try to break the end up, which he did to count for one. John scored a single on the next end, however Bradford got back in immediately, went on a six-end scoring run on a longer length to lead 11-5 after 12 ends.

The following end saw a good two from Kennish close the deficit to four chalks. On the next end Kennish opted for a longer mark in the same direction that he had favoured, putting up a good first bowl. Bradford was fast with his first bowl and with a bit of good fortune punched out John’s bowl, then played a good second bowl to count for two. Two singles from Kennish saw the deficit cut to four chalks once more at 9-13.

On the following end a good second bowl from Kennish, saw a reaching bowl from Bradford almost result in a double for the latter. Bradford went on to send the jack off the green, however this didn’t knock Bradford out of his stride, as his second bowl promoted his first bowl to count for one. Another two was secured on the 19^th end, with John just hitting the wrong side of the second counting bowl to give Bradford a commanding 17-9 lead.

A good lead from Bradford saw Kennish punch out Bradford’s bowl, going on to make two. Another single from Bradford was secured with a return of the favour as he punched out John’s lead with his first bowl, then John somewhat unluckily hit the gap between the jack and counting bowl. A loose end from Bradford saw the deficit close to five chalks at 13-18.

Two singles, both scored from a good first bowl saw Bradford go 20-13 ahead, the second end saw John hit another gap between the jack and counting bowl to runout.

Bradford headed for the mark that he had scored most of his points on throughout the day, with John picking up a good two, this put the score at 15-20. In the last chance saloon a bit of distance was required as John headed for the corners. A two picked up on the next end, was followed up with a single with a great second bowl from John saving the game.

The tension was starting to build with the score at 18-20, with Kennish heading back into the corner. A short first bowl from Kennish wasn’t beaten by Bradford, with Kennish just needing to correct his length, he looked to have a perfect second bowl coming in, however the pace just prevented the bias from coming into play as he went into Bradford’s short bowl to knock it in to count for game 21-18. This win was Bradford’s third Manx Championship title following successes in 2015 (Douglas), and 2022 (Ballaugh).

The presentation was made by Association competition secretary Matthew Keggen, who introduced IOMCCGBA President Hilary Kermode to present the prizes. In his speech Bradford thanked the Association for running the competition, went on to mention that he had only played in the competition as his son Kian had entered, and after a tough few weeks with his health, he had somehow got through two games on Saturday, and four games on Sunday afternoon. Without doubt this must go down as one of Bradford’s best achievements, following a tough run of games throughout the competition. The win also marked a first ever defeat in the final of the Manx Championship for Kennish having won all 12 finals that he had played in previously.

David and John will both compete in the Senior Individual merit at Dodworth BC, South Yorkshire on Saturday 26th July, with David also competing in the Champion of Champions at Owley Wood Recreation Club, Cheshire on Saturday 27th September.

After a week of Festival action league bowls returned this week, as the second half of the season got underway. Five of the six first division games saw 10 chalks or less settle the two points up for grabs on the aggregate.

 In Canada Life International Division One Marown A put clear daylight between themselves to lead by three points following the Crosby men’s 9-1 home win over Castletown A. Nathan Cooil prevented the whitewash as he performed well to beat Peter Jones 21-13. All seven of the home wins were comfortable for Marown, with Tom Kelly, Glenn Boland, and Phil Kelly taking 21-5 wins over Dean Kinley, Aaron Richardson, and Andy Clark respectively.

If there is such a thing as a disastrous win, then a 4-6 away win for South Ramsey A over bottom side Breagle Glen A sums it up. Winning for the home team were Trevor Quayle, who beat Peter Collister 21-6, Ewan Cooil got over the line 21-18 against Dido Kelly, with the latter having trailed 2-16. Steve Durcan won to the same score (21-18) against James Teare, with the former having led 12-4 before securing the win. The lone winner in the first half for the visitors was John Kennish who beat Dan McCabe 21-11.

The second half of the match saw South fightback, with Jordan Cain beating Tim Williams 21-12, Bob Clark held off Chris Lever 21-18, Mark Moorley got a fourth win for Breagle, as he beat David Bradford 21-16, whilst Glynn Hargraves just got home 21-17 against Wayne Roberts, with South Ramsey managing to edge the aggregate by a solitary chalk (141-142) with every point counting. Breagle can take heart from this performance, following the addition of two players at the halfway point to strengthen the ranks, this should see the home team climb the table in the second half of the season.

