Monthly Archives: May 2016

Cu Plas Mes Doubles Competition

Pictured here are Marown pairing Colin Kelly & Neil Withers winners of the Clu Plas Mens doubles competition which took place at Nobles Park on Sunday after defeating Matthew Quirk & Jordan Cain in the final. Also pictured is Clare Cooper of Nobles Bowling Club. £332 was raised for the Special Care Baby Unit at Nobles Hospital.

Isle of Man v Merseyside

The Isle of Man Senior Mens bowls team continued to make strides in the Senior County Championships, the highest level of the team game, with a very impressive showing against Merseyside.

In the match played over two simultaneous legs at both Onchan Park and the Unison Bowling Club in St Helens the Isle of Man showed why they now have a seat at the top table as they won the home leg and just missed out on the overall win by 22 points over 24 games with a final match score of Merseyside 438 Isle of Man 416.

It is important to compete at this level and the fact that the team won 11 of the 24 games shows they are able to do just that and if they continue improving it will not be long before they pick up their first overall win.

At home the match was tight from the off with the honours even in after eight games with four wins apiece. Neil Withers, Glynn Hargraves, Trevor Quayle and Peter Collister all winning and the rest of the team scoring well to keep themselves in contention. .

With only three games remaining it looked like a points victory on Manx soil may have eluded the team but it was a case of Kelly’s Heroes from then on as the back order of Dave ‘Dido’ Kelly, Phil Kelly and Colin Kelly all rallied delivering impressive results to edge the leg by five points scoring 221 points as opposed to Merseysides 216.

Overall Endsleigh Insuarance man of the match for the Onchan Fixture was Merseysides John Finch for an impressive 21-12 win over Isle of Man number 1 John Kennish, whilst the Gelling Man of The Match for the home side went to Dido Kelly for his very impressive 21-10 victory over Anthony Thompson.
At this level things are always difficult away from home especially as the green travelled to was alien to the entire team, and had a huge crown unlike anything they would have seen locally.

Despite not scoring a win in the first four games the Island scored well and there were some very gutsy performances to ensure they were always in with a shout. It was the middle order where the Island proved their strength in depth is growing winning three of the next four games with Paul Dunn, Aaron ‘Bob’ Clark and Matthew Quirk all winning.

The final four also played superbly well and added another win to the pile as Paul Kelly picked up his first victory at this level.

Paul Dunn picked up a well deserved Overall Endleigh Man of the Match award for a fantastic 21-9 victory over Isle of Man festival winner Terry Glover, whilst Paul Kelly pocketed the Gellings Man of the Match award for his strong 21-10 win over Steve Davies.

Overall it was a very impressive showing from the local side in only their second year competing at this level. Thanks go to main sponsors Paddy Power and new sponsors West Coast Fitness as without them the Island simply wouldn’t be able to compete in this competition.

Cu-Plas Ladies’ Doubles

There was an entry of 23 pairs for the Cu-Plas ladies’ doubles played on Nobles’ number 2 green on Sunday 8 May. After an iffy start weather-wise the sun showed its’ face and shadows could be seen on the green.!

The green was running well and some excellent bowling was on display.

Quarter-finals: Jenny Moore and Fiona Kennish 21, Debbie Leece and Alison Keggen 16; Sylvia Kennaugh and Mary Alderson 21, Rebecca Teare and Kim Hargraves 11; Paula Firth and Lin Ruscoe 21, Margaret Tasker and Tricia Bull 14; Lyn Bolton and Paula Garrett 21, Katy Williams and Ann Maddrell 9

Having missed out on a “Lyn and Paula “ v “Lin and Paula” final on Wednesday we now had them meeting in one of the two semi-finals.

Semi-finals: Jenny Moore and Fiona Kennish 21, Sylvia Kennaugh and Mary Alderson 14; Lyn Bolton and Paula Garrett 21, Lin Ruscoe and Paula Firth 18.

In the final Lyn and Paula made the better start taking a lead at 11-7.At this point Fiona and Jenny took the next 8 ends and held a 17-11 advantage. Lyn and Paula caught up to 15-17 after the next three ends, but taking three of the next four ends gave Fiona and Jenny the title 21- 17

During the afternoon an excellent raffle was organised by Rebecca Teare, and a sum of £332 was raised for SCBU ( Special care baby unit)..

The presentation was made by club Chairman, Clare Cooper, who thanked all who had taken part, all those who had helped in the smooth running of the afternoon, and those who had produced the refreshments. Thanks also went to those who had supported the raffle and raised such a magnificent amount.

Particular thanks went to Cu-Plas for their sponsorship of the event.

C Tarleton Hodgson Ladies’ league Friday 6 May

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.

Paddy Power Super 32 – Qualifying Event

Matthew Keggen became the first of two locals to earn a place in the highly acclaimed Paddy Power Super 32 competition which takes place in June Festival Week, attracting some of the top names in the sport.

