Author Archives: 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

Canada Life International – Rayner Plate Preview

Marown C pictured in 2019 following their win over Port St Mary A (Pictured 2021)

Photos: Arnie Withers

The final of the Canada Life International sponsored Rayner Plate takes place on Friday evening between second division side Marown C (+42) and Division One’s Port St Mary A (+15) in a repeat of the 2019 final held at Onchan, which the Crosby men won convincingly on the night by 35 points (188-153) to cause a massive upset as Marown had a 40-point start on the Port Men last time out.

Marown C (+27) reached the final courtesy of a convincing 8-0 home win over Ballaugh C (+66), despite having to make up 39 chalks they won by 40 chalks (195-155) on the night to take their place in the final, while Port St Mary A (SCR) advanced with their 8-0 home win over Marown B (+24) winning comfortably by 45 chalks as they pulled back the 24 head start that the Crosby men had at the start of play.

This time the difference between the teams is a 27-point head start for Marown C, with handicaps based on the previous seasons league positions they will look to hold onto this as they still have six of the eight men from the 2019 victory in their squad, along with a further two years’ experience.

The Marown men led by captain Stephen Rundle are performing well in Division Two, will fancy their chances as they have three or four players in their C Team pushing to move up to the B Team next year as they continue to improve. Last time out they won four games against Port and the hero of the night was undoubtedly Jamie Joughin as he won 21-8 against Wayne Roberts, he is certainly one of the Marown men who will be looking to pick up a win.

Port St Mary have had a change of captain with Wayne Roberts now leading them, they recently played their last ever home fixture, they are in their third straight Rayner Plate final, having lost out to Castletown B last year they will not be underestimating their opponents this time out. Similar to the Marown team they still have six players in the squad from the 2019 final, they will be looking to get off to a good start to pull the handicap back with their big hitters Trevor Quayle, Paul Skelly and Wayne Roberts more than capable of inflicting heavy defeats on their opponents.

Marown C will be hoping for their third success in this competition which is remarkable considering they only went into the night league in 2016, while Port St Mary A will be looking to pick up their second victory following their first title picked up in 2016 against Port Erin A.

The match starts at 7pm. Best of luck to both teams for what promises to be a fascinating encounter.

Post published by Glynn Hargraves

Peel A and South Ramsey A to Face off in Rayner Shield Final – Good week for South

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

Photos: Arnie Withers

Peel A had the toughest match of the top three teams in Ellan Vannin Fuels Division One this week as they hosted Onchan A with the home team taking a reasonable 7-3 win, however they did lose some ground on the league leaders. The game was close with just three chalks separating the teams (143-140). For the visitors Matthew Quirk returned to winning ways with a 21-8 win over Tom Kelly, a result matched by the home team as Andy Kennish beat Mark Kelly. Also winning for Onchan were Reginald Temporaza who beat Gary Smith 21-15, with Phil Kerruish beating Peter Greenlees to the same score. For the home team winning four high scoring games were Dave ‘Barney’ Kelly who beat Peter Slinger 21-16, Tommy McMeiken beat Kevin Quirk 21-17, while Ste Kelly and George Gadsby both won 21-18 against Frank Watson and Jordan Cain respectively.

Marown A had a tough looking away fixture to Castletown A at the Crofts, however they got through the fixture relatively unscathed matching the 1-9 win that league leaders South Ramsey A picked up in June. The only winner for the Town men was Aaron Richardson with an impressive 21-13 win over John Gelling, while Bob Clark was next highest scorer for the home team losing 18-21 after going into a 17-13 lead only for Colin Kelly to see the game out for the Crosby men. There were two single figure wins for Marown with Neil Withers winning 21-2 against Ian Watson, while Paul Kelly beat Dean Kinley 21-5.

League leaders South Ramsey A had a solid 10-0 home win over near rivals North Ramsey A, with the result never in doubt as visiting captain Gary Merrill was the highest scorer losing 15-21 to Alan Moore, while David Bradford and Glynn Hargraves both won to single figures.

Noble’s A won’t have been too disheartened to lose 3-7 away to Ballaugh A as just four chalks separated the teams in favour of the Ballaugh men (145-141) with their wins coming from Mark Kneen, Sam Stannard-Duke and Les Brookes.

Port St Mary A could start to slide down the league now, as they have just one home league fixture remaining this season, as they lost 3-7 away to Douglas A. Winning for the home team were Andy Cannell, who won 21-3 against Tom Collins, Shaun Seal who is performing well this season beat Dan McCabe 21-15, while Jimmy Sansom won 21-13 against Robbie Cooil. Ian Moore had a good 21-10 win against Wayne Roberts and Keith Rise had an impressive 21-11 win over Paul Skelly. For Port Trevor Quayle just crept home 21-20 against Villa captain Merv Sayle, while Paul Russell and Tim Williams both won their second successive away game in a week.