Peel A hosted Onchan A on Monday evening in the Sunset City, with another tussle between the teams going to the wire, as the visitors edged the aggregate by a chalk (135-136) to take home a 4-6 win. For the home team Stevie Kelly beat Steve Parker 21-8, with Will Penhallurick responding with a 21-9 win over Gary Smith. Dave ‘Barney’ Kelly beat Reg Temporaza 21-15, whilst Andy Mackie beat Jamie Clague 21-18. For the visitors June Festival finalist Matthew Quirk had his first outing using two different bowls – this is permitted under the rules, provided both bowls are within a certain weight range. The Onchan man was up against opposing captain George Gadsby, with the Peel man putting up a good fight only for Quirk to prevail 21-18.

North Ramsey A hosted Marown B, it was the visitors who went home the happier of the two teams with a 3-7 victory, with the Crosby men winning the aggregate by 10 chalks (137-147). Jamie Box made his debut for Marown, on a green he would never have previously played on, losing out 18-21 to Allan Callow, whilst John Gelling held off David Callow. All players on the night reached double figures.

South Ramsey B slipped to a 3-7 home defeat against Douglas A, despite Tony Dugdale being the only single figure winner 21-7 against Ian Moore. Winning close games were Toby Hart 21-20 against Merv Sayle, Nick Firth responded for the Villa men to beat Christian Caley to the same score, whilst Keith Rise got over the line 21-19 against Lee Dawson.

In Division Two the closest game of the week was between hosts Onchan B and Noble’s A, it was the home team that edged home 6-4, thanks to winning the aggregate by just three chalks, as three games finished to 19, and a further two games went to 20.

Marown C clawed a point back on leaders Ballaugh A following their 1-9 away win over Douglas B. Ballaugh A are top by five points following their 8-2 home win over Breagle Glen B, as Nigel Tebay missed out on making it a 9-1 win for Ballaugh cruelly losing out 20-21 to Peter Hulley.

Castletown B may just have found some form, as they beat Finch Hill A 9-1 at the Crofts, with Stephen Oates once again winning for the visitors. Noble’s B just missed out on a whitewash at home to Peel B as Dean Sowerby lost 20-21 to Andrew Cover, however they won three games to 18, 19, and 19.

Division Three is starting to look like a three-horse race between South Ramsey C, Peel C, and North Ramsey B, with the latter slipping to a disastrous 3-7 home defeat to Ballaugh B.

Peel C missed the opportunity to hit top spot, as they occupy second place, just one point back on North Ramsey B following their hard fought 4-6 away win over Marown D, taking the aggregate by 12 chalks (130-142).

South Ramsey C were the biggest winners of the week with a timely 0-10 away win over Breagle Glen C, however they had to battle for four of the wins to 17, 17, 18, and 20, with the 21-20 win going to Paul Routledge over Terry Collister.

In Division Four league leaders Onchan C picked up 14 points this week, as they played a rearranged fixture beating nearest rivals Finch Hill B 6-4 at home, having won 2-8 away to Peel D earlier in the week.

Finch Hill B just missed out on a full house, with a 9-1 home win over Douglas C. Rob Tomlinson prevented the whitewash with a 21-19 win over David Holmes.

Douglas D had a good week thanks to their 7-3 home win over Castletown C, taking the aggregate by 17 chalks (138-121), whilst Noble’s E came away with an identical 3-7 win, also by 17 chalks (132-149) over North Ramsey C.

The ever-popular pre-festival Ballacashtal Cup was held on Sunday attracting an entry of 84 bowlers, matching the 2023 entry, made up of locals and visiting bowlers. The Castletown green was in good condition, with the pace of the green picking up throughout the day following the recent downpours. The competition had a new sponsor on board with JRH Plumbing and Heating supporting the event.

At the quarter final stage Ricky Cochrane (Kirkham) held on to beat former winner Charlie Roberts (Dukinfield Central) 21-19, whilst Colin Price (Dukinfield Central) beat Josh Cotton (Wrockwardine Wood) 21-16. 

In the other half of the draw Stefan Kelly (South Ramsey) led 19-11 against Neil Wright (Kirkham), with the latter fighting back to 17-19, however Kelly managed to see the game out with two singles to win 21-17. Chris Heyes (Dukinfield Central) took on home greener Nathan Hamilton, with the latter having played a great bowl on the deciding end against Dave ‘Barney’ Kelly to take his place in the quarter finals 21-20. Heyes took a 14-7 lead, eventually went on to win 21-15 against the last home greener.

