Yearly Archives: 2025
Marown A Whitewash Douglas A
North Ramsey A who faced Peel A & South Ramsey A
Photo: Phil CainIn 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.
Withers & Leece Win Inaugural Breagle Glen Cup
Breagle Glen Cup 2025 - Seamus Whelan with Winners Neil Withers & Debbie Leece
Photo: Arnie WithersA superb entry of 40 pairs took part in the inaugural Breagle Glen Cup on Sunday. Following the merger of Port Erin & Port St Mary Bowling Clubs to form Breagle Glen Bowling Club the future is now certain; this allows the club to move forward together. The club members have put in a great deal of work over the winter to improve the bowling surface, which was running well, along with improvements made to the surrounds to paint the benches to the clubs’ new colours with flags also brightening the place up.
Losing out at the quarter final stage were Jayne Smith and Walter McCarthy (Marown) to Ballaugh’s Louise and Nigel Tebay (19-21), the last of the home greeners Jean and Bernard Thackrah to Debbie Leece and Neil Withers (Marown) 8-21. In the other half of the draw Lyn Bolton and Peter Jones were defeated 13-21 by Jenny Moore and James Teare (South Ramsey), whilst another South Ramsey pair Kim & Glynn Hargraves beat Ros Cannon and James Drinkwater 21-9.
The first semi-final saw Leece and Wither the first pair to progress to the final with a 21-14 win over Louise and Nigel Tebay, whilst Moore and Teare recovered from a deficit to edge through to the final with a 21-20 over clubmates Kim & Glynn.
The final was a low scoring affair, with Leece and Withers taking the biggest lead of the game at 19-16. A double and a single levelled the game up for the fifth time in the game to show how tight the game was. On the following end Moore and Teare were counting two for game, Withers played a reaching bowling and slightly fortuitously came off a short bowl and managed to save one and the game to put the score at 20-19. On the following end Moore and Teare were counting one for game with Withers playing a superb round peg reaching bowl to hit the jack full onto the counting bowl which knocked it off the green to leave the Marown pair counting. With the score 20-20 it went to a deciding end
The presentation was made by Steve Durcan, who thanked the club members for their support on the day, all the work carried out over the winter, the greenkeeper Bernie Durcan and his team for preparing the green, competition secretary Angie Bennett assisted by Chris Holland, and David Inch for providing the refreshments throughout the day. The prizes were presented by Club President Seamus Whelan.
Bradford Retains Classic Title
Town Classic Winner 2025 - David Bradford
Photo: Bradford Parents Inset: Glynn HargravesWith a free date in the Bowls Calendar Dave ‘Barney’ Kelly took the opportunity to hold a competition open to all with players paying £25 for the privilege, resulting in an £800 prize fund. The location of choice was Castletown Bowling Club, with the event last held at the Villa two years ago, this event was relabeled as the Town Classic,. The weather was excellent all day, with a good atmosphere around the green with 32 players taking part and plenty of spectators in attendance.
Losing out at the quarter final stage to earn themselves £50 each were Sam Clague (Marown) who lost out 14-21 to Colin Kelly (Marown), Dave ‘Barney’ Kelly eventually lost out 17-21 to Peter Jones (Marown), with the former having trailed 7-14 to level the game up at 17-17, only for Jones to finish the game off with two doubles. In the other half of the draw David Bradford was too good for South Ramsey teammate Glynn Hargraves sealing a 21-12 win, whilst Stevie Kelly (Peel) emerged victorious 21-18 against Marown captain Paul Dunn after a good battle
At the semi-final stage both payers who progressed to the final never gave their opponents a look in with 21-9 victories, as Jones seen off teammate Colin Kelly, whilst Bradford who made light work of Stevie Kelly, with both players losing out picking up £100 each for their efforts.
As is often the case in competitions it was Marown versus South Ramsey in the final. With a good crowd in attendance for the final on a tricky green, just two chalks could separate the pair after nine ends with Bradford leading 10-8. The South Ramsey man made his move winning four of the next five ends collecting six chalks to lead 16-9. The expected fightback came from Jones who picked up five consecutive ends playing a mark over the middle of the green to close the deficit to just chalks once more after 20 ends (14-16).
The South Ramsey man got in picking up a double, followed by another two to lead 20-15. Jones got in knowing it was the last throw of the dice, however there was just too much room which allow Bradford to get in to put up the one chalk needed to secure a 21-15 victory to retain his Classic title, with it the £250 first prize, whilst Jones could console himself with £150 for his efforts on the day.
The presentation was made by competition organiser Dave ‘Barney’ Kelly, who thanked Castletown Bowling Club for the use of the green and for the refreshments, with special thanks to George Foy for preparing thee green, along with Brian Kelly for the smooth running of competition and everyone who had entered.
Allwood Wins Gladys Cowell Cup
Gladys Cowell Cup Winner 2025 - Val Allwood
Photo: Lynda WilsonThe Gladys Cowell Cup was first played in 1993 in memory of Peel member, Gladys Cowell. For 32 years the Cowell family has continued to support this annual event. Over the years many famous names have been engraved on the base of the trophy which makes for interesting reading.
On a beautiful Saturday afternoon with a backdrop of Peel Castle and yachts floating by and waves lapping up onto the nearby sandy beach, 13 ladies entered the competition.
There were five preliminary round games resulting in three Peel members, Jo Corkill, Val Allwood and Joyce Kelly with Margie Tasker (Breagle Glen) and the last year’s winner, Lil Smith (Finch Hill) going through to the quarter finals. All the games were very close and could have gone either way.
