Author Archives: Glynn Hargraves

Greenlees Wins Pre-Festival Autumn Shield

Autumn Shield Winner 2021 - Peter Greenlees of Peel with Peel Vice President Lennie Kerruish

Photo: Glynn Hargraves

Peel Bowling Club hosted the Pre-Festival Davison’s sponsored Autumn Shield on Sunday attracting a strong entry of 96 as visiting bowlers were welcomed back to the Island. All players were off a handicap of +6 in order to get through the field in good time with a 10:00 start time it was a long day for some on a green that was running well throughout the day.

Losing out in the quarter finals were home greener Tony Carroon who had his challenge ended by club mate Peter Greenlees 12-21, whilst Gareth Jones (Dalton Cricket) lost out 13-21 to Reg Temporaza (Onchan). In the bottom half of the draw Marown’s Neil Withers battled well before losing out 19-21 to Jamie Fitzpatrick (West Kirby Victoria), while Tony Carter (Fairfield) lost to the same score to Glynn Hargraves (South Ramsey).

In the semi-final Fitzpatrick trailed 10-12 to Hargraves, before moving up a gear as the former ran out with a 21-14 win to take his place in the final. The other semi-final was close throughout with Temporaza leading 19-18, a double took Greenlees into a 20-19 lead only for Temporaza to level things up at 20-20. On the last end a good first bowl from Greenlees to Temporaza’s jack was enough to take a 21-20 win to go through to the final.

The final got underway in front of a good crowd who had stayed to watch the final under the excellent floodlights. With the green having lost some of the pace from earlier in the day neither player was able to take firm control of the game in the early stages.

With the score tied at 14-14 after 12 ends, it looked like Fitzpatrick was making his move as a two on the following end took him into the lead by two points at 16-14.

Greenlees responded brilliantly, as he kept his composure, taking his time with every bowl as he got in with a single, then headed over the crown playing a good length as he scored two consecutive doubles followed by another single to get within touching distance of glory as he led 20-16. Fitzpatrick responded with a good two to reduce the deficit to 18-20 and headed for the corner. Two short bowls gave Greenlees some room to go in for game, which he did as he changed his peg to claim his first open competition win.

Greenlees has shown that with dedication and a positive mentality that it is possible to get to a standard in a short space of time to be able to compete with and beat the best as he came through a field of 96 bowlers, which included a resounding victory over the seven time Manx Champion Colin Kelly in the early rounds.

The presentation was made by Peel President Dougie Allan who thanked Davison’s for the generous sponsorship, the club members for assisting throughout the day, along with competition secretary Dave ‘Barney’ Kelly for organising and running the competition. A special mention was also made on the ongoing improvement seen in the Peel green over the past couple of years. Vice President Lennie Kerruish was then introduced to present the prizes with over £700 paid out with Greenlees taking the £250 first prize as the competition finished just under 12 hours later.

In his speech Peter became understandably emotional as he dedicated the win to his father in law Ray Osborne who has since passed away, as it was Ray that introduced him to the game after Peter had moved to the Island four years and was wondering what to do, he took up bowls and hasn’t looked back since taking up the game.

Post published by Glynn Hargraves

South Ramsey A Edge Closer To Title

Port St Mary B prior to their last home match on the green the club have played at for 100 years with work having already started on clearing the site. Also pictured is Louis Callister (3rd from right) who has been around for 93 years of the clubs 100 years

Photo: Ray Watterson

In Ellan Vannin Fuels Division One the match of the week, was for a second successive week at Crosby between Marown A and South Ramsey A, with the visitors arriving in the knowledge they had already beaten Marown on their own green this season, that the home team would be looking for revenge and to close the nine-point gap between the teams at the start of play.

First off the green was Neil Withers with a resounding 21-11 win over Tony Dugdale, who was standing in for Dave ‘Dido’ Kelly. The visitors responded with David Bradford taking out one of Marown’s big hitters as he continued his good form to beat Paul Dunn 21-10. The next game off was the shock of the night as Stefan Kelly carried his Rayner Shield Final form into his game as he found an edge to play along on the park side of the green to go into a 15-8 lead against seven time Manx Champion Colin Kelly, who got in and looked to get into his trademark corners as he scored three quick-fire doubles and a single to level things up at 15-15. Stefan got back in at the perfect time and headed straight for the edge that had served him well all game to run out with a convincing 21-15 win. The last game in the first half was between Phil Kelly and Peter Collister with the latter recovering from an 8-14 deficit to go 17-14 ahead and then led 20-18 only for Kelly to muster all of his experience to respond with three singles to win 21-20 and leave the match finely poised at 2-2 at the half way stage.