He was the cream of a stellar crop at South Ramsey on Saturday as he produced some of his best bowls on his way to victory. In the final Matthew settled the quickest and was always in control as he got the better of Stuart Garrett 21-13. Take nothing away from Garrett as he also played some magnificent bowls on the day but Keggen was just too hot to handle in the final.

In the Semi Finals both men recorded respective 21-17 victories with Keggen eliminating Bob Clark and Garrett disposing of Neil Withers. Fallers at the quarter final stage were Stevie Kelly, Nathan Cooil, Phil Kerruish and Adrian Skinner.

Congratulations to Matthew who qualifies for the main event to be held on Friday 24th June and also to South Ramsey and green keeper George Brew for putting on the competition and providing arguably the best playing surface on the Island.

All Change as Onchan Express build up Steam

Champions Onchan A got their title defence back on track with two impressive 9-1 wins last which sees them move two points clear of second placed Marown A as they hit the summit of Ellan Vannin Fuels Division one for the first time this season.

Respective victories over North Ramsey A and Port Erin A sees them leapfrog the Crosby outfit who suffered their first set back on Wednesday. Marown A started the week will with an 8-2 win over Port Erin A, but a loss by the same score away at South Ramsey A has dented their title ambitions.

The Northerners were pushed all the way on their travels to Castletown A on Monday leaving with a battling 7-3 win to set up the highly anticipated midweek clash with Marown, and they will have been delighted with a 6 point winning margin.

Whilst the result may seems one sided it wasn’t with South just edging all of the extremely close encounters to leave them eight points off the top with a game in hand.
South Ramsey B had a brilliant week to move into fourth place after winning 6-4 and 9-1 against Ballaugh A and Nobles A respectively. They really are turning a few heads already.

Port St Mary A are a team with an outside chance of the title and although they only had one match last week will be pleased to have won the Southern Derby 8-2 against Castletown A.

Douglas B continued their impressive start to the season with an 8-2 home victory over Finch Hill A before being brought down to earth with a bump as the lost out 8-2 to North Ramsey A.

Onchan B took advantage of a postponement in the clash between Peel C and Peel A to move top of the division two tree, despite losing a game. They lost out 7-3 to Peel B on Monday before picking up a 9-1 over North Ramsey B later in the week.

Peel A are only one point off the pace, with a game in hand, after a very impressive 10-0 maximum over Nobles B. They preserve the only 100% still intact in this division.

Castletown B are in third spot just one point behind Peel with Marown B only a further 2 points back after recording 2 wins last week.

Nobles C have moved ahead of Douglas C to top Division Three after respective 91 & 8-2 victories over Peel D and Finch Hill B.

The boys from the Villa are still primed in a good position on equal points, having played a game less as they were made to fight all the way for a 6-4 win over South Ramsey D.

Marown Maximise Their Potential

Marown A found themselves back on top of Ellan Vannin Fuels League Division One after two strong showings last week.

They began the week with a battling 7-3 victory over Port St Mary A at the memorial playing fields before travelling to the Villa Marina, outdoing even their own predictions, to destroy a star studded Douglas A side 10-0.

This win is even more surprising after Douglas looked to be in good form picking up a fin 8-2 win away at Castletown A earlier in the week.
South Ramsey A who trail Marown by seven points, however they have a game in hand, had a very impressive week. They started by defeating champions Onchan A 6-4 at Onchan Park before adding to the woes of the Douglas club as they also secured a maximum 10-0 home win over Douglas B.

Marown and South Ramsey are certainly setting the early pace however Onchan A are still touch just four points further back in third place, having played the same number of games as South. They only had one game last week and will be hoping to regroup before the visit of Douglas A who will also be hoping to right some wrongs from their poor showing last time out.

Surprise package South Ramsey B occupy fourth spot and an impressive 8-2 win over Finch Hill A in their only game last week keeps them progressing nicely in their first season at this level for quite some time.

Only three points separate the next four teams with Douglas B on thirty three points, Castletown A & Douglas A on thirty one and Port St Mary just one point further back on thirty. This is turning into a very unpredictable division, and as with Premiere League Football this season, its difficult to predict what will happen as nothing seems to be going to plan, but that’s sport and I am coming to expect a major upset every time I put pen to paper these days!

It’s a similar story in Division Two with only five points separating the top five teams. Onchan B top the tree after a hard fought 5-5 draw away at Port St Mary B last Monday set them up for a midweek 9-1 victory over Peel C.

Casltetown B are just two points off the pace after two solid performances, winning 6-4 away against Nobles B before a very impressive 8-2 win over high flying Peel A. Peel now drop to third and find themselves two points behind town with a game in hand.