Going forward to the semi-finals, Jo Corkill met her match with Val Allwood, with Val being in fine form, went onto the final along with Joyce Kelly (Peel), who had a nail biting finish against Margie Tasker.
Both Peel ladies battled it out with Val eventually reaching the magic 21 to Joyce’s 16 after 20 ends. A really enjoyable afternoon of good bowling.
The trophy was presented to Val by Peel Sunset BC Secretary, Lynda Wilson, who thanked everyone for staying to the end and to the Cowell family for their continued support.
CLOSE QUARTER FINAL MATCHES IN THE JEAN KELLY COMPETITION
Jean Kelly Competition: The quarterfinals of the Jean Kelly competition were played on Thursday evening (handicaps and points are in brackets). Castletown A (+20) were at home to Mooragh Park (+50) winning the match 8-1 (207-165). Lone winner for Mooragh was Janet Monk who won to 19 against Kath Kinley. Elaine Slack for Mooragh put up a good fight against Jenny Saunders before losing to 16 with Chris Price and Amanda Lawler for Town both winning to single figures. Breagle Glen A (+25) also put in a good performance at home to Peel (+58) winning 8-1 (210-187). Sole winner for Peel was Emilie Moss who won to 17 against Pauline Worrall. Helen Cowley and Jo Corkill just missed out on two more wins for Peel when they both lost to 18 against Linda Dawson and Trish Bull. Another solid home performance saw Ballaugh A (+23) win 7-2 (201-183) against Nobles (+44). Noble’s Lisa Bradshaw and Marilyn Ellison just missed out on winning their games when they both lost to 20 against Caroline Parker and Elena Dimsdale. Two winners for Nobles were Sylvia Kennaugh and Dee Lewis who won to 17 and 14. Closest match of the night saw South Ramsey (+17) take on Marown A (+13) at home losing 3-6 and by 10 points (155-165). South’s Fiona Kennish and Jenny Moore plus Rebecca Teare and Clare Cooper for Marown all won to single figures. Closest game saw Marown’s Jayne Smith having a good battle with Kim Hargraves eventually crossing the line to win 21-17.
Ladies Open Age league: Friday evening saw another two maximums scored. First was by Ballaugh A at home against Breagle Glen B with five of Ballaugh’s wins being won to single figures. Closest game saw Breagle’s Jean Thackrah losing to 17 against Sherry Pedley. Second maximum was by Marown A at home to Ballaugh B with six games being won to single figures. Ballaugh’s Karen Young put in a good effort against Rebekah Kelly before losing to 13. Nobles travelled to Castletown B coming away with a 6-3 win. Town’s Susan Kerruish plus Libby Andrade for Noble’s won to single figures with Noble’s Marilyn Ellison having a nip and tuck game against Rachel Palmer eventually winning to 18. Mooragh Park were at home to Marown B winning 5-4 on games although the match could have ended 7-2 as Mooragh’s Joy Morris and Katie Johnson both lost to 20 against Elaine Dewhirst and Grace Cooper. Maureen Hamilton for Mooragh was the only player to win to single figures. Castletown A made their way north to South Ramsey A and although Town won 5-4 on games they lost by five points (149-144). Two closest games saw Sue Collier and Kim Hargraves for South both losing to 20 against Tracy Moore and Hannah Drewett. Breagle Glen A had a solid 7-2 win at home against Peel with four of Breagle’s wins plus one of Peel’s being won to single figures. Lynda Wilson for Peel had a good tussle with Mavis Franks winning the game 21-17.
Ladies Over 60 league: Last Tuesday morning, 4-2 on games seemed to be the tone when five out of the 8 matches played were won to this figure. First was Nobles winning 4-2 at home against Castletown A. Paula Garrett for Nobles won her game to single figures with Town’s Hilary Kermode just getting the better of Sue Gawne winning 21-20. Onchan won 4-2 at home to a two-player short Breagle Glen C. Chris Holland and Susan Inch were the two winners for Breagle winning their games to 17 and 12. Finch Hill visited South Ramsey B coming away with a 4-2 win. Two winners for South were Anne Buck and Sue Collier who won to 14 and 2 with Finch’s Wendy Cowin having a good game against Julie Stephens winning 21-17. Mooragh Park B visited neighbours Ballaugh B and although Mooragh won 4-2, they lost the match by 12 points. Two winners for Ballaugh were Brenda Bowyer and Alison Millard who both won to single figures, with Mooragh’s Diane Robinson and Peggy Freeman both winning their games to 18. Marown travelled south to Breagle Glen B coming away with a 4-2 win. Jacqui Elliott and Gwen Tuck were the two winners for Breagle winning to 19 and 18, with Marown’s Lynda Cadamy crossing the line 21-19 against Voirrey Curphey. Breagle Glen A put in a solid away performance at Castletown B winning 5-1. Lone winner for Town was Elaine McElroy who won to 19 against Margie Tasker with Breagle’s Caroline Whitehead winning her game to single figures. South Ramsey A travelled west to Peel coming away with a three all draw and winning by two points. Closest game saw South’s Lorraine Moore just pip Joyce Kelly 21-20 with Peel’s Mary Moffatt winning to single figures. Closest match of the morning was Mooragh Park A at home to Ballaugh A. Match finished three all, but Ballaugh took the win by only one point. Mooragh’s Janet Monk plus Julie Reilly for Ballaugh both won their games to single figures with Ballaugh’s Christine McDonald crossing the line 21-18 against Maureen Hamilton. Thursday morning’s matches saw Castletown A and Ballaugh A both score maximum points at home against South Ramsey B and Onchan respectively. Castletown A’s