The second half got underway with the excellent floodlights coming into play, it was Dean Kipling who was next off with a 21-8 win over Alan Moore as the former trailed 7-8 to go on a 14 point scoring streak to run out on his opponent playing an edge of the green. Next off was South Ramsey captain Glynn Hargraves who beat Matthew Keggen 21-11. Chas Grills for the second week running pulled off another great result as he beat Paul Kelly 21-18, with the latter having played the same opponent in the Rayner Shield semi-final and winning 21-5 this was a remarkable turnaround from Grills. The last game off sealed a 4-4 win on games for Marown with John Gelling recovering from a 1-9 deficit and still trailed at 8-14 to kick up a few gears to see the game out with a 21-16 win over James Teare.

The chalks could not have been closer between the teams as South Ramsey edged the aggregate by a solitary chalk (138-139) to win 4-6. The teams have been well matched in head to heads in the league this season, as whilst Marown won 7-3 at South Ramsey earlier this season they also took the aggregate by a solitary chalk. The result extends the northern men’s lead to 11 points over Marown A with four games to play.

Peel A bounced back from their two defeats the previous week to beat Douglas A 7-3 at home as they stayed in contention with an all-important home fixture to come against South Ramsey A. The home team may yet see this as an opportunity missed as they had two losers to 20-21 with Shaun Seal impressing with his win over Andy Kennish having recovered from a 11-20 deficit, while Kevin Firth also inflicted a rare home defeat on Tommy McMeiken. Ian Moore was the other winner for the Villa men as he beat Tom Kelly 21-14. All the home team wins were comfortable for Peel with George Gadsby leading the way with a 21-6 win over Keith Rise, while Dave ‘Barney’ Kelly beat Andy Cannell 21-12 with the latter tasting defeat for only the second time this season.

Castletown A were missing a couple of regulars, despite this they managed a good 9-1 home win against Ballaugh A who are in danger of being cut adrift as they sit nine points from safety.

North Ramsey A are pretty much assured of their first division status for next year following their 7-3 home win over Peel B, with the visitors edging further towards safety as they attempt to retain their top flight status for another season having just come up to Division One.

Noble’s A who are all but mathematically relegated will not have been disheartened by their 4-6 loss at home to Port St Mary A as they lost out on the aggregate by just four chalks (142-146), they will look to find their level in Division Two next year as the club looks to rebuild after a tough year. The positive attitude and efforts from the club members this season has been exemplary.

Onchan A just missed out on a whitewash as they won 9-1 at home to Marown B with Peter Kelly ‘spoiling’ the party as he won 21-19 against Frank Watson.

In Division Two South Ramsey B were quite possibly the biggest winners this week without even playing as the teams around them all dropped points.

Port Erin A went top by a point as they hit 101 points for the season, but may feel this was an opportunity missed as they lost 7-3 away to Finch Hill A who are eight points further back on the Breagle Glen men in fifth place. The Finch men may be a bit too far back to make a long awaited return to Division One with only four games remaining.

Marown C took four vital points off third placed Onchan B, as they were defeated 4-6 at home with the visitors on 99 points, the Onchan men are well placed to return to Division One for the first time since the ‘noughties’.

Castletown B are a bit further back on 94 points, they suffered a mini disaster as they lost 6-4 away to Douglas B, losing out on the aggregate by just two chalks (132-130), while Peel C won 8-2 at home against South Ramsey C.

With the club in its 100th year Port St Mary B played their last ever home match on their current green and they signed off with a 10-0 home over Finch Hill B, with the club now looking to the future with some positive news hopefully to come shortly, with work having already started on clearing the site (see picture). Also pictured is Louis Callister (3rd from right) the clubs oldest member, who has been around for 93 years of the clubs 100 year existence.

In Division Three Onchan C stayed in top spot on 114 points despite suffering a second straight 7-3 away from home to Douglas C.

Ballaugh B won 7-3 at home to Marown D, the home team sit in second place behind Onchan with a game in hand and more importantly with a 14-point lead over third placed Ballaugh C who have played a game more, it should merely be a formality for both teams to be promoted barring a mini disaster.

Elsewhere in Division Three South Ramsey D enjoyed a good week with an 8-2 home win over Douglas C, Castletown C beat Ballaugh C 7-3 at the Crofts, while Port Erin B won 6-4 at home to Peel D.