At the semi-final stage, it was the end of the road for Cochrane, with Price never trailing in the game, as the latter won 21-17 to book his spot in the final. The other semi-final was even closer as Kelly had to dig deep to get over the line 21-19 against Heyes.

The final saw two players with different game plans, as Kelly preferred to play up to the crown, whilst Price opted for the longer length in the corners. With neither player able put up a good lead bowl in the early part of the game, it was Price who made the first move to lead 17-12 after 11 ends.

A change in game plan arrived when Kelly got in on the 12^th end, as he won four consecutive ends in the corners to close the deficit to one chalk at 16-17. A timely two, followed by a single for Price put the visiting bowler within touching distance of the trophy, however Kelly got back in to pick up a single. On the next end Price was confident he had bowled the winner, singled for one shortly after sending his bowl with this coming back to haunt him, as his bowl just hung out wide. When given some gentle banter from some of his mates Price replied that he was thinking about the next end, so it proved, as a great last bowl from Price, saw him get over the line 21-18, as Price took home the famous trophy for the first time and the first prize of £400, whilst the South Ramsey man could console himself with £200 for his efforts on the day.

The presentation was made by Competition Secretary Nathan Hamilton who thanked the sponsors JRH Plumbing and Heating for sponsoring the competition, the ladies for the refreshments and Kath Kinley for the great work in the competition hut. Castletown Bowling Club President Hilary Kermode then introduced the sponsor James Hinchliffe to present the prizes. Upon accepting the trophy Colin commented that he had been coming to the Island for 49 years, since 1976, and that it was the first competition that he had won on the Isle of Man, also stated that this competition was his favourite day of the week.

South Ramsey hosted the Jim Kernan Cup on Saturday afternoon, in what is traditionally the first of the pre-festival opens with a healthy entry of 62 matching the 2024 entry. With heavy thunderstorms and lightning in the morning, the green was deemed playable with bursts of rain throughout the afternoon, however all 62 entrants turned up to play. The competition was sponsored by George Brew and CEF also on board this year.

At the quarter final stage Matthew Quirk (Onchan) beat Steve Barber (Grapes) after finishing the game strongly scoring six doubles on his way to a 21-15 win. Nick Wyer (Penn) was 19-19 with Paul Dunn (Marown) only for the latter to finish the game with a two to progress to the semi-final 21-19.

In the other half of the draw Reece Farr (Penn) seen off Andy Kennish (Peel) 21-16, whilst the last home greener Alan Moore put paid to the challenge of Joe Dicken (Woodfield) 21-14.

Both winners of the semi-finals ended up with comfortable wins as Quirk trailed 6-12, and 13-15 to Dunn who was the current holder having won the competition for the past two years, with the former running out to win 21-15. Moore managed to build up a healthy 16-8 lead over Farr, as the latter fought back only to lose out 16-21.

The final saw neither player able to win more than two consecutive ends in the early stages, it was Quirk who led by two chalks after nine ends at 13-11. Moore went on to win seven of the next eight ends playing the corners to go within touching distance of his first win in this competition, however two doubles from Quirk cast a shadow of doubt on the outcome, however a single was enough for Moore to lift the trophy, along with the £350 first prize, whilst Quirk took home £150 for his efforts. This was also Moore’s third singles open competition win overall having previously lifting the Autumn Shield and Dreswick Cup.

The presentation was made by South Ramsey club member Glynn Hargraves, who thanked the ladies for providing the refreshments throughout the day, along with everyone who had helped with the running of the competition. Thanks were given to long term sponsor George Brew, along with Richard Butler from sponsor CEF who presented the prizes.

Marown Bowling Club hosted the Henry Kissack Memorial Trophy on Sunday afternoon with the competition sponsored by Glenn Boland Plumbing & Heating attracting 61 entries. After the recent wet weather the rain held off for the majority of the day.

Losing out at the quarter final stage were Tom Kelly (Marown) 15-21 to South Ramsey’s David Bradford, with the latter recovering from a 5-9 deficit. Onchan’s Will Penhallurick got the better of home greener Darren Kerruish 21-19.

