Title chase a four team affair

A fourth team threw their hat into the title chase in the Manx Petroleum sponsored Outdoor Winter League Bowling Club over the weekend, as they raced through the fixtures halfway point with the weather remaining on their side.
Leaders Seven-Up were faced with a session without their leading player, Kevin Quirk, who was unfortunately taken ill on Friday and admitted into hospital. I am sure all club members and the remainder of the bowling fraternity join me in wishing Kevin a speedy recovery.
The team then had a very mixed afternoon; firstly going down to their lowest score when they took on fourth placed RBM, before recovering and finally notched up that elusive maximum win, with success over Bits n Bobs.
Govags were also in action and they managed to move off the bottom with two scores above their average; they began with victory over closest rivals Bits n Bobs, before doing just enough on the points front, second time out, to send Bits into last spot.
The afternoon’s biggest scorers were RBM and they cemented their position with an average of 81 and therefore moved closer to the three teams above them.

Sunday had the first three-team session of the campaign and surely a chance for Louie’s Angels to make Seven-Up suffer even more following their heavy loss the previous day, but Castletown Cannons had other ideas and blew their afternoon apart.
The southern outfit kicked off with the season’s fifth maximum whilst they inflicted defeat on Beachcombers; next the Angels had a slightly higher than average success and left Beachcombers with just 102 points from their efforts.
Finally the last unbeaten run in the league was broken when the Cannons completed their best afternoon of the season, dropping just 10 points and left their opponents trailing with only 58. This in turn saw the victors move up a place, while Louie’s Angels remain in third spot but with a lower average.

Participants in the midweek round robin were saddened to learn of the death of former member David Turner. David did try and take part this winter but on his first outing found things a little difficult after suffering illness earlier in the year.
He had been a regular during the winter months for I believe the past five years and took part in a large number of club events and social bowling in that period. Our thoughts and condolences go to his family at this difficult time.
The session had 36 entrants who took part in two sections of triples which were won by Mike Skelly, John Lightfoot and Rita Callister, along with Derek Clarke, Philippa Taylor and Peter Karran. Second places went to Mavis Franks, Pauline Worrall and Bernie Thackrah; Louis Callister, Gordon Corrin and Margaret Tasker.