Peel B had their best week to date beating Ballaugh B 9-1 and following this up with an 8-2 win over Onchan C to move within one point of their A team.
Marown B are fifth on the same number of points as the Govag’s second string after two more solid performances. A 6-4 win over Peel C in the sunset city was followed up by a 7-3 result at home against Nobles B. The Crosby men have actually won more games in this division than anyone else and if they start adding a few more individual games to their tally could climb the table.

Port Erin B top the third division and started the week with a vey impressive 7-3 win over second placed Douglas C. Douglas bounced straight back with a 9-1 victory over Port St Mary D whilst Port continued in their winning ways beating Peel 7-2 away from home.

Ladies over 60’s catch-up matches

There was a remarkable game at Port Erin on Thursday 5 May, where in a high-scoring match the teams ended all square on points, although Castletown won 4-2 on games. No player on the home side scored less than 18, while two of the players lost 20-21, Jackie Elliott to Joy Stephens and Audrey Gardner to Sue Peach. In reply Anne Oates for Castletown lost out 20-21 to Sylvia Shelbourne. Flo Kelly spoiled the party for Ballaugh by denying them a full house, although Maureen Payne almost gave the visitors a second game reaching 18 points against Ann Gale. Villa were another team to win 5 games, Moira Anderson coming through 21-19 against Joan Murphy to prevent a whitewash for Mooragh Park. Although Port St Mary B fought hard at Marown, Chris Holland was their only winner, Edwina Reid came close with her 20 against Celia Joughin. Douglas ended level with Breagle on games, but a win to single figures by Kath King gave them the advantage on points. Peel Sunset won four games with Joyce Kelly and Mary Moffatt winning to single figures, the two winners for Nobles’ being Sylvia Kennaugh and Flo Price.

DOUGLAS 105, VILLA 77

The derby match between Douglas and Villa, postponed from 28 April, was played Monday 2 May. The home side, Douglas had the advantage 4-2 on games, the winners for Villa being Pat Kelly and Brenda Williams.

Abandoned match from 28 April

PORT ST MARY B 97, NOBLES 81

The match between Port St Mary B and Nobles, which was abandoned after 3 games on 28 April was completed on Friday 6 May. The home side won 4-2 with three wins to single figures and despite Lin Ruscoe’s strong reply, and Josie Harding reaching 19 against Roma Ware Port St Mary B ended with a 16 point advantage.

Sylvia Cashen Charity Ladies’ Doubles

There was an entry of 18 pairs for the Sylvia Cashen charity ladies’ doubles played at Port St Mary on Wednesday 4 May. The weather stayed fair and there were some close games played in good spirit.

When the semi-final stage was reached there was a possibility that Lin and Paula would be playing Lyn and Paula in the final. However Alison Keggen and Debbie Leece were determined to prevent that happening!

Semi-finals: Alison Keggen and Debbie Leece 21, Lyn Bolton and Paula Garrett 9; Paula Firth and Lin Ruscoe 21, Win Collister and Rita Callister 9.

This left three Noble’s players involved in the final.

Lin and Paula had the edge in the early exchanges taking the lead 11-8. The scores were tied at 11 across then at 14 across, at which point the younger pair got the bit between their teeth when having got hold of the jack they refused to relinquish it, coming through to win 21-14.

The presentation was made by the Lady President, Linda Dawson, who hoped everyone had enjoyed their games, and thanked everyone for raising nearly £300 for Manx Anti-cancer – an amount the club would make up to the £300.

Alison thanked her partner, and all those involved in the smooth running of the event

Trend over 60’s Tuesday 3 May

It was a pleasant morning for bowls on Tuesday 3 May in the Trend sponsored over 60’s league, and with the sun on their backs two teams were able to record maximums. Port St Mary A were merciless against Ballaugh, with Tricia Bull and Margaret Tasker winning to single figures. The best score for Ballaugh was Voirrey Oates’ 16 against Rita Callister. Onchan were even more ruthless against Mooragh Park with four of their players winning to single figures. Ann Keane fought well for the visitors reaching 19 against Jan Kniveton. Joyce Henry spared Breagle’s blushes against Peel, winning her game and denying them a full house. There were some close games with Steph Swift reaching 19 against Joyce Kelly while Gwen Tuck took Lynda Wilson all the way before going down 20-21.Castletown also recorded five wins against a Douglas side who were unfortunately a player short. Jan Osborne was the lone winner for the visitors although Patsy Rush nearly added a second game reaching 19 against Anne Oates. It was a high scoring game at the Villa with all six players reaching double figures. Although winning 4-2 on games, with Muriel Cain and Margaret Corlett reaching 19 for the home side, Port Erin won by the narrow margin of 4 points.

Nobles’ also won 4-2 against Marown with Sylvia Kennaugh winning to single figures as did Mary Alderson for the visitors.