Post published by Glynn Hargraves

September Festival Preview

Gill Simm & John Bailey - September 2019 Festival Winners

Photo: Arnie Withers

The Isle of Man Bowls Festival gets underway next week with a host of top names from across the game hoping to be the lucky winner who gets their name on the trophy and the winners cheque for £3,000. The event is being held for the first time since September 2019, with three festivals not taken place since then due to the pandemic and border restrictions.

On the first page of the draw five-time winner local man John Kennish is in the draw but unlikely to be taking part, whilst three-time winner Ian Nicholson (Hale) will be looking forward to his return to the island as he goes for win number four.

In the next section is David Jackson (Houghton) who won the coveted trophy in 1998, whilst South Ramsey’s David Bradford was a teenage winner in September 2002, soon after the finals moved from the Villa to Noble’s will be in the mix.

Paul Bailey (Thongsbridge) winner in 2007 and current holder John Bailey (Castlefields) who has two wins to his name from 2017 and 2019 are the stand out names on the next page with a potential match up in the fifth round providing they navigate their way safely through the early rounds.

Alan Gilpin (Hale) won the Festival as far back as 2004 whilst Jack Dyson (Thongsbridge) won more recently in 2019 could face each other in their 2nd round game

The following page is littered with previous winners and big hitters with two-time winner Martin Gilpin (Hale), Callum Wraight (Castlefields) is seeking his first festival win, 1990 winner Kevan Shaw (Red Lion) and Dave ‘Barney’ Kelly (Peel Sunset) whose success came in June 2000 are likely to face off throughout the week.

Dave Phillips (Lloyd Hotel) is the only previous winner in his section of the draw, but there are several names who are more than capable of causing an upset.

Marown’s Neil Withers won the June Festival in 2013, whilst you have to go back a lot further for Onchan’s Phil Kerruish win which was back in 1991, with the two local men possibly facing each other in the 3rd round.

Colin Kelly, who won the Champion of Champions at the famous Waterloo Bowling Green in Blackpool in late September 2019, won the Festival in 2008 and is one of the unlucky few to be in the preliminary round.

Aside from those already mentioned there are some top names from the game, who have won some of the biggest competitions across, whilst others are capable of raising their game to cause an upset.

With six greens in use and several different competitions throughout the week, there is plenty of bowls for everyone it should make for a great week of bowls.

Have a great week!

Post published by Glynn Hargraves

Moore & Teare Go One Better to Win Sowerbutts Trophy

Sowerbutts Trophy Winners 2021 - James Teare & Jenny Moore with sponsor Janet Shilling

Photo: Neil Withers

Port Erin Bowling Club hosted the F.M. Sowerbutts Memorial Trophy Mixed Doubles on Bank Holiday Monday. The competition was well supported.

Bowing out at the semi-final stage were Marown Pair Debbie Leece & Neil Withers to Elaine Moore & Glynn Hargraves (South Ramsey), whilst in the other semi-final it was an all-South Ramsey affair with club mates Fiona Kennish and Steven Waters who were beaten by Jenny Moore & James Teare.

In a repeat of the 2020 final Jenny and James got off to the better start with Elaine and Glynn the current holders of the trophy taking the first end then lying four in the corner only for James to play a great counting bowl. From there Jenny and James took control of the game to go into a 16-6 lead. Elaine and Glynn got back in to score a single, a four in the corner and another single to pull the deficit back to 12-16 to threaten a comeback. With the comeback on Jenny and James responded with two singles and a double to go 20-12 ahead and then conceded a single. On the last end Jenny and James were counting two, with Elaine being slightly unlucky with her last bowl connecting with the jack but carrying it through to Jenny’s bowl to secure the one point they needed to take a 21-13 victory and in doing so went one better than the previous year.

The presentation was made by Janet Shilling who thanked everyone who had entered, the club members for their support & providing the refreshments. In his speech James thanked Port Erin for running the competition along with Janet Shilling for sponsoring the competition in memory of her father.

Post published by Glynn Hargraves

South Ramsey A Secure Rayner Shield

South Ramsey A - Rayner Shield Winners 2021

Photo: Arnie Withers

The highlight of the men’s team calendar, the Rayner Shield final sponsored by Canada Life International was held at the Villa (Douglas Bowling Club) on Thursday evening between Peel A and South Ramsey A on a superb playing surface. The northern men who are currently top of the league started as favourites, with Peel being the current holders of the Shield. For the third year running both captains agreed to do the draw ahead of the night, this once again generated considerable interest with a fantastic crowd in attendance on a fine evening for bowls.

First off the green with a win for South Ramsey was David Bradford, who is enjoying a fine season built up a 12-4 lead over Tommy McMeiken. Bradford maintained the lead to win 21-12. Next off was veteran Chas Grills who caused a mini upset with his game finely poised at 17-17 against Peel captain Gary Smith, with Grills running out to record a 21-17 win to put South Ramsey 2-0 ahead on games.