Marown B hosted Peel B with the home team improving on the 7-3 win their higher ranked A team recorded last month as they won 8-2, with Jamie Joughin stepping up from the C team as he did his case for full time promotion to the B team absolutely no harm at all winning 21-6 against Dave Smith, with that win also matched by Brian Kelly who beat Rob Middleton and Peter Kelly showing his class to beat Paul ‘Pooky’ Quirk. Karl Parker edged a tough game with Brian Lindsay to win 21-17, with John Kelly also having to battle hard to beat the ‘real’ Paul Quirk 21-19. Winning for the visitors were Mick Kavanagh as he beat James Kelly 21-10, while David Proctor won comfortably 21-11 against Darren Kerruish.

In Division Two Finch Hill A came unstuck away to Onchan B as they lost 8-2, while South Ramsey B bounced back to hit top spot this week with two wins as they won 3-7 away to Peel C. On Wednesday they played their rearranged fixture at home to Port St Mary B, winning 9-1 with Austin Hart losing out 17-21 to Derek Cain.

Marown C picked up a brilliant 2-8 away win over Port St Mary B, whilst Douglas B won 2-8 away from home against Finch Hill B.

Castletown B sit in fourth place with a game in hand, stay firmly in the mix following their 4-6 away win over South Ramsey C.

In Division Three league leaders Onchan C won 7-3 at home to South Ramsey D with the visitors just missing out on the aggregate by just one chalk (132-131). Junior Ryan Hargraves got back to winning ways as he beat Brian Aspden 21-12.

Peel D took a good 3-7 away win over Marown D, just winning out on two extra points with Andrew Cover losing 20-21 to fellow new bowler Steve Cain, while Owen Crompton lost 18-21 to Alan Gault.

Third placed Ballaugh C won 7-3 at home to their nearest rivals Port Erin B, who sit in fourth spot, while Noble’s B won 6-4 at home to Douglas C with 13 chalks separating the teams (137-124).

Douglas D have their new bowlers continuing to impress as won 7-3 at home to Castletown C, with wins from Ashley Halsall, Greg Tomlinson, John Ferguson, Nick Firth and David Cowley with the new guys no doubt competing to outdo each other, it forms healthy competition within the team.

Rayner Shield

On Wednesday night current league champions Marown A hosted South Ramsey A in the second semi-final of the Rayner Shield with the Crosby men beating the same opponents 6-2 at the same stage at home last season they started as clear favourites.

It was Neil Withers who got the Crosby men off to a fine start with a 21-8 win over Stefan Kelly. South Ramsey hit back with captain Glynn Hargraves beating Matthew Keggen 21-12, while James Teare fought back from a 16-19 deficit to beat Dean Kipling 21-19. David Bradford came close to winning to single figures against Manx Champion Colin Kelly before a comeback from Kelly as he reached 14-20 only for Bradford to play a great last bowl to seal a 21-14 win and a 3-1 lead at the half way stage.

In the second half Paul Kelly gave the Crosby men some hope with a resounding 21-5 win over Chas Grills, with the chalks still in play if Marown could win two more games on the night as Kelly put the match score to 2-3 with Marown holding an 11 chalk advantage (87-76). Hope started to fizzle out for Marown as Peter Collister was quickly off the green with a 21-10 win over Phil Kelly, with Dave ‘Dido’ Kelly also holding a big lead over Juan Killip as he went on to win 21-6 to seal the win for South. Last game off was Alan Moore who took on home captain Paul Dunn, with only personal pride to play for, however Moore played brilliantly as he won 21-15 to seal a 6-2 win for the visitors and in doing so put the icing on the cake on a fine night of bowls played in front of a good crowd with a great atmosphere.

South Ramsey A now go on to play Peel A in the final, which is due to be held on Thursday 26th August with the venue to be confirmed.

Post published by Glynn Hargraves

Withers & Dunn Retain Doubles Championship

Doubles Championship Winners 2021 - Neil Withers & Paul Dunn

Photo: Arnie Withers

The Islands premier doubles competition was hosted by Peel Bowling Club on Sunday on a much slower green than that enjoyed for the recent Peel Town Cup. The competition was played 21 up off a handicap of +3 for all competitors. The event was well supported with 32 pairs entering in a bid to win the coveted title.

An all South Ramsey affair had Lee Dawson and Tony Hart lose 9-21 to Glynn Hargraves and David Bradford, while Port St Mary duo Wayne Roberts and Trevor Quayle were 14-14 against Dave ‘Barney’ Kelly and son Stevie Kelly (Peel) before losing 14-21. An all Marown tie was won 21-15 by Neil Withers and Paul Dunn against Colin Kelly and Juan Killip, while South Ramsey’s Tony Dugdale and James Teare lost 12-21 to Matthew Keggen and Paul Kelly (Marown).