In other half of the draw Peter Jones progressed to the semi-final with a 21-16 win over Peel man Paul Quirk. The last quarter final resulted in a big win for Glenn Boland who beat Marown teammate Colin Kelly for the first time doing it in style with a 21-8 victory.

Penhallurick had the unenviable task of taking on Bradford at the semi-final stage, the Onchan man didn’t get off to a great start as Bradford took a 11-5 lead. Penhallurick hit back losing just three more ends, scoring five doubles on his way to a 21-16 win to book his place in his first singles final.

The other semi-final saw Boland carry on his good form from his earlier rounds to defeat his doubles partner and teammate Peter Jones comfortably 21-10.

The final started with a huge upset looking to be on the cards as Penhallurick stormed into a 14-7 lead with 10 ends played, playing superbly. On the 11th end Boland played a good second bowl to get hold of the jack which he never forfeited from there scoring three singles, five consecutive doubles and finished the game with three singles to take a deserved 21-14 victory to lift the Henry Kissack Memorial Trophy for the first time.

The presentation was made by Marown President Brian Kelly who thanked Glenn Boland Plumbing and Heating for sponsoring the competition for the first time, everyone who had helped with the running of the competition and the ladies for providing refreshments throughout the day.

Men’s night league action took place on Monday evening, with the windy conditions ensuring no T.T. racing took place, however this made for difficult conditions for bowlers, with the top teams coming through unscathed.

Onchan A consolidated third place in Canada Life International Division One following their 9-1 home win over South Ramsey B, with the visitors scoring just 73 chalks. The lone winner for South was Tony Hart who ambled to a 21-10 win over Mike Alexander, with just two more of the visitors reaching double figures as Christian Caley lost out 10-21 to Neil Dunwell, whilst George Brew scored 11 against Will Penhallurick. Five single figure wins for the home team saw just 31 chalks scored by the visitors. After a difficult start to the season Onchan are now in a spot they are more accustomed to.

Marown A had a potential banana skin as they took on their B Team, whilst the lower ranked team lost 9-1, they put up a good fight with the chalks 157-125. Preventing the whitewash was Karl Parker whose 21-10 win over Tom Kelly was never in doubt. Marown captain Paul Dunn was given a fright as he edged home 21-20 against Stevie Rundle, whilst Peter Greenlees lost out 19-21 to Peter Jones. The only single figure winner on the night was Colin Kelly who beat Brian Kelly 21-9.

Like the Marown derby another tricky fixture was in store for South Ramsey A who faced local rivals North Ramsey A. Bob Clark was the only single figure winner as he beat Allan Callow 21-4 in blustery conditions to help his team to a 9-1 victory. Toby Hart stepped up from the B team to make his first team debut, putting in a solid performance as he held off Tom Collins 21-18. The only other win that was in doubt was Dido Kelly, who faced Mooragh captain Rob Monk, with the South man leading 11-4 and 17-9, a fightback from Monk saw the game go to the wire with the score tied at 19-19 Kelly knocked Monk in who went into the lead for only the second time in the game – since the first end to lead 20-19. Kelly drew on all his experience to see the game out picking up two singles to get over the line 21-20.

Peel A won 8-2 at home to Breagle Glen A, with the visitors putting up a good fight as they scored highly (151-135). A much-changed line up for Breagle saw three changes as Ewan Cooil stepped up from the B Team as he lost out 20-21 to Andy Mackie, Dave Saxon faced a fully fit Peel captain George Gadsby only to suffer a 7-21 defeat, whilst Chris Oates beat Gary Smith 21-8. Other close games saw Dan McCabe lose 18-21 to Pip Pemberton, whilst Wayne Roberts lost to the same score against Paul Quirk. Tommy McMeiken continues to go well in the individual merit having suffered just one league defeat all season, as he held off Trevor Quayle 21-15, with Steve Durcan picking up a second point for the visitors with a 21-17 win over Charlie McMeiken.

The closest game in the top division on Monday night was between Douglas A and Castletown A at the Villa, with the home team winning 7-3, taking the aggregate by nine chalks (144-135). Stuart Garrett stepped in and impressed with a 21-6 win over Jordan Drewett, whilst three home wins were close as Merv Sayle faced opposing captain Nathan Hamilton, with the former winning 21-18. Ian Moore held off Kieran Krypner 21-19, whilst Keith Rise beat Andy Clark to the same score. Winning for the visitors were Dean Kinley, Nathan Cooil, and a visiting Mikey Collister, who won the kitty as he beat Shaun Seal 21-11.