Barbara Young, Kath Kinley and Hilary Kermode won their games to single figures with South’s Ann Gale, Sue Collier and Anne Buck losing to 18,19 and 18. The only player to win to single figures in the Ballaugh A vs Onchan match was Ballaugh’s Pat Mason who won to 5. Closest game saw Ballaugh’s Christine McDonald win 21-17 against Maureen Payne. Home derby between Mooragh Park B and ‘A’ resulted in a 5-1 win for the A team. Sole winner for the ‘B’ team was Mary Bruce who won to 13 against Karen McGurgan with Lynn Mayers and Janet Monk for the ‘A’ team winning to single figures. South Ramsey A had a good 4-2 home win against Breagle Glen B. Two winners for Breagle were Jean Thackrah who won to 17 against Lorraine Moore and Angela Bennett who had a good game against Helen Caley eventually winning 21-20. South’s Jill Quayle was the only player to win to single figures. Nobles made their way to Marown coming away with a 4-2 win. Noble’s Libby Andrade and Jo Smith, plus Marown’s Rosie Winkle all won their games to single figures with Celia Joughin for the Crosby ladies winning to 18 against Marilyn Ellison. Breagle Glen A played host to Peel winning the match 4-2. Breagle’s Linda Dawson had a close game with Shirley Corrin with Linda eventually crossing the line 21-20. Two other close games saw Peel’s Joyce Kelly and Breagle’s Mavis Franks both winning 21-18 against Caroline Whitehead and Mary Moffatt. Finch Hill played host to Ballaugh B winning the match 4-2. Lil Smith, Anne Hon and Wendy Cowin for Finch plus Alison Millard for Ballaugh all won to single figures with Brenda Bowyer just pipping Finch’s Brenda Williams 21-18. Friday morning resulted in a three all draw between Breagle Glen C at home to Castletown B. Ros Cannon for Breagle was the only player to win to single figures with Chris Holland just missing out on another win for Breagle when she lost to 19 against Linda Dobinson.
Town Men March On
Douglas A who faced South Ramsey A
Photo: Phil CainCastletown A consolidated third place in Division One this week following a hard fought 7-3 home win over Peel A. Leading the way for the home team Aaron Richardson beat David Proctor 21-10, whilst Town Captain Nathan Hamilton beat Pip Pemberton 21-14. Dean Kinley beat former teammate Stevie Kelly 21-14, with Ian Watson matching this as he beat Paul Quirk. Andy Clark had to scrap for his 21-18 win over Andy Mackie. For the visitors the winners were Gary Smith, Tommy McMeiken, and Dave ‘Barney’ Kelly, with the latter winning to single figures. The Town men secured the aggregate two points by just five chalks (139-134).
In an even closer game North Ramsey A hosted Breagle Glen A, with the Mooragh side securing a 7-3 win as just three chalks separated the teams (127-124). Paul Allison & Tom Collins both won 21-6 for the home team, with home captain Rob Monk seeing off Trevor Quayle 21-13. John Cannan scraped home 21-20 against Dan McCabe. For the visitors Tim Williams stormed home 21-2 against Joe Kneale, whilst Wayne Roberts beat Steve Walmsley 21-9. The third winner for Breagle was Bernie Durcan who beat Jimmy Moffatt 21-11.
Two heavy defeats for Marown B saw the Crosby men slip to a 4-6 home defeat against Onchan A, with Steve Wilson losing 9-21 to Matthew Quirk, whilst Neil Dunwell won 21-7 against Kevin Kelly. Phil Kerruish was a welcome sight for the Onchan men, as he held off Jamie Joughin 21-20, with long time teammate Kevin Quirk beating Stephen Rundle 21-15. For the home team Juan Killip beat Mike Kelly 21-8, whilst Karl Parker edged home 21-20 against Reg Temporaza. The Onchan men are slowly closing the gap to the teams above them, as they recover from a slow start to the season having faced most of the top sides already.
Marown A got back to winning ways away to South Ramsey B, winning 1-9 and keeping the home team under 100 chalks (93-162). Preventing the whitewash was Lee Dawson who beat Paul Kelly 21-15, with Christian Caley the next closest to picking up a win, eventually losing out 17-21 to Tom Kelly. Three single figures wins for the Crosby men arrived from Paul Dunn, Peter Jones and Neil Withers, as they half the deficit to top spot in half to just two points.
South Ramsey A had a tough away game to Douglas A (pictured), with the Villa men picking up three wins, with Bob Clark and David Bradford both winning to single figures. Winning for the home team were captain Merv Sayle, as he beat Jordan Cain 21-13, Andy Cannell won 21-10 against Alan Moore, whilst Shaun Seal hung on to beat James Teare 21-17.
In Division Two Ballaugh A kept the foot on the gas, as they beat Noble’s B 10-0 at home, with a reality check for the visitors having been promoted from Division Three last season. Single figure victories were secured by Patrick Grant, Nigel Tebay, and captain Phil Quayle, who has made some sweeping changes to his squad over the winter, as this appears to be paying dividends as they extended their lead at the top to three points.
Second placed Marown C are waiting in the wings for a slip up from the Ballaugh men following their 1-9 away win over Breagle Glen B, with Ben Mowle the lone winner as he beat John Kelly 21-15. For the visitors Peter Kelly used all his experience to hold off Nick Peterson 21-20, with Sid Bolton and James Kelly winning 21-9 against Seamus Whelan and Derek Cadamy respectively.
Finch Hill A took the spoils 4-6 away to Noble’s A, with their cause helped by big wins from Mark Taylor, Stephen Oates, and Kevin Anderson. Kevin Moore has shown why he is now featuring for Noble’s A with a 21-4 win over Brian Aspden.