In the semi-finals Hargraves and Bradford got off to a good start taking an 8-3 lead over Barney & Stevie Kelly with the latter pairing getting a run of ends playing along the edge in front of the clubhouse to turn the game around to lead 16-8. Hargraves and Bradford dug in to recover the score to just one point behind at 16-17, only to concede a double and a single, then picked up a single themselves and were lying one only for Stevie to play a great reaching bowl to win the game 21-17. The other semi-final was much more straightforward with Withers and Dunn winning comfortably 21-8 against Keggen and Kelly.

In a repeat of the 2020 final Withers and Dunn won six of the first seven ends to lead 10-4, with Withers playing over the middle of the green. The Peel pair responded with two doubles to sit just two points behind at 8-10, this kicked the Marown men into gear as they scored a three, two doubles and a single to take control of the game 18-8. A huge comeback appeared to be on the card as a single allowed Barney to get into the corners with two successive ends scoring three pulled the score back to 15-18, however Withers and Dunn dug deep to take a double and a single to win 21-18 as they retained the title they won at Port St Mary last year in another entertaining final.

The presentation was made by Association Competition Secretary Steve Moore, who thanked Peel Bowling Club for the use of the green and its members for providing helpers throughout the day. Upon accepting the prizes Paul Dunn thanked everyone involved in the running of the competition, their opponents and also his playing partner.

Post published by Glynn Hargraves

South Ramsey Stun Town Ladies

Jean Kelly Winners 2021 - South Ramsey

Photo: Glynn Hargraves

The final of the Jean Kelly was held at Onchan Bowling Club on Friday evening with the rain holding off for the evening, it was a much slower green than expected by the teams. There was a good crowd in attendance with fantastic support for both teams, which resulted in a great atmosphere around the green. With a neutral venue the handicaps were Castletown A (+17) and South Ramsey (+23) with South having just a six chalk start on their opponents not being a lot considering the huge gap between the teams in the league with Town starting the match as clear favourites to retain the title.

The first five games got underway with South Ramsey’s Gill Dixon undoubtedly a big game player storming home with a 21-9 win over Alison Kearsley, with the game finely balanced at 8-6 Dixon took 10 of the last 12 ends. Next off for South was Elaine Moore who similar to the first game, this was close as Moore led 10-9 against Sue Peach, to then run out with a 21-9 victory on a longer length. The third game off on the night was Jenny Moore who recovered from a slow start to beat Anne Oates 21-14.

Next off for South was captain Kim Hargraves who got off to a flier to lead 10-1 against Amanda Lawler, before the latter fought back to trail by one at 10-11. Hargraves kicked back into gear to go on another good run to win six of the last seven ends scoring four doubles on the way to claim a solid 21-11 win over Lawler.

The last game off from the first five games was Gill Morgan who played brilliantly, taking some good bowls off her opponent Hilary Kermode. With the game at 13-18 Morgan was counting with two good bowls only for Kermode to play a fantastic bowl to count. The game finished on the following end with Kermode taking a double to secure Town’s first win of the night and in doing so reduced the deficit to 39 chalks.

With the second half of the match underway South Ramsey had built a good lead, but were by no means home and dry, however South knew that 12 or more points from each player would be enough to seal the win with only four games left on the green.

Tracy Moore responded for Town with the biggest win of the night as she beat Fiona Kennish 21-6 to make things interesting, as this reduced the deficit to 24 chalks. The wins kept coming for Town with the next victory coming from captain Hannah Drewett who beat Lauren Groen 21-18, with Groen battling well to put her team one step closer to victory. The ever reliable Kath Kinley was next off with a 21-10 win over Jill Quayle, with Quayle performing well against a tough opponent.

The last game off for Town was Kim Foy with a 21-15 win over Sue Collier with the latter scoring five doubles on the night, this helped ensure that South Ramsey had scored enough points to seal the win by just four chalks (169-165). All of South Ramsey’s team contributed to their victory on the night and their third Jean Kelly title overall due to the match being played for on chalks. Huge credit must go to both teams who played their part for what was a thrilling final.

The presentation was made by Association President Sue Gawne, who introduced the Kelly Family who continue to support this competition and provided an excellent selection of refreshments to the players and supporters on the night. South Ramsey captain Kim Hargraves was then presented with the Shield. Hargraves thanked the Kelly family for the prizes and the refreshments, Onchan Bowling Club for hosting and congratulated her team on their performance whilst offering her commiserations to Castletown who had played their part in making it a fantastic final.

Post published by Glynn Hargraves