With the undefeated Ballaugh A having already played their T.T. fixture it was an opportunity for second placed Marown C to close the gap on the league leaders in Division Two as they faced Onchan B at home. With a 7-3 home win the gap was closed to three points, with Colin Spence, Derek Allen, and Mike Thomas ensuring the visitors took three points off the Crosby men. For the home team Sid Bolton got over the line 21-20 against Neil Richmond, whilst single figure wins were secured by James Kelly and John Kelly over Neil Taylor and Bernie McPhee respectively.

With fixtures creatively done to ensure as little travel as possible Noble’s A faced off against their B Team on number two green, as they extended the gap over the ever improving lower ranked side to 10 points, following their 8-2 win, with 12 chalks separating the teams to show it was a good match (150-138). Winning close games for the A Team were Stephen Corkill, Jim Callister, and captain Alex Yates over Steve Brennan, Steve Cain, and Lee Greggor respectively. Winning for the B team were Lee Price 21-11 against Martyn Hobson, whilst Dean Sowerby beat Mark Bradshaw 21-13.

Home advantage ensured it was a better week for Breagle Glen B as they faced Peel B, with the home team securing a vital 6-4 win, taking the win on the aggregate (145-134)

In Division Three it couldn’t have been much closer for South Ramsey C who won 6-4 at home to North Ramsey B, snatching the aggregate by just one chalk (131-130), with Paul Routledge the biggest winner for the home team as he beat Paul Cannan 21-6. Not to be outdone on single figure wins Ray Skelly beat Anthony Kelly 21-7, whilst Bryan Corner returned to his old stomping ground with a 21-4 win over James Moore. The two single figure wins for the visitors couldn’t prevent the defeat for the visitors.

Ballaugh C held off their B Team B 7-3 in another keenly contested game as the higher ranked team took the aggregate by eight chalks (144-136).

Peel C won 7-3 at home to Noble’s C, with three games finishing to a 21-20 scoreline all of which involved three members of the same family, as two went in favour of the home team, with Kevin Mort and Andy Jackson holding off Steve Colquitt and Sam Colquitt, whilst the youngest member of the family Alex Colquitt went home with his 21-20 win over Ross Menton.

Just two fixtures went ahead in Division Four with both games finishing with 9-1 wins. The ever-improving Noble’s E won at home to Peel D, with the visitors being kept under 100 chalks (161-89), with this also the case as Douglas C beat Douglas D (164-88).

Several fixtures had been moved due to the T.T. racing as agreed by both team captains.

In Division One this week league leaders South Ramsey A retained their one-point lead at the top following a 1-9 away win over Castletown A. Four single figure wins from James Teare, David Bradford, Peter Collister and Dido Kelly kept the home team under 100 chalks. The lone winner for Town was Jordan Drewett, who fought back from a 7-14 deficit to lead 17-14, then held on for a 21-20 win over Jordan Cain to prevent the whitewash. The next highest score for Town was from Andy Clark who lost out 17-21 to Glynn Hargraves.

Marown A came away from their visit to Port Erin with a 1-9 win over Breagle Glen A. Winning for the home team was Wayne Roberts with a 21-15 victory over Phil Kelly, with captain Chris Lever just losing out 20-21 to Neil Withers, whilst Steve Durcan was held off 17-21 by Glenn Boland. Marown captain Paul Dunn was the only single figure winner inflicting a 21-3 defeat on Tim Williams.

Peel A continue to pick up most of their points away from home, this time winning 4-6 away to South Ramsey B. All of the wins for the Peel men were comfortable, with Stevie Kelly the best winner 21-6 against Christian Caley. For the home team three games were won 21-18 with Ben Dugdale, Toby Hart, and Tony Dugdale winning against Andy Mackie, Gary Smith, and George Gadsby respectively, whilst Lee Dawson beat Paul Quirk 21-11.

Onchan A emerged from the Mooragh Park with a 4-6 win over North Ramsey A. Paul Allison hung on to beat Steve Parker 21-20, whilst Tom Collins’ 21-18 win over Mike Alexander was slightly less nervy. Rob Monk was the only single figure winner for the home team with a 21-5 success over Kevin Quirk. For the visitors captain Matthew Quirk stunned Allan Callow with a 21-0 win with a masterclass in corner to crown bowling, with the other three wins from Will Penhallurick, Peter Slinger, and Jamie Clague never in doubt.