Peel B secured a solid 7-3 home win over Castletown B to lift themselves from bottom of the table to seventh place, with both teams securing 21-20 wins. Denzil Smith held off Ross Moore for the Peel men, whilst David Quayle did likewise against Andrew Cover. For Town Patrick Cooper beat Ross Menton 21-15. Dougie Allan was the best winner on the night beating Juan Drinkwater 21-4.
Onchan B are smack bang in the middle of the table in 5th place, as they consigned Douglas B to bottom spot following their 9-1 home win over the Villa men, with Willie Cowley ensuring the visitors didn’t go home completely empty handed with a 21-14 win over Neil Richmond.
In Division Three Peel C are in top spot despite playing a game less than the teams immediately below them, following their 8-2 home win over South Ramsey C. The Peel men won three close games, with Owen Crompton holding off Anthony Kelly 21-18, Nathan Jones beat Jay Moore 21-20, with Charlie McMeiken continuing his positive start to the season as he held his nerve to beat James Moore 21-20. Winning for the visitors were Paul Routledge (21-20) against Matthew Venables, whilst captain David Corkill beat Andy Jackson 21-14.
North Ramsey B lost ground on the leaders following their 7-3 home win over Breagle Glen C, with David Kinrade beating Peter Kennaugh 21-2, Lee Christian won 21-4 against Peter Collins, with Gary Merrill winning 21-5 against Mark Pendlebury. Winning for the visitors were Harry Minor, Alan Crebbin, and Christopher Dent.
Noble’s C were up against their lower ranked D Team, it the C side that edged it 6-4, taking the aggregate by 12 chalks (138-126).
Marown D are kicking on nicely, as they sit in fourth spot following their 8-2 home win over bottom side Ballaugh C.
In Division Four Onchan C remained top by four points despite taking their turn to sit out. Finch Hill B sit in second place following their 8-2 home win over Peel D.
South Ramsey D won 7-3 over Douglas D, with the Villa men going two players short on the night.
North Ramsey C had a positive week, will have been delighted to come away from the Villa with a 3-7 win over Douglas C.
Noble’s E came from the Crofts with a 3-7 win over Castletown C, as they navigated a tough away green for new bowlers. Leading the way for Town were 11-year-old star in the making Freddie Palmer who beat Lee Cain 21-16, Freddie’s Grandad George Peach won to the same score against Ross Pulman, whilst another Junior bowler continues to improve, as Zac Bowrey won 21-18 against Chris Kirkman.
MOORE AND KENNISH WIN LADIES ASSOCIATION PAIRS COMPETITION
Association Ladies Pairs Winners 2025 - Fiona Kennish & Jenny Moore
Photo: Kim HargravesThe Ladies Association Pairs competition was played on Sunday at Castletown attracting an entry of 18 pairs. The sun shone for most of the day with some excellent bowling being played throughout the afternoon. Getting through to the semis were Gill Dixon and Elaine Moore who beat Hannah Drewett and Alison Kearsley 21-19; Lynda Cadamy and Sue Gawne who beat sisters Sue Wilshaw and Pat Heesom 21-8; Jenny Moore and Fiona Kennish who beat Tracy Moore and Kath Kinley 21-19, and Ros Cannon and Mavis Franks who beat Pauline Cowley and Martha Butler 21-14. First semi saw Gill and Elaine up against Lynda and Sue. Gill and Elaine started off strong leading 18-8 after eight ends, but with determination and good woods played, Lynda and Sue won the next four ends to trail 15-18 but then a two and one on the next two ends saw Gill and Elaine take the game 21-15.
In the second semi Jenny and Fiona played Ros and Mavis. Although Ros and Mavis played some good bowls, Jenny and Fiona were in control winning 21-13. With all four ladies playing well the final was expected to be close. Unfortunately for Gill and Elaine, Jenny and Fiona had other ideas and with some superb bowling and never looking back, they won 21-11.
Congratulations to Jenny and Fiona on their well deserved win. Many thanks to Castletown for hosting the competition and providing refreshments throughout the afternoon, and to Chris Holland (Ladies Competition Secretary) and her team for the smooth running of the event.
Open Age League: Last Wednesday evenings fixtures saw two maximums being scored. First was Marown A at home to Breagle B (189-78). Although Breagle tried their best, unfortunately they were up against a strong home team. Closest game of the match was Jayne Smith against Breagle’s Jackie Elliott with Jayne winning to 16. Second maximum was scored by South Ramsey at home to Ballaugh B (189-66). Again the Ballaugh ladies played well but South were on form with the closest game being Helen Caley winning to 13 against Charlotte Neeson. Castletown A put in another solid performance away to Breagle A winning 8-1 dropping only three points (121-186). Stella Watterson and Kath Kinley for ‘Town’ both won to single figures with Breagle’s sole winner Margie Tasker, winning to 18 against Anne Oates. Mooragh Park were at home to Nobles winning the match 7-2 (168-144). Two winners for Nobles were Marilyn Ellison and Libby Andrade who won to 5 and 16. Nobles just missed out on another win when Lisa Bradshaw lost to 20 against Katie Johnson. Peel Sunset hosted Marown B winning 7-2 (172-147). Grace Cooper and Elaine Dewhirst nearly made two more wins for Marown when they both lost to 20 against Gill Clarke and Beverly Wilson. Douglas travelled to Castletown B winning 5-4 on games but losing on points (166-144). Closest game of the match saw Douglas’s Jane Lothian just pip Barbara Young 21-19.