The last two games from the first half went to the wire and gave Peel some real hope with Dave ‘Barney’ getting over the line against South Ramsey captain Glynn Hargraves, with Kelly recovering from falling behind several times in the game with the latter playing crucial reaching bowls throughout to stay in the game and to eventually win 21-20.

Within 15 seconds of the third game finishing the match was level at 2-2 on games with George Gadsby playing an unbelievable last bowl against James Teare with the latter fighting back from a 15-19 deficit and counting for two at 20-20. Gadsby played a perfect bowl to count for game and snatch a crucial 21-20 win.

The match appeared to be finely balanced, however hope soon faded for the western men with South Ramsey taking big leads in the final four games as Dave’ Dido’ Kelly took a 15-7 lead over Andy Kennish, whilst Dido’s son Stefan Kelly stormed into a 15-3 lead against Peter Greenlees with both father and son playing their renowned corner to crown and back marks brilliantly. Alan Moore and Stevie Kelly was the last match on with Moore quick out of the blocks taking a 9-0 lead.

With three games falling heavily in the Ramsey men’s favour there was a sense of lost hope for Peel, with the fifth game on the green between Peter Collister and Tom Kelly coming to a conclusion with the score at 20-18 to Collister who finished the game off by playing a brilliant length bowl for South Ramsey to lead 3-2.

With enough points on the board for South Ramsey it was a case of when the win would be officially secured, this came fairly quickly with Dido Kelly capping off a fine performance as he beat Andy Kennish 21-7 to secure the Rayner Shield win on the night and the clubs fifth win overall.

Dido’s son Stefan ensured the outright win on games as he kept his focus to see the game out with a superb 21-9 win over Greenlees to put the match score at 5-2.

The last game on the green between Alan Moore and Stevie Kelly became difficult, with both players knowing the match was over, however this didn’t stop the game from going to the wire with Kelly recovering from a 0-9 deficit to lead 17-12 and then 20-14, only for Moore to respond with three quick-fire doubles and was counting one for game only for Kelly to play a good last bowl to secure Peel’s third 21-20 win of the night.

The result cannot be argued with South Ramsey winning three games comfortably, whilst winning the other two games to 17 and 18, with all three of South Ramsey’s defeats being to 20 the northern men also won by 39 chalks (165-126).

The presentation was made by competition committee officer Steve Moore, who thanked Canada Life International for their continued sponsorship of the competition and Douglas Bowling club members for assisting throughout the evening. Association President John Ryder was then introduced to present the Rayner Shield to South Ramsey captain Glynn Hargraves who congratulated his team, offered commiserations to Peel, thanked their green keeper for preparing a superb surface and to everyone who had turned up to watch.

Results
Photo: Arnie Withers

Post published by Glynn Hargraves

All to Play For – Marown A Make Their Move

In Ellan Vannin Fuels Division One the match of the week was undoubtedly the game at Crosby between Marown A and Peel A with the home team starting the match two points behind their opponents. The Crosby men made home advantage count as they reversed the result from the away fixture to win 8-2. The two winners for the visitors were Tom Kelly who stormed home 21-5 against Juan Killip, while George Gadsby just got over the line 21-20 against Matthew Keggen. Just losing out 19-21 were Peter Greenlees and Andy Kennish to Phil Kelly and Paul Kelly respectively. For the home team Neil Withers impressed with his 21-9 win over Tommy McMeiken, Colin Kelly beat Dave ‘Barney’ Kelly 21-10, while the two captains Paul Dunn and Gary Smith were up against each other with Dunn winning 21-15. John Gelling also picked up a win for his team as he beat Stevie Kelly 21-16. Marown have now crept up to second place and are well positioned for the run in with four of their five fixtures on their home green.

Noble’s A hosted league leaders South Ramsey A who extended their league with a 1-9 victory. Lone winner for the Noble’s men was Mark ‘Postie’ Quinn who delivered a resounding 21-12 win over Stefan Kelly. Next highest scorer for the home team was Sam Stannard-Duke who lost 14-21 against South Ramsey captain Glynn Hargraves. Winning to single figures for the visitors were Peter Collister, David Bradford, James Teare and Dave ‘Dido’ Kelly. Whilst South have a nine point lead they know all too well that a tough run in with away fixtures to Marown A, Peel A and Douglas A, their lead could soon slip away.