The closest match of the week was at Crosby between Marown B and Douglas A, with the home team securing a 6-4 win, as home advantage helped secure the aggregate by two chalks (135-133). For the Villa men Keith Rise used all his experience to hold off Kevin Kelly 21-18, whilst Andy Cannell beat Stevie Rundle 21-8. For Marown John Gelling beat Merv Sayle 21-7, whilst Juan Killip beat Nick Firth 21-8. Karl Parker ensured the aggregate wasn’t shared with his 21-20 win over Mark Kneen.

In Division Two Noble’s A (pictured) were the best winners of the week as they defeated Breagle Glen B 8-2. Stephen Corkill won 21-7 against Rod Swift, whilst Phil Salmon was pushed the hardest as he held off Dylan Marsh 21-18. For the visitors Nick Peterson won 21-14 against Mark Bradshaw. The biggest surprise of the night was the appearance of 2001 Manx Champion Ewan Cooil after a seven-year break from the game, he proved he has still got it with a 21-15 win over Kevin Moore.

League leaders Ballaugh A could only win 6-4 at home to eighth placed Castletown B, with all four wins for the Town men being to 17, 18, 18, and 19 from Phil Cannon, George Foy, Peter Oates, and Juan Drinkwater. All the home team wins were never in doubt, with Mike Spooner and Patrick Grant winning 21-9 against John Holden and Patrick Cooper respectively.

Marown C missed an opportunity to make up some ground on the Ballaugh A, as they lost out 6-4 away to Peel B, in a game that finished with four 21-18 wins, with these being shared equally between the teams. Also shared were two single figure victories (21-9) with Sid Bolton beating Gordon Corrin for the visitors, whilst Colin Moore beat James Kelly for the home team. The home edged the aggregate by just three chalks (145-142).

Despite Noble’s B losing 3-5 on games to Douglas B on the Villa, they manged to secure a 5-5 draw sneaking the aggregate by three chalks (141-144), with the difference being Mike Caley seeing off David Pease 21-8 on a tricky green. In a week of close games, the home team picked up three of their wins 21-18 with Bob Callow, Geoff Mayles, and Dave Corkish seeing off Paul Moore, Dean Sowerby, and Andy Greggor respectively.

Onchan B slipped to a 4-6 defeat at home to Finch Hill A losing the aggregate by four chalks (129-133). For the Onchan men Mike Thomas beat Brian Murphy 21-8, with Neil Richmond winning 21-9 against Pat Maher. Stephen Oates responded for the Finch men with a 21-5 win over Neil Taylor.

Peel C clung on to top spot in Division Three despite suffering an 8-2 defeat away to Ballaugh B. For the home team Jamie Kelly and Andy Young won 21-8 against Matthew Venables and Charlie McMeiken respectively, with Gordie Moore and Richard Fisher made to work for their 21-18 victories. For the visitors new bowlers Nathan Jones and Stuart Morrison impressed with victories over Fred Waggett and Edgar Cowin respectively.

Noble’s C impressed with an 8-2 home win over South Ramsey C, with 21-17 wins from Roy Moore, Andrew Bell, and Alex Colquitt. For the visitors James Moore beat Sam Colquitt 21-20, whilst Greg Barlow’s 21-10 win over Charlie Bell was never in doubt.

Marown D lost out 3-7 at home to Noble’s D, however just 11 chalks separated the teams (130-141). Breagle Glen C occupy bottom spot in Division Three following their 3-7 home defeat to Ballaugh C, somewhat strangely Breagle Glen B are bottom of Division Two, whilst Breagle Glen A are bottom of Division One.

Onchan C continue to stretch their lead at the top despite having played a game less than the teams occupying second and third spot in Division Four following their 3-7 away win over Castletown C, with Freddie Palmer, Dominic Bowrey, and Ron Williams the winners for the Town men.

Second placed Finch Hill B slumped to a 4-6 defeat at home to North Ramsey C, losing the aggregate by just one chalk (140-141).

Noble’s E continue to improve in their second season, as they came away from South Ramsey D with a 3-7 victory, as both teams shared single figure victories.

Peel D won 7-3 at home to Douglas D, with the Villa men putting up a good fight losing out by 11 chalks (138-129) despite suffering a 21-0 defeat.