Friday evening’s matches saw another maximum scored by Castletown A at home to Mooragh Park (189-99) with four of ‘Town’s wins being won to single figures. Lacey McMullan and Janet Monk missed out on wins for Mooragh when they both lost to 19 against Hilary Kermode and Jenny Saunders. Marown A travelled to Douglas coming away with a 7-2 win (173-108) with four of the Crosby ladies winning to single figures. Two winners for Douglas were Erin Quayle and Paula Garrett who won to 17 and 9 respectively. Ballaugh A visited Peel in a relatively high scoring match with Ballaugh winning 5-4 (156-173). No games were won to single figures with the closest game being between Peel’s Jo Corkill and Cath Harvey with Jo crossing the line 21-19. Ballaugh B put in a solid performance at home against Castletown B winning 6-3 (172-149). Ballaugh’s Elaine Fenton won to single figures with Castletown’s Barbara Young, Sue Peach and Sue Wilshaw winning their games to 16, 14 and 16. Breagle A visited Marown B coming away with a 5-4 win (166-128). Breagle’s Angela Bennett, Mavis Franks and Katie Williams all won to single figures with Rosie Winkle (Marown) just pipping Caroline Whitehead 21-17. South Ramsey visited Nobles coming away with an 8-1 win (179-85). Lone winner for Noble’s was Jo Smith who won to 11 against Helen Caley. Closest game saw South’s Gill Dixon winning to 15 against Libby Andrade.
Ladies Over 60’s: Tuesday morning (29 April) Mooragh Park B visited Nobles. Despite some good ends from Mooragh, the Nobles ladies were on fine form recording a maximum (126-29) with all games being won to single figures. Ballaugh B were at home to Breagle C with the match finishing three all but Ballaugh winning on points (96-82). Breagle’s Di Benson and Gwen Tuck plus Ballaugh’s Brenda Bowyer all won to single figures. Ann Kinvig just missed out on another win for Ballaugh losing to 20 against Susan Inch. Castletown A travelled to Marown coming away with a 4-2 win (99-86). Lynda Cadamy for Marown and ‘Town’s Anne Oates both won their games to 5. Ballaugh A visited South Ramsey B winning 4-2 (115-81). Two closest games saw South’s Ann Gale and Rose Waterworth for Ballaugh both winning their games to 19. South Ramsey A made their way to Castletown B winning the match 4-2 and by seven points (110-103). No games were won to single figures with South’s Judy Kelly just getting over the line 21-19 against Judith Moore. Onchan were at home to an on-form Peel team with Peel winning 5-1 dropping only six points (120-77). Lone winner for Onchan was Maureen Payne who won to 15 against Mary Moffatt, with Peel’s Val Allwood winning her game to single figures. Breagle B hosted Finch Hill winning 4-2 (119-111) with all games going into double figures. Wendy Cowin for Finch nearly made the match three all when she lost to 20 against Dot Mylchreest. Breagle A made their way north to Mooragh Park A coming away with a 4-2 win (108-82). Two winners for Mooragh were Elaine Slack and Janet Monk winning to 13 and 11, with Breagle’s Caroline Whitehead and Linda Dawson winning their games to single figures.
Last Thursday’s fixtures saw Castletown A score another maximum at home against Breagle B (126-62) with four of Town’s wins being won to single figures. Breagle’s Voirrey Curphey just missed out on a win for her team when she lost to 20 against Jenny Saunders. Mooragh Park A travelled south to Breagle C coming away with a three all draw but winning by five points (96-101). Di Benson had a nip and tuck game against Mooragh’s Janet Monk eventually crossing the line to win 21-20. Breagle’s Gwen Tuck and Mooragh’s Joy Morris both won their games to single figures. Nobles hosted neighbour’s Finch Hill winning 4-2 (112-71) with three of Nobles wins being won to single figures. Iris Kermode for Finch had a good battle against Jo Smith with Iris winning to 20. Castletown B travelled to Peel Sunset coming away with a three all draw but losing on points (106-83). Joyce Kelly and Val Allwood for Peel plus Linda Dobinson for Town all won their games to single figures. Closest game saw Town’s Elaine McElroy win to 20 against Terri Berry. South Ramsey A put in a good home performance winning 5-1 against Marown A (115-62). Lone winner for Marown was Mair Moore who won to 10 against Helen Caley. Home derby between Ballaugh A and B resulted in a solid 5-1 win for ‘A’ dropping only one point (125-66). Lone winner for ‘B’ was Shirley Watling who won 20 against Beryl Bridson, with A’s Rose Waterworth and Kay McKiernan winning their games to single figures. Breagle A hosted Onchan winning 4-2 (116-66) with three of Breagle’s wins being won to single figures. Two winners for Onchan were Caroline Heathcote and Caroline Whitehead who both won to 16. Mooragh Park B visited neighbours South Ramsey B winning 4-2 (103-85). Gill Hammond and Diane Robinson for Mooragh plus Sue Collier for South all won to single figures. Closest games saw Mooragh’s Pat Lenton pipping Ann Gale 21-20 and Anne Buck for South winning 21-19 against Shirley Corteen.
McCarthy Wins First Men’s Title
Non-Winners Cup Winner 2025 - Walter McCarthy
Photo: Matthew KeggenOnchan Bowling Club hosted the Association Non-Winners’ Cup on Sunday afternoon with the competition open to those who had never won a Men’s singles open previously, with 51 players entering to take their chance to win their first open, a healthy increase on last year’s entry of 40.
Losing quarter finalists were Bob Callow (Douglas) to Jamie Joughin (Marown) with the latter recovering from a 13-19 deficit to runout with a 21-19 win. Castletown’s Kieran Krypner lost out to the same score against Alex Yates (Noble’s).