Peel B took one step closer to safety as they won 7-3 at home to Port St Mary A. For Peel captain Paul ‘Pooky’ Quirk won 21-9 against Will Cain, with team mate Dave Smith claiming the biggest win of the night 21-5 against Paul Russell. Port lost two games to 20-21 with Ray Watterson and Tom Collins on the wrong end of the result to Brian Lindsay and Robert Middleton respectively. For Port Robbie Cooil beat Michael Kavanagh 21-14, Wayne Roberts eased to a 21-11 win over Gordon Corrin, while Trevor Quayle had to fight for his 21-19 win over David Proctor.

Onchan A kept visitors Ballaugh A under 100 points as the visitors were well beaten 9-1. The only Ballaugh winner was Richard Hainge who is playing his first season in the top division with Hainge pulling off a stunning 21-11 win over Reginald Temporaza, who has proved a tough opponent for many bowlers this season. Four home winners ran out with single figure wins from Frank Watson, Phil Kerruish, Jordan Cain and Kevin Quirk.

North Ramsey A and Marown B battled it out at Mooragh Park with the home team winning 6-4 with only eight chalks separating the teams (145-137). The wins from the home team were comfortable. For the visitors Steve Wilson stepped in for the Crosby men, he impressed with his 21-15 win over Geoff Porter, Glenn Boland beat captain Gary Merrill 21-12, while John Kelly won 21-20 against Allan Callow.

Castletown A had a solid 7-3 home win over Douglas A. Winning for the visitors were the in-form Andy Cannell and Shaun Seal with comfortable wins, while Jimmy Sansom beat Town captain Ian Watson 21-19. Bob Clark recorded the best win for the home team with his 21-9 win over Merv Sayle, with Sam Clague, Nathan Hamilton and Aaron Richardson also taking good wins, while Dean Kinley beat Kevin Firth 21-19 in a close game.

In Division Two league leaders South Ramsey B bounced back from the previous weeks’ poor result as they won 10-0 at home to Finch Hill B with the result never in doubt with the highest scoring Finch Hill players reached 15 chalks. The visitors scored 65 chalks overall on the night, not helped by being a man short.

Port Erin A helped their cause for promotion with a good 8-2 win at Breagle Glen over Castletown B with three single figure wins from Peter Addison, Seamus Whelan and Harry Minor, whilst their other three wins they had to work for as Bernie Durcan beat Ross Moore 21-18, Ken Horsley won 21-19 against Ron Williams, while Derek Cadamy just snatched a 21-20 win against Peter Oates. The two losses for Port Erin could also have gone the other way with David Cain losing 19-21 to Collin Holland and Derek Allen was beat 20-21 by George Foy.

Onchan B are seven points further back on the league leaders with a game in hand following their 4-6 away win over Douglas B. The result could just as easily have ended up 2-8 to Onchan as they lost two games 20-21 with Will Penhallurick and Mike Kelly losing to William Cowley and Rob Matthews respectively. The match was one of the highest scoring games of the season with just five chalks separating the teams (149-154).

Port St Mary B had a tough time at home as they lost 2-8 to South Ramsey C. Their two winners were Peter Collins who beat Paul Routledge 21-15 and Derek Cain who won 21-10 against Tony Marler, while Nick Peterson lost 20-21 to South Ramsey captain Tony Hart. The visitors had two single figures winners with James Evans beating Andy Sykes 21-5, with team mate Andy Morgan winning 21-9 against Ray Maddrell.

Marown C carried the feel good factor from the Rayner Plate final into their home fixture with Peel C, with Walter McCarthy beating Phillip Clarke 21-2, Kevin Kelly won 21-17 against Alan Cromwell with captain Stephen Rundle having to dig deep to beat Harry Kelly 21-20. Winning for Peel were Mike Ashmole as he beat Jamie Joughin 21-14, while Kevin Mort beat Stephen Storey 21-16.

In Division Three Onchan C stayed in top spot with a five-point lead despite losing 7-3 away to Ballaugh B. The northern team do have a game in hand on the leaders and are well placed to return to the top of the league.

Port Erin B and Marown D played out a 5-5 draw at Breagle Glen as the visitors only won three games but took the chalks courtesy of a walkover which resulted in them taking the aggregate by just four chalks (133-137).

South Ramsey D lost 4-6 at home to Ballaugh C. For the Ballaugh men Nigel Tebay was relentless with his 21-2 win over Robert Snape. For the home team Jay Moore was the best winner as be won 21-8 against his Uncle Gordie Moore, while Junior player Ryan Hargraves recovered from a 11-18 deficit to run out with a 21-18 win over Richard Green.