On Wednesday evening Finch A and Ballaugh A brought forward their match that was due to be played T.T. week with the visitors coming away with a solid 2-8 victory.

Douglas Bowling Club hosted the Association Cup on Sunday afternoon with the competition once again sponsored by Plumbmaster attracting 60 entries. The weather was glorious throughout the day on a tricky green.

Losing out at the quarter final stage were Peel’s Andy Mackie 11-21 to South Ramsey’s David Bradford, with the latter scoring six doubles and keeping his opponent down to seven singles. Stevie Kelly (Peel) lost out 18-21 to Paul Dunn (Marown) with the former having led 17-8 a strong finish saw the Marown man prevail.

In the other half of the draw Dido Kelly (South Ramsey) faced an in form Neil Withers (Marown) with the Crosby man flying home with a 21-7 win. Sibling rivalry saw brothers Tom and Kevin Kelly (both Marown) face off with the younger brother once again taking bragging rights with a 21-19 win.

The semi-finals were two very different stories with Bradford and Dunn finely poised at 12-12 after 11 ends. The Marown man shifted up a gear to see the game out with a 21-13 win over Bradford. In the other semi-final Withers was trailing 12-17 to Kelly, however a turnaround in fortunes saw the former see the game out with a 21-17 win.

The final got underway between the Marown teammates, with Dunn intent on retaining the trophy he won for the first time last year, and Withers hoping to lift the famous trophy for the first time. After 10 ends there was little to choose between the two men, with Dunn trailing Withers by one chalk at 10-11. Two successive singles saw Dunn lead 14-11, however Withers turned a three point deficit into a two point lead at 17-15. Dunn rallied once more to win four chalks over the next five ends to lead 19-18. On the next end Dunn was unable to put up a good enough bowl to pile the pressure on which allowed Withers to score a single to level the game up at 19-19. A good lead on the next end from Withers went unbeaten despite Dunn’s first bowl just turning away. With the score now 20-19 a single would secure the trophy, as Withers put up a good lead, then went on to beat his first with an even better bowl. This left Dunn no option other than to strike in an attempt to kill the end, however this missed as Withers lifted the trophy for the first time.

The presentation was made by Competition Committee Officer Wayne Roberts, who thanked Plumbmaster for sponsoring the competition, Douglas Bowling Club for hosting, the club members for providing helpers and refreshments throughout the day.

In Division One this week Marown A took on Douglas A at Crosby on a fine evening, resulting in the first 10-0 win of the season in the top division. The Villa men scored just 78 chalks, with captain Merv Sayle losing out 17-21 to Glenn Boland, whilst Gordy Wynne-Smythe just lost out 20-21 to Phil Kelly. Five of the home team won to singles figures, with just 30 chalks scored by the visitors over the five games.

The closest match of the week was between Breagle Glen A and South Ramsey B, with the Ramsey outfit the happier of the two teams on the night coming away with a 4-6 win taking the aggregate by six chalks (124-130) to boost their survival hopes. For the visitors the Hart brothers were in fine fettle as Austin Hart beat David Cain 21-8, whilst his younger brother Toby Hart won 21-3 against Tim Williams. Ben Dugdale won the battle of the captains 21-13 against Chris Lever, whilst his Dad Tony Dugdale inflicted another league defeat on Trevor Quayle 21-16. Hitting back for the home team Dan McCabe and Steve Durcan beat Ed Carlyle and Christian Caley 21-8 respectively, whilst Bernie Durcan made sure it wasn’t a Hart treble as he held off Tony Hart 21-18.

Onchan A continue to climb the table, now sitting in fourth place behind Castletown A following their 6-4 home win over the Town men. The Quirk’s led the way for the home team with Matthew beating Andy Clark 21-4, whilst Dad Kevin beat Ian Watson 21-7. Winning for the visitors were Dean Kinley, Nathan Hamilton, Aaron Richardson, and Jordan Drewett with the latter pushed the hardest 21-17 against Mike Alexander.

Peel A continue to struggle, as they slumped to bottom place following their 3-7 home defeat to North Ramsey A, with Tom Collins pulling off one of his best ever wins with a stunning 21-9 win over Peel stalwart Dave ‘Barney’ Kelly.

