Monthly Archives: May 2016

Marown on the March

Marown A continued where they left off in Ellan Vannin Fuels Division One with another breathtaking 10-0 maximum, this time at the expense of Castletown A.

This is their fourth maximum out of only ten games and really does throw the gauntlet down to their rival and set their stall out for the rest of the season. The Crosby side travel to third placed Onchan A next time out, when play resumes in TT week, and they will be hoping to continue in this rich vein of form to remain in pole position.

Second placed South Ramsey A are still very much in touch after a strong 8-2 away from home against North Ramsey A leaves them just two point off the pace. They too have a tricky encounter next time out as they face their own talented B team in an interclub derby, however they will be hoping that the stars align to see them close the deficit on Marown.

It was Onchan’s turn to sit out last week and they now find themselves ten points adrift of the leaders. If they want to mount a serious defence of their title now is the time and they will need to get back on track against Marown next week.

Port St Mary A have now slipped into rhythm and are in fourth place, where most people expect them to finish, and a strong 8-2 win away from home over Finch Hill A has done their points tally no harm at all.

Fifth place Douglas A travelled to Ballaugh A where they picked up a 7-3 victory. If they want to chase down any of the teams above them they need to start winning bigger as although they have won seven of their ten games they have by far the lowest games for tally of any of the top five.

South Ramsey B showed once again why they are a team no to be taken lightly this term with another strong showing to beat Port Erin A 7-3.

Douglas B also continued with a good account of themselves picking up another valuable home win as they toppled Nobles A 7-3.

Peel A are the cream of the crop in Division Two and another impressive display, as they swept aside Port St Mary C 9-1, will do nothing but enhance their title credentials.

Second placed Castletown B kept the pressure on the leaders as they matched their result with their own strong 9-1 showing over Onchan B, however they trail Peel by eight points.

The Govags second string have now joined the party and a 9-1 win for Peel B over their own C team sees them move into third place just two points behind Town.

Port St Mary B are in fourth after a hard fought 7-3 win against North Ramsey B, to keep their hopes of promotion very much alive.

Douglas C are looking the most likely to win Division Three after a very strong 8-2 victory away at South Ramsey C sees them move seven points clear at the top.

Port Erin B continue to be their closest rivals after a 7-3 win over South Ramsey D sees them cement the work they have already put in.

Congratulations to new boys Marown C on their first away win of the season and what a win as they put in a scintillating performance to beat Finch Hill B 9-1. They are currently mid table but more results like this would certainly see that change.

Port St Mary Cup

A good entry of 30 pairs arrived at Port St Mary for the annual bank holiday mixed doubles competition once again kindly sponsored by Isle Of Man Farmers Ltd. At the conclusion of a warm sunny days play it was the husband and wife team of John and Fiona Kennish (South Ramsey) who were successful over another husband and wife pairing of Glynn and Kim Hargraves (South Ramsey/Nobles) 21-13. The fallers at the semi final stage were Neil Withers and Hannah Drewett (Marown/Castletown) along with last years winners Robert and Janet Monk (North Ramsey) who both lost to 15 in their respective games.

Ladies president Linda Dawson was on hand to thank everyone who had helped in the running of the competition especially the ladies section who had once again put on a good spread and also to Ray Watterson for preparing a fast and tricky green and also to those who had stayed around till the end to support, then Linda introduced Michael Atherton from I.O.M Farmers to present the prizes.

Haldane Fisher Mixed Doubles

There was a bumper entry of 37 pairs for the Haldane Fisher Mixed Doubles competition at the Villa Marina on Saturday.

The Douglas club host two mixed doubles competitions each season and it was fitting that the winners of each squared off in the final with defending champions Lyn Bolton & Trevor Quayle taking on Janet & Robert Monk.

Their was some excellent play in the final however it was the Monks that settled quickest and never took their foot off the gas as they took the win 21-13. They really do play the Villa green exceptionally well and this weekend was no different.

Port Erin pair Voirrey Curphy & Seamus Whelan did exceptionally well to make it to the semi finals, however the eventual victors proved too strong for them. The talented pairing of Paula Firth & Jordan Cain were eliminated at the same stage by the defending champions.

Fallers at the quarter final stage were Chris Price & Dido Kelly, Jenny Moore & James Teare, Claire Cooper & Lee Dawson and Alison Keggen & Michael Collister.

Thanks go to Douglas Bowling club for a well run competition and superb playing surface and to Haldane Fisher for their continued support of the club.

Cup Draws

The draw for the Ladies Jean Kelly Semi Finals and Mens Rayner Shield/Plate Quarter/Semi Finals have been published.

