No changes at the top
The top two teams march on with their quest to become champions of the Manx Petroleum sponsored Outdoor Winter Bowling League, both recording important wins over challengers directly behind them in the standings.
The final weekend of league action before the festive break saw Outsiders open with a much needed above average score in their victory over Parkers.
This while second placed Seven-Up dropped just five chalks in their four games to two success over Govags, who scored a healthy total of 104 themselves.
Seven-Up followed this up with a convincing 5-1 games victory over Outsiders, leaving the current champions with just an ‘outside’ chance of retaining their title.
They currently occupy fourth spot and now trail the leaders by 306 points with a maximum of 252 available from the two fixtures they have in hand.
The final clash of the session was between teams who were on a similar average in the table and it was Govags who extended their advantage over Parkers; all-be-it by just three points, but that was enough for the winners to move up one place and put Bowl Rollers between the pair.
Results for Saturday, December 14: Parkers 93 (2), Outsiders 117 (4); Seven-Up 121 (4), Govags 104 (2); Outsiders 100 (1), Seven-Up 115 (5); Govags 114 (4), Parkers 111 (2).
Sunday’s session had a real mix of weather – it began in relatively good conditions, before along came of shower of hail (which wasn’t much fun for one player in shorts!); then the afternoon ended with heavy rain which resulted in an extremely wet green.
Things did begin on a high for two of the teams after Mooragh Lakers and Guns for Hire took the maximums tally to 13 at the expense of Bits n Bobs and Erin Porters, who unfortunately had to compete a player short.
The two victors next went head-to-head and after the first three games, which ended during a hail shower, the scores were level at 54 points apiece.
The weather did its very best to spoil the remaining games and they probably would have had closer outcomes but for the rain; however, G4H kept their unbeaten run intact after they won the second half 51 to 44, leaving both sides with fairly low final totals.
Porters meanwhile fought through the conditions against Bits n Bobs and even though they gave their opponents a 15-chalk head start, they came through to win comfortably.
Results for Sunday, December 15: Mooragh Lakers 126 (6), Bits n Bobs 82 (0); Erin Porters 83 (0), Guns for Hire 126 (6); Guns for Hire 105 (4), Mooragh Lakers 98 (2); Bits n Bobs 85 (2), Erin Porters 100 (4).
The club will hold its second charity event of the year this Saturday, when the J&M Lee memorial doubles competition will take place with a 1pm prompt start. The 36 entrants have been paired up and split into two groups, which will be played as a round robin.
To decide the winners of the shield, the two pairs at the top of each group will play each other. All proceeds from the afternoon will go to the RNLI, therefore members are requested to bring a raffle prize.
The regular midweek round robin session saw an entry of 29 separated into two gangs, one of which was played as triples and was won by Gill Jopson, Kevin Firth and Doug Allan, ahead of Mark Kelly, Derek Allen and Cliff Clague.
It was doubles for the other group, which saw Allan Kennaugh and Steve Kelly take first spot, with Bernard Thackrah and Maureen Hamilton in second.