In the other half of the draw Town captain Nathan Hamilton progressed to the next round with a 21-16 win over Mike Caley (Noble’s), whilst Walter McCarthy (Marown) made light work of Peel man Paul Quirk with a 21-9 win.
In the semi-finals Yates booked his place in the final with a 21-12 win over Joughin, keeping his opponent to scoring on just four ends, whilst McCarthy had to dig deep to hold off Hamilton 21-17, with a strong finish with the score tied at 17-17.
The final got underway with Yates getting out of the blocks the quickest leading 14-8 after six ends helped by scoring three doubles. McCarthy responded winning six of the next seven ends, working his way back into the game with three doubles of his own to take a 17-15 lead.
The Noble’s man stopped the rot with three consecutive singles to retake the lead 18-17 after 16 ends. The Marown man went one better scoring four singles over the next four ends to see the game out 21-18 to secure his first Men’s open title.
At the conclusion of play the presentation was made by Association Competition Secretary Matthew Keggen who thanked Onchan Bowling Club and its members for hosting the competition, everyone who entered, and those who came to support.
Top Two Clash – South Ramsey A Hit Top Spot
Ballaugh B pictured prior to their match with Noble’s D
Photo: Phil CainThe top two teams in Division One over the past 10 years Marown A and South Ramsey A clashed at Crosby on Monday evening in ideal bowling conditions on an excellent surface.
Last season the Marown men did the double over South Ramsey in the league. The draw looked to be extremely well matched between the two teams. In the first half of the match David Bradford held onto the jack all game, as he defeated fellow island player Neil Withers 21-0, without doubt a first for the Marown man to not score a single point. Marown captain Paul Dunn hit back with a 21-10 win over Peter Collister, with the latter fighting back from a 1-14 deficit to close the gap to six chalks at 10-16, only for Dunn to get back in and finish the game over the next four ends. The top two players over the past 30 plus years Colin Kelly and John Kennish took to the green once more to battle it out with Kennish winning the first end then trailing all game, going five behind at 13-18 only for a strong finish from the 12-time Manx Champion to beat seven-time Champion Kelly 21-19, thanks to winning five of the last six ends scoring three doubles on the way to victory. Another colossus battle saw Jones and Clark go head-to-head, with the game being tight all the way through with the South Ramsey man edging ahead by three chalks at 17-14, the biggest gap all game. Jones managed to level the game up at 18-18 after 30 ends, with Clark rallying once more to see the game out 21-18. At the halfway point South Ramsey led 3-1 and by a margin of 15 chalks, this easily recoverable with one or two good wins for the home team.
South Ramsey captain Glynn Hargraves was next off with a 21-8 win over Dean Kipling, which made the score 4-1, gave an unassailable 28 chalk lead, with the remaining games on the green all into double figures. Tom Kelly got back to winning ways with a solid performance winning 21-14 against Dido Kelly, having trailed after three ends once he got in front he never let the lead slip. A third win soon arrived with Paul Kelly holding off Jordan Cain 21-19, having trailed 11-15 and 14-18, the Marown man only conceded one more chalk to seal his comeback. Comebacks from losing positions were the order of the night, as James Teare trailed Glenn Boland 9-15, only to edge in front at 18-17. Boland scored two singles, on the following end and was counting for one only to hit in Teare’s short bowl. The South Ramsey man took full advantage of this to win the next two ends and seal an unlikely 3-7 win for his team as South Ramsey hit top spot for the first time this season, to put daylight between the two teams.
Whilst South may think it might well have been a 2-8 victory, Marown will think what might have been had all the close games gone in their favour, it would have resulted in a 6-2 victory on games, with the aggregate still likely to have gone in the visitors favour to leave a unusual 6-4 victory.
Onchan A claimed their first league win of the season, as they beat Douglas A 8-2 at home. Kevin Quirk won 21-3 against Mervin Sayle, whilst Mike Alexander and Peter Slinger had to battle for their 21-20 and 21-18 wins over Ian Moore and Andy Cannell respectively. For the visitors Nick Firth is quickly adapting to life in Division One, as he picked up another win, defeating Will Penhallurick 21-15, whilst Dave McCabe beat Reg Temporaza 21-9.
Peel A suffered another home defeat, this time 4-6 at the hands of Marown B. Phil Kelly had to scrap for his 21-17 win over Andy Mackie, Peter Greenlees returned to his old stomping ground to beat Paul Quirk 21-7, whilst Juan Killip impressed with a 21-14 win over Stevie Kelly. Dave ‘Costa Del Barney’ Kelly returned to the Island to see off John Gelling 21-19, with the pair no doubt discussing their recent adventures, whilst David Proctor beat Brian Lindsay to the same score.
South Ramsey B picked up five valuable points at home to North Ramsey A to keep themselves ahead of the Mooragh men in a true 5-5 draw, as both teams won four games and shared the aggregate (138-138). Winning for the home team were Tony Dugdale, Eddie Carlyle, Toby Hart and George Brew, whilst Tom Collins, Rob Monk, Paul Allison, and Steve Walmsley responded for the visitors.
Breagle Glen A hosted Castletown A, with the teams evenly matched on the night, however the home team managed to secure a 6-4 win, taking the aggregate by nine chalks (151-142) in a high scoring match, however they missed out a possible three extra wins as Steve Durcan, David Cain and Dan McCabe lost 18, 18 and 19 to Jordan Drewett, Ian Watson, and Nathan Cooil respectively. For the home team their closest game was Wayne Roberts’ 21-17 win against Andy Clark, whilst former Town player Chris Lever beat Dean Kinley 21-16.