The Mens Semi Final dates are provisional until the teams are confirmed in case of green clashes


Castletown B (2021)

Rayner Shield

DateMatch #HomeScoreAway
Round 1Marown B3-5(140-156)Castletown B
Last 16Castletown B5-3(151-123)Onchan B
Quarter FinalSouth Ramsey B4-4(152-157)Castletown B
Semi FinalPeel Sunset A7-1(167-117)Castletown B

Castletown B (2021)

Rayner Shield

DateMatch #HomeScoreAway
Round 1Marown B3-5(140-156)Castletown B
Last 16Castletown B5-3(151-123)Onchan B
Quarter FinalSouth Ramsey B4-4(152-157)Castletown B
Semi FinalPeel Sunset A7-1(167-117)Castletown B

Castletown B (2021)

Rayner Shield

DateMatch #HomeScoreAway
Round 1Marown B3-5(140-156)Castletown B
Last 16Castletown B5-3(151-123)Onchan B
Quarter FinalSouth Ramsey B4-4(152-157)Castletown B
Semi FinalPeel Sunset A7-1(167-117)Castletown B

Castletown B (2021)

Rayner Shield

DateMatch #HomeScoreAway
Round 1Marown B3-5(140-156)Castletown B
Last 16Castletown B5-3(151-123)Onchan B
Quarter FinalSouth Ramsey B4-4(152-157)Castletown B
Semi FinalPeel Sunset A7-1(167-117)Castletown B

Castletown B (2021)

Rayner Shield

DateMatch #HomeScoreAway
Round 1Marown B3-5(140-156)Castletown B
Last 16Castletown B5-3(151-123)Onchan B
Quarter FinalSouth Ramsey B4-4(152-157)Castletown B
Semi FinalPeel Sunset A7-1(167-117)Castletown B

Canada Life International Manx Championship

John Kennish won his ninth Canada Life International Manx Championship in style with a devastating final display to defeat five times Champion Colin Kelly 21-2 at Nobles number 2 green on Sunday.

I am running out of superlatives to describe Kennish who has been the Islands number one player for what seems like an age, and has a trophy cabinet that contains more silverware than you would find in Wilkins Jewellers, and the best I can come up with is imperious.

He is quite simply imperious. His authoritative, commanding displays particularly in the semi-final and final are unprecedented on our shores and quite simply when he is at his best it seems almost impossible for anyone to match him.

Kennish doesn’t win all the time, others have their day and take nothing away from Kelly who himself is a great multiple champion and is in my opinion without question the second best player we have ever produced however like any supreme champion Kennish just seems to have more days than anyone else and Sunday 22nd May 2016 was another one of those days.

In the final he was in control from the off and with the rubs of the green also going in favour of Kennish there was little Kelly could do as his opponent seemed to eclipse the jack with every lead he sent, forcing him to play running bowls which either found the gap or when he did hit didn’t fall his way.

In the Semi Finals Kennish put in a superb display to see off defending champion David Bradford 21-8 whilst Kelly was also dominant seeing off the challenge of the inform Matthew Keggen by the same score.

In the quarter finals Kelly was made to battle all the way just getting the better of ex home greener Jordan Cain 21-18 after an epic tussle. Kennish was again on his game seeing off North Ramsey’s Steve Parker 21-7, however despite the score line it was a magnificent performance and achievement for Parker to make it this far after only taking up the game a few years ago. Bradford ended the challenge of Port St Mary’s Paul Skelly 21-13 to book his semi-final berth whilst Matthew Keggen beat Onchan teammate Phil Kerruish 21-12 at the same stage.

Thanks go to North Ramsey Bowling Club and Noble Park Bowling Club for hosting the competition, Matthew Keggen and the competition committee for running the competition and Canada life for their continued support and sponsorship.

Looking back at it the weekend was a fantastic showcase of the Islands top bowling talent with 58 players turning up to make their bid for glory hoping that it will be their name etched into the history books, however there was an all too familiar end to the story with Kennish being crowned King once again!

Click here to view the draw and full results from the competition

Tight At The Top

Things are hotting up at the top of Ellan Vannin Fuels Mens League Division One with the top three teams all tied on 73 points.

Onchan A are top after two solid 9-1 wins away at Nobles A and South Ramsey B respectively, however they have played a game more than both of their rivals and with them sitting out this week it will be a case of how many do they trail by when they take to the green for their next match.

Marown A are next on points difference and they will be delighted with their 10-0 maximum over a battling Douglas B side at the Villa Marina. South Ramsey A are third after two 8-2 home wins over Finch Hill A and Port St Mary A.

With Onchan sitting out this week both Marown and South will be battling it out for top spot, however with a trip to Onchan next on their agenda Marown will be hoping to give themselves a little breathing space.

Peel A are won the big game in Division Two beating Onchan B 6-4 away from home to move eight points clear in first position. Castletown B are in second place after their own battling 6-4 win away at Marown B. Onchan B are third on the same points as Town B.