Peel D kept visitors Douglas C to just 92 chalks as then won 8-2, thanks to three single figure wins, with Douglas getting one single figure win as Greg Brew won 21-8 against Owen Crompton.

Douglas D lost 3-7 at home to Noble’s B losing the aggregate by just six chalks (140-146). The home team wins came from Nick Firth, Juan Readshaw and David Cowley.

Post published by Glynn Hargraves

Rayner Shield Final Preview

Current Rayner Shield Holders Peel A who will face 2019 winners South Ramsey A in the Rayner Shield Final

Photos: Arnie Withers

The final of the Canada Life International sponsored Rayner Shield takes place on Thursday evening at the Villa between league leaders South Ramsey A and Peel A, the current top two teams in Division One for what promises to be a close encounter.

Peel A are the current holders of the Rayner Shield following their upset over a heavily fancied Marown A at Port St Mary last year, while South Ramsey A won a thriller in 2019 which also happened to be at the Villa against Marown A.

Peel A were the first team to reach the final following their convincing and expected 7-1 home win over Castletown B to reach the final, while South Ramsey A had a much tougher task in their semi-final having to overcome Marown A at Crosby, which they did in style as they won 6-2 away from home to cause a massive upset on the night in front of a good home crowd.

South Ramsey are led by captain Glynn Hargraves, start as slight favourites and they have a few of their players in good form performing well in the individual merit this season, however they will not underestimate the Peel men who are just six points behind them in the league and are more than capable of turning over anyone having beaten Marown A twice in the past year.

Peel have a new captain this year with Gary Smith stepping up to lead the team, with their star man Dave ‘Barney’ Kelly having won an open this season and retaining the Over 60’s Manx Championship, they also have a good mixture of youth in the form of Stevie Kelly and Tom Kelly, along with the experience of three time Manx Champion Andy Kennish who has returned to form over the past couple of years, while the return of Tommy McMeiken and George Gadsby to the Peel Team cannot be understated. Another man to mention for Peel is the 2020 Rayner Shield final hero Peter Greenlees who will be looking to turn in another standout performance for his team having only taken up the game in 2018, his rise has been meteoric.

The eight-man team format has worked well over recent years with the chalks adding an extra element to what teams have to play for, as whilst players could lose their individual game they can still contribute to the team’s victory should the match end up 4-4 on games by contributing to the chalks.

The draw took place at Onchan Bowling Club on Friday evening prior to the Rayner Plate Final, with some great match ups this could turn out to be another great final for the spectators. The match starts at 6:45pm. Peel have won this competition three times to date, while South Ramsey have four wins. Best of luck to both teams.

Post published by Glynn Hargraves

Bolton & Quayle Succeed in Derek Killey Memorial Mixed Pairs

Derek Killey Memorial Winners 2021 - Trevor Quayle and Lyn Bolton

Photo: Mark Kelly

Onchan Bowling Club hosted the Derek Killey Memorial on Sunday afternoon with 34 pairs entering the competition with the proceeds going to charity.

Losing out at the quarter final stage were South Ramsey’s Kim Hargraves & Stefan Kelly who lost to club mates Fiona Kennish and Steven Waters 19-21. Another South Ramsey match up was also close with Elaine Moore and Glynn Hargraves getting the better of Jenny Moore and James Teare also to a 21-19 score. Rebecca Teare (Marown) and Nathan Hamilton (Castletown) ended the challenge of Margaret Tasker (Port St Mary) and Derek Allen (Port Erin) 21-14, while Lyn Bolton (South Ramsey) and Trevor Quayle (Port St Mary) also won to the same score against Clare Cooper (Marown) and Bob Clark (Castletown).

Losing out in the semi-finals were Kennish and Waters 9-21 to Moore & Hargraves, with the second semi-final going in favour of Bolton and Quayle who beat Teare and Hamilton 21-12.

The final was well contested throughout with some good bowling form both pairs. Moore and Hargraves edged ahead 10-7 after four ends, only for Bolton and Quayle to go into a 16-12 lead with two singles, a double and a three to take control of the game. The next five ends were tight with only a single score with three of the ends going in favour of Bolton and Quayle. Moore and Hargraves responded to pull the score back to 17-19 with a three, however another single for Bolton and Quayle put them into a 20-17 lead only to concede a double on the next end to leave the match finely poised at 19-20. On the next end Moore and Hargraves were counting for one only for Quayle to bowl in with a great counting bowl and not for the first time in the match. Hargraves was forced into a change of peg and just went into the back of their opponents bowl to ensure the victory went to Bolton and Quayle 21-19 in an entertaining final.