In Division Two Ballaugh A reached top spot thanks to a 9 -1 home win over Onchan B, missing out on the whitewash by four chalks as Mark Dimsdale lost out 17-21 to Derek Allen. The Onchan men will feel hard done by having lost three games to 17, and a further two games to 18 and 19.
In a rearranged fixture Noble’s B had their toughest test of the season at home to Marown C, so it proved as they lost 3-7. All of the home team comfortably reached double figures, with Steve Cain leading the way for his team with a 21-7 win over Walter McCarthy, Paul Moore held off James Kelly 21-17, whilst Lee Greggor edged home 21-20. The five wins for the Crosby men were fairly comfortable ranging from 13-16.
Noble’s A came away from the Crofts with a 4-6 win over Castletown B. The visitors won 5-3 but couldn’t edge the two-point aggregate as this was shared (137-137). Ron Williams returned to the B Team having turned out for the C team the previous week, went on to win 21-8 against Stephen Corkill. For the visitors Kevin Moore was the best winner as he beat John Holden 21-11, whilst Jim Callister held off Patrick Cooper 21-18.
Finch Hill A kept up their good form with a 9-1 home win over Breagle Glen B, with four of their wins to single figures. Peter Hulley ensured the Breagle men didn’t go home empty handed with a 21-11 win over Kevin Stannard, with Seamus Whelan closest to picking up a second point for the visitors losing out 19-21 to Pat Maher.
Douglas B lifted themselves off bottom spot, jumping two places as they beat opponents Peel B 6-4. Single figure wins were secured for the Villa men from Paul Cowley, Kevin Firth, and Steve Cook, with Dougie Allan returning the favour for Peel with a 21-6 win over Paddy Murphy. Both teams shared a 21-20 win with Willie Cowley holding off Harry Kelly, whilst Andrew Cover got over the line against Bob Callow.
In Division Three Breagle Glen C picked up their best result of the season drawing 5-5 at home to Noble’s C, winning five games, but losing the aggregate by six chalks (118-124) due to being a man short. Mike Caley was the lucky recipient of a walkover. A blast from the past saw Terry Collister return to crown green bowls after an absence of 13 years, he shown he hasn’t lost his touch with a 21-3 win over Pete Bass. Hitting back for the visitors was Andrew Bell, who beat Mark Pendlebury to the same score.
South Ramsey C picked up a solid 3-7 away win over Ballaugh C, with Ian Moore stepping in to beat Ray Corlett, whilst Franz ten Donkelaar beat Simon Clarke 21-4. John Kneen managed to win 21-19 against recent open winner Paul Routledge despite not having a good start to his evening by turning up at the wrong green!
Noble’s D won 7-3 at home to Ballaugh B, with 14 chalks separating the two sides (142-128). John Andrew and Michael Johnson both won to single figures for the home team, whilst Gordy Moore won 21-7 for the visitors.
Marown D hosted North Ramsey B at Crosby, with the home team preventing the Mooragh men from hitting top spot with a 7-3 win. Winning close games for Marown were Steve Walters, Eddie Rough, and Jay Waters against Paul Cannan, Lee Christian, and John Corteen respectively.
In Division Four South Ramsey D hosted Finch Hill B, it was the visitors who went away the happier of the two teams with a 3-7 victory. Elsewhere Peel D edged the aggregate by a solitary chalk (135-134) to seal a 7-3 home win, with three of the wins being close. Noble’s E beat Douglas C 7-3 at home, with nine chalks separating the teams (153-144). Onchan C maintained their lead at the top with a 3-7 away victory over Douglas D as all four league games finished with a 7-3 scoreline. The Park men missed out on a whitewash by eight chalks with Roy Corlett losing out 17-20 to Clark Kelly, Marcus Avery was defeated 18-21 by Dave Jones, whilst Paul Callister was pipped at the post 20-21 to David Manley.
JEAN KELLY KNOCKOUT GETS UNDERWAY
Jean Kelly Knockout competition: (Handicaps in brackets) The prelim rounds of the Jean Kelly knockout competition were played last Thursday night. Marown B (+46) were at home to Mooragh Park A (+45). Mooragh put in a solid performance winning 7-2 on games, points 214-158. Janet Monk, Bailey and Madison McMullen for Mooragh, plus Grace Cooper for Marown all won to single figures. Breagle Glen B (+48) played host Marown (+18). Marown put in a strong performance winning the match 9-0, (207-115). Six of Marown’s wins were won to single figures with the closest game being Breagle’s Jean Thackrah losing to 15 against Debbie Leece. South Ramsey (+15) travelled to Douglas (+46) winning 7-2, (169-190) with three of South’s games being won to single figures. Best game of the match was between South’s Gill Dixon and Paula Garrett with Gill just crossing the line 21-20. Nobles (+24) were at home to Castletown B (+62) resulting in a 7-2 win for the Nobles Ladies, (205-180). Two winners for Castletown were Marie Ashurst and Barbara Young who won to 19 and 15 with Grace Gawne and Paula Firth for Noble’s also having tough games winning to 16 and 17 respectively. Castletown A (+20) put in a solid performance away to Ballaugh B (+57) winning 7-2 on games (203-166). Town’s Jenny Saunders, Tracy Moore and Hilary Kermode all won to single figures, with Ballaugh’s Julie Cannon just missing out on a win for Ballaugh when she lost to 16 against Kellie Maddrell.