Douglas C are top of the Division Three Tree however were made to fight all the way by Castletown C just having enough to win 6-4. Ballaugh C are second four points off the pace after a superb 10-0 maximum away at Peel D. Port Erin B are just two points further back.

IOM Ladies’ Pairs

There were 18 pairs entered for the Association IOM Pairs Championship held at Ballaugh on Sunday 22 May. It was a perfect day, the green was running well, there was good bowling with some surprises along the way.

Both semi-finals were close affairs. In the first Gill and Elaine stormed through to lead 20-14, at which point Ann and Jenny dug their heels in coming back to level the scores at “all-but” across before Gill and Elaine secured the point necessary to take them through to the final. The surprise pairing of the afternoon were Mooragh Park’s Julie Reilly and Vicky Lloyd-West who had played well to reach this stage. Up against the more experienced home greeners their good form continued, as they reached 19-15 before their opponents staged a fight-back to level at 19-19. The Mooragh pair held their nerve to produce a 2 on the next end and book a place in the final.

Semi-finals: Gill Dixon and Elaine Moore 21, Ann Gale and Jenny Maddrell 20; Julie Reilly and Vicky Lloyd-West 21, Barbara Graham and Christine McDonald !9

The wheels fell off for Julie and Vicky as they faced last year’s winners in the final. An imperious display saw Gill and Elaine retain their title 21-7.

The presentation was made by Association president, Rosie Winckle, who thanked Ballaugh for the use of their premises and their help during the afternoon. Thanks also went to all those involved in the smooth running of the afternoon.

Henry Kissack Trophy

A superb entry of 54 men made the trip to Marown on Saturday to compete for the Henry Kissack Trophy.

It was a sublime mix of the cream of the Islands crop and some of the games newer players as the club implemented a challenging handicap system ranging from 3-10 points.

South Ramsey’s John Kennish ran out winner on the day after an extremely entertaining final which saw him get the better of home green Dean Kipling 21-19.

Kennish booked his place in the final with a 21-11 win over Port Errin’s Bernard Thakrah whilst Kipling had his work cut out beating inform Matthew Keggen 21-20.

Fallers at the quarter final stage were Juan Killip, Neil Withers, Glynn Hargraves and Colin Kelly.

Praise goes to Marown for an excellently run competition with an innovative handicapping system.

Marown Lead The Way

Division One of the Ellan Vannin Fuels league is starting to take shape and Marown A and South Ramsey A are making the early running to give themselves some breathing space at the top.

Marown lead the way, six points ahead of South having played a game more, but will be disappointed to have only won 8-2 at home against Noble A last week. They sit out on Monday and will be expecting South to pass them the only question to be answered is by how much, before they travel to Douglas B on Friday evening?

South won 9-1 away at Ballaugh A last week and with a home fixture against Finch Hill A would expect to hit the top on Monday night. They have a tough midweek home fixture against Port St Mary A so it will be interesting to see how the land lies going into next week.

Onchan A are eight points off the top on the same number of games as Marown after negotiating too extremely tricky fixtures last week. They defeated Douglas A 6-4 at the park on Monday after drawing on games before travelling to Port St Mary A where they lost 5-3 on games but took the aggregate points to secure a 5-5 overall draw.

The champions, Onchan, are not down and out but they need to start winning big if they want to start closing on their rivals and they need to start doing it now as they cant afford the gap to widen if they are to fulfil their title ambitions.

Port St Mary A are now in fourth after their strong showing against the champions backed up a battling 7-3 away win against Douglas B at the Villa Marina on Monday.

Douglas B have started well and are still one point ahead of their A team, having played a game more, and they will be hoping this is still the case after they face off in the Douglas derby this week.

High flying South Ramsey B suffered a rare home defeat in the local derby against North Ramsey A after the match tied on games with North doing enough to snatch the aggregate points and overall win.

Port Erin A beat Finch Hill A 6-4 away from home in the final fixture of the division after tying on games but winning on points.

This defeat leaves Finch third from bottom after a promising start and in an early battle with Ballaugh A and basement team Nobles A to remain in the top flight next season.

Peel A are back at the summit of Division 2 after a solid 8-2 win over Marown B followed up by a 9-1 win in the rearranged fixture against the Sunset City C team.

Onchan B remain in second place after winning 7-3 away at Nobles B, however they now find themselves six points adrift of the Govags and will need to start closing the gap soon if they want their hands on the silverware come the end of the season.

Castletown B kept their own bid for the title on track with their own 7-3 victory over Onchan C.

Port St Mary B are now in fourth place and closing in on the teams above them after a brilliant 10-0 maximum over Ballaugh B.

Douglas C find themselves back on top of Division Three after a strong 8-2 win away at Ballaugh C. They are on the same points as Port Erin B, who won 6-4 at home against Nobles C, with a game in hand.

Ladies’ over 60’s Tuesday 17 May

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.