The presentation was made by Mark Kelly, who thanked the Onchan club members for organising and running the competition, everyone for entering, also to those who had stayed to watch the final. Onchan bowler Allan Kennaugh, who is a relative of Derek Killey, was then introduced to present the prizes on behalf of the Killey family. It was announced that the fantastic sum of £710 had been raised for Motor Neurone Disease, with a special thanks to the finalists who handed back their prize money to add to the total figure raised for the nominated charity.

Post published by Glynn Hargraves

Marown Soak Up More Success – Heartache for PSM

Rayner Plate Winners 2021 - Marown C

Photo: Arnie Withers

The final of the Canada Life International sponsored Rayner Plate took place at Onchan Bowling Green on Friday evening with the rain setting in sooner than expected to make for tricky conditions for both teams in a rematch of the 2019 final at the same venue between Port St Mary A (+15) and Division Two team Marown C (+42).

Port St Mary once again started as favourites on the night, however they will have been wary of their opponents who stunned them two years ago, with the Port Men needing to turn around a 27-point head start in favour of the Crosby men who have gained more experience.

Port got off to a solid start with Tim Williams taking a 21-14 win against Stephen Storey. The big shock of the night came from Crosby man Stuey Clague, who at 78 years ‘young’ proved age is just a number in this game as he performed brilliantly to beat Port St Mary’s top player and hot favourite Trevor Quayle 21-14 to restore the lead back to 27-points for Marown.

The next two blocks off went in favour of Port St Mary with Robbie Cooil recovering from a slow start to beat Kevin Kelly 21-17. Dan McCabe followed this up with a 21-18 win over Walter McCarthy to reduce Marown’s lead at the half way point to 20 chalks.

The match then swung in Port’s favour who were vying to making it third time lucky having lost the last two finals in 2019 and 2020, as Paul Skelly beat the in-form Jamie Joughin 21-7, while captain Wayne Roberts won 21-10 against Rob Corkill to turn the chalks in favour of the first division team by five chalks.

The match was finely poised with just two games left on the green, the rain continued to fall with Paul Russell level at 13-13 against Marown captain Stephen Rundle, with the latter playing a short mark and pulling out some great second bowls to his opponents’ jack to put in a captains’ innings as Rundle seen the game out with a 21-19 win to reduce the deficit to three chalks.

The last game on the green was also nip and tuck between Dan Smith and Tom Collins which was tied at 13-13. Smith stepped up a gear playing some great bowls under pressure to confirm the victory for the Crosby men by just two chalks (169-171) with a 21-16 win over Collins to ensure Marown C won their third Rayner Plate.

Whilst a lot of the plaudits must go to Rundle and Smith being the last two games on the green, a special mention should go to Stuey Clague, who excelled to win his individual game to keep Port at arm’s length early on, also backed up by his team mates with each of their chalks coming into play for the team even in defeat. Port St Mary played their part in what was an excellent final to watch for the neutrals in attendance.

The presentation was made by Association Press Officer Glynn Hargraves, who thanked Onchan Bowling Club for the use of the green and for their hospitality. Congratulations were given to the winning team with commiserations offered to Port St Mary. The Association President John Ryder was then introduced, who remarked how well the handicap system had worked to produce such a close final, and that the match was a pleasure to watch. The Trophy was then presented to the Marown captain Stephen Rundle who thanked everyone who turned up to watch on a wet night for bowls, congratulated his team and also offered his commiserations to Port St Mary. Rundle also said that he hoped Port St Mary will find a new bowling green in the near future.

Post published by Glynn Hargraves

No Change at the Top – PSM Play Last Home Game

Port St Mary A pictured with Opponents North Ramsey A prior to their last league game on their current home green

Photo: Wayne Roberts

In Ellan Vannin Fuels Division One it was an emotional night for the home team Port St Mary A played their last ever league fixture on the current green, signing off in style as they beat North Ramsey A 8-2. Five single figure wins went in favour of the home team as Trevor Quayle beat Paul Cannan 21-1, Wayne Roberts beat Ray Skelly 21-3, with Paul Skelly not far behind as he on 21-5 against John Cannan, while Robbie Cooil and Tim Williams won 21-8 against Tony Smart and Allan Callow respectively. Winners for the Mooragh Park men were captain Gary Merrill as he beat Tom Collins 21-15, while Steve Walmsley won 21-18 against Dan McCabe.