South Ramsey A remain in top spot, with just a one-point lead following their 9-1 home win over Marown B. The lone winner for the visitors was Kevin Kelly, who will no doubt be the hero in the Kelly household this week as he prevented the whitewash with a 21-17 win over James Teare. Karl Parker was next closest to picking up a win as he led 11-1 against South captain Glynn Hargraves, with the latter fighting back to eventually get over the line 21-19. Three single figure wins arrived from the home team for John Kennish, Peter Collister, and David Bradford.

In Division Two Ballaugh A came away from the Villa with a 4-6 win over Douglas B, as the visitors lost three close games to 17, 17, and 19. Richard Hainge was the only single figure winner with a 21-8 victory over Geoff Mayles.

Marown C hit top spot once again taking advantage of the Ballaugh men dropping four points with a 9-1 home win over Noble’s A, with the visitors losing four close games, Dave Naughton 17-21 to Conor Keenan, Stephen Corkill and Alex Yates lost out 19-21 to Walter McCarthy and Darren Kerruish respectively, whilst Phil Salmon was edged out 20-21 by Brian Kelly.

The three other games in Division Two finished to a 6-4 score, with Castletown B winning 6-4 at home to Onchan B (137-124), Noble’s B took the aggregate by three chalks (153-150) to secure their 6-4 home win over Breagle Glen B, whilst Finch Hill A win by 12 chalks at home to Peel B, this proving enough to secure the result in their favour.

In Division Three North Ramsey B lead by a solitary point, with the Mooragh men taking home a 3-7 away victory over Noble’s D.

Just one point behind North Ramsey, are Peel C on 38 points, who sacrificed top spot following their 6-4 away defeat to Ballaugh C.

Elsewhere South Ramsey C recorded a solid 8-2 home win over Ballaugh B, whilst Breagle Glen C lost out 4-6 at home to Marown D, with the Crosby men taking the aggregate by just one chalk (137-138).

In Division Four league leaders Onchan C extended their lead at the top to six points with a 9-1 home win over Douglas C.

Finch Hill B occupy second spot, with a hard earned 3-7 away win over Noble’s E, with a closer game than the score suggests as five chalks separated the teams (128-133).

South Ramsey D had a positive 4-6 away win to Peel D, with Junior bowler Kian Bradford winning 21-15 against Adam Prince.

Another close game took place between North Ramsey C and Castletown C at Mooragh Park, with the Town men earning a 3-7 victory, securing the aggregate by four chalks (130-134).

The Rayner Shield took place on Wednesday and Thursday evening with notable individuals results for Jordan Cain beating Rob Monk 21-8 on Mooragh Park, Joe Kneale losing out 18-21 to John Kennish in a 2-6 win for South Ramsey A against North Ramsey A .

Onchan A were pushed hard by South Ramsey B, with the home advantage proving crucial for Onchan with a 5-3 victory. Matthew Quirk had a tough game against Lee Dawson, with the latter losing out 18-21.

Second Division side Noble’s A hosted Marown A, the home team would have been delighted to win two games against a top team, with Martyn Hobson causing the upset of the season so far with a 21-19 win over seven-time Manx Champion Colin Kelly, whilst Kevin Moore demonstrated his rapid development as he upset Tom Kelly 21-14. Phil Salmon was the next closest to picking up a third win for the Noble’s men losing out 18-21 to Paul Kelly.

Breagle Glen A reached the quarter finals thanks to a 5-3 home win over Peel A, with three games going to the wire 21-20.

In the Rayner Plate Castletown B (+35) had to claw back 40 chalks at home to South Ramsey D (+75) doing this comfortably winning by 44 chalks (203-159), with Kian Bradford fighting back from a 5-17 and 8-20 deficit eventually losing out 16-21 to George Foy.

Ballaugh A (+25) hopes of another Rayner Plate success were ended at home to Onchan B (+40) despite winning 5-3 on games they couldn’t claw back the 15 chalks, losing out by just three chalks (172-175).

Castletown A (+30) flipped a 10 chalk deficit into a 10 chalk victory away to North Ramsey B (+40) winning 176-186, with Marown C (+25) doing the same with their 189-169 win over Finch Hill A (+45) overturning a 20 chalk deficit to win by 20 chalks.

Elsewhere Noble’ s D (+35) lost out by just five chalks (188-193) to Peel C (+60) despite winning 6-2 on games with the 25 chalk deficit proving too much to turnaround.