Quarter finals will be played on Thursday 8th May – draw is: Ballaugh A vs Nobles; South Ramsey vs Marown A; Castletown A vs Mooragh Park and Breagle Glen A vs Peel Sunset
Over 60’s league: There were two extremely close matches in last Thursday’s Over 60’s fixtures. First of these saw Peel Sunset win their match against Mooragh A 4-2 and by one point (97-96). The two winners for Mooragh were Janet Monk and Lynn Mayers who won to 6 and 7 with Lynda Wilson (Peel) also winning her game to 9. Peel’s Mary Moffatt and Beverley Wilson had tough battles against Chris Sims and Karen McGurgan respectively with the Peel ladies both crossing the line 21-16. Second close match saw Marown visit Finch Hill coming away with a 3 all result but winning the match by two points (90-92). Four of the games were won to single figures – two to Finch and two to Marown. Closest game resulted in a 21-16 win for Finch’s Elaine Vincent against Celia Joughin. Breagle Glen A scored their best result to date when they won 4-2 at home against Ballaugh B scoring 121 to Ballaugh’s 76. Kay Primrose-Smith nearly made it 5-1 to Breagle when she lost to 20 against Brenda Bowyer. Ballaugh A were at home to Nobles winning 4-2 on games and by nine points (108-99). Paula Firth and Marilyn Ellison were the two winners for Nobles winning to 14 and 10. Closest games resulted in 21-17 wins for Ballaugh’s Christine McDonald and Michelle Cubbon. South Ramsey A played Castletown A with the northerners winning 4-2 on games and by 23 points (108-85). Helen Caley and Joyce Ogden for South both won to single figures with Elaine Moore (South) having a nip and tuck game with Hilary Kermode before eventually winning to 15. Castletown B played host to Onchan winning the match 4-2 and by six points (100-94). Caroline Heathcote nearly made the match three all when she lost to 20 against Pat Rigby. Castletown’s Elaine McElroy and Judith Moore plus Onchan’s Wendy McDowell all won to single figures. Breagle Glen B travelled north to Mooragh Park B coming away with a 4-2 win (74-106). Two winners for Mooragh were Joy Morris and Joan Henderson who won to 12 and 10 respectively, with Breagle’s Angela Bennett, Pauline Worrall and Voirrey Curphey winning to 5, 6 and 2. The following morning (Friday) South Ramsey B made their way south to Breagle Glen C. Match finished 4-2 (100-75) to Breagle with three games to Breagle and two to South being won to single figures. Closest game was between Breagle’s Joan Ryder and Liz Ten Donkelaar with Joan just crossing the line 21-17.
Open Age League: Only two teams managed to score in the 170’s in last Friday evening’s fixtures. The first was Breagle Glen A away to Nobles. Match finished 6-3 to Breagle (points 178-109). Mavis Franks, Tricia Bull and Voirrey Curphey for Breagle all won to single figures, with Dee Lewis, Marilyn Ellison and Colese Creer for Nobles winnning to 17, 18 and 17 respectively. Second highest scoring team of the night was Ballaugh A who won 7-2 on games (176-128) away to Marown B. Rose Waterworth for Ballaugh plus Marown’s Lil Smith both won to single figures. Barbara Graham for Ballaugh just missed out on a win for Ballaugh when she lost to 20 against Grace Cooper. South Ramsey A made their second visit of the week to Douglas coming away with a 6-3 win (162-132). Sue Collier and Jenny Moore for South won their games to single figures with Melanie Smith just missing out on a win for Douglas losing to 19 against Gill Morgan. Breagle Glen were at home to Castletown B winning 5-4 on games (164-135). Breagle’s Angela Bennett and Jean Thackrah won their games to 6 and 8, whilst Town’s Sue Peach and Jo Robert both had tough games coming through to win 21-19 and 21-18. Mooragh Park travelled to neighbours Ballaugh B coming away with a 6-3 win (160-139). Mooragh’s Madison McMullan and Janet Monk plus Ballaugh’s Yvonne Ward won to 4, 7 and 6 respectively. Ballaugh’s Karen Young, Alison Millard and Sherriee Pedley just missed out on winning their games when they lost to 18, 19 and 18. Castletown A were at home to Peel winning 7-2 on games (167-122) with Alison Kearsley and Hannah Drewett for ‘Town’ plus Shirley Corrin for Peel winning to single figures. A nip and tuck game saw Anne Oates for Castletown just pip Gill Clarke 21-20.
British Merit Qualifier: The British Merit Qualifier was played at Finch Hill on Sunday afternoon attracting an entry of 21 lady bowlers. Getting through to the semi-finals were Hannah Drewett (Castletown) who beat Lil Smith (Marown); Fiona Kennish (South Ramsey) winning to 15 against Marown’s Helen Withers; Debbie Leece (Marown) winning to 20 in a hard fought game against Louise Tebay (Ballaugh), and Marown’s Clare Cooper who beat her daughter Grace 21-13. In the semi-finals, Hannah and Debbie were too strong for their opponents with Hannah winning to 7 against Fiona and Debbie winning to 9 against Clare. The final, as expected, was keenly contested with the score tied 12 all after 10 ends. The next three ends saw Hannah take a slight lead 13-12, but not one to give up Debbie piled on the pressure eventually running out 21-14 after 17 ends. Many congratulations to Debbie on her win and also to Hannah who between them treated the spectators to a great final of bowling. Debbie with possibly Hannah will represent the Isle of Man at the British Merit Championships being held at Littleover BC, Derbyshire, on Saturday 5th July. Thanks must go to Chris Holland and Jenny Moore (Competition committee) for the smooth running of the competition and to Finch Hill for hosting and providing refreshments throughout the afternoon.