Marown A visited second from bottom Ballaugh A with the home team managing to take two games off the Crosby men as they did to South Ramsey A recently as they lost 2-8. Tony Quine pulled off a stunning 21-18 over Marown captain Paul Dunn, while Edgar Cowin beat Phil Kelly 21-20. The result may have been worse for the visitors, however Juan Killip edged home 21-19 against John Keenan, while Paul Kelly just got the win 21-20 against Barry McDonald. John Gelling came back into the team in place of Dean Kipling as he won 21-9 against John Maddrell, with Matthew Keggen, Colin Kelly and Neil Withers the other winners.

Peel A hosted Castletown A with the home team taking a good 8-2 win with captain Gary Smith recording the biggest win of the night as he beat Peel Town Cup Finalist Dean Kinley 21-6. For Castletown Bob Clark won 21-12 against Darren Young, while Jordan Drewett beat Peter Greenlees 21-18. All of the home wins for the Peel men were comfortable.

Toughest match on paper this week was South Ramsey A who hosted Onchan A. After four games South Ramsey were 4-0 up on games, with David Bradford up against Reg Temporaza, after recovering from a 2-9 deficit Bradford took charge to win 21-16. South captain Glynn Hargraves beat Phil Kerruish 21-12, Peter Collister won 21-10 against Mark Kelly, while James Teare dug deep to run out from a 16-19 deficit to win 21-19 against Steve Parker. Onchan hit back with Matthew Quirk winning 21-6 against Chas Grills, with Jordan Cain also winning as he beat Stefan Kelly 21-16. Dave ‘Dido’ Kelly made no mistake as he beat Kevin Quirk 21-7, while Alan Moore had to battle to overcome Frank Watson 21-18.

Douglas A recorded a 7-3 home win over Peel B with all the games reaching double figures. Winning for Peel were Dougie Allan who beat Merv Sayle 21-15, David Smith beat Jimmy Sansom, while David Proctor had a tough battle with Ian Moore before winning 21-18. For the home team Kevin Firth recorded the biggest win as he won 21-10 against the ‘real’ Paul Quirk, while Andy Cannell didn’t have it all his own way as he won 21-17 against Michael Kavanagh, with Shaun Seal continuing to go well in the individual merit as he beat Paul ‘Pooky’ Quirk 21-18.

Marown B picked up their second successive win as they beat Noble’s A 8-2 at Crosby. For the visitors Les Brookes caused an upset as he beat Glenn Boland 21-17, while Dave Naughton beat Brian Cain 21-15. For the home team Kevin Kelly beat Mark Kneen 21-8, with Darren Kerruish winning to the same score against Juan Qualtrough, while Karl Parker had to work hard for his 21-19 win over Martyn Hobson, as did Bobby Thorne with his 21-20 victory over Stephen Hampson.

In Division Two South Ramsey B continue to be consistently inconsistent as they travelled to Onchan B, with the home team winning 8-2. Whilst the result wasn’t surprising Neil Dunwell did cause an upset as he beat Tony Dugdale 21-13. The only winners for the visitors were Steven Waters who beat Mike Kelly 21-15 and Bryan Corner who won 21-11 against Mike Thomas. For the home team Colin Spence beat Edward Carlyle 21-7, Mike Alexander won 21-1 against Tony Marler, while Paul Clinton just snatched a 21-20 win against Ben Dugdale. Onchan B are just three points behind South Ramsey B with a game in hand.

Finch Hill B had a good week as they won 7-3 against Rayner Plate Finalists Marown C, with just three chalks separating the teams (135-132). For the visitors Walter McCarthy won 21-9 against Brian Atherton, as did Jamie Joughin as he beat Chris Thompson. Finch Hill had one single figure win from Stephen Oates who beat Marown captain Stephen Rundle 21-8.

Castletown B and Finch Hill A did each other no favours as they played out a 4-4 draw with the Town men getting the 6-4 win as they easily won the chalks (141-115). Castletown B are still well placed to return to top spot as they sit just two points South Ramsey B, also have a game in hand.

Peel Sunset C made light work of visitors Port St Mary B as they won 9-1 on Tuesday evening with Will Cain the lone winner for Port as he beat Ian Pendlebury.

The closest match of the week was between South Ramsey C and Port Erin A who played a 5-5 draw. The home team only won three games, however they secured the aggregate by four chalks (141-137) helped by James Evans winning 21-6 against Peter Addison.

In Division Three Onchan C occupy top spot following their 8-2 home win over Castletown C, whilst Ballaugh B remain in contention nine points behind with a game in hand following their 3-7 win against their lower ranked C Team. Noble’s B had a good 8-2 home win against Peel D, with Andrew Cover and Philip Pemberton both winning close games to prevent the whitewash, while Port Erin B came away from the Villa with a 2-8 win over Douglas C.

Post published by Glynn Hargraves