The eagerly awaited Plumbmaster Limited Rayner Shield final between Marown A and Marown B was held at Onchan Bowling Club on Friday evening. The draw took place ahead of the match, with plenty of potential banana skins for the higher ranked team, who were missing their captain Paul Dunn. There was a healthy crowd in attendance to watch events unfold with good support for both teams. League leaders Marown A were the clear favourites on the night, however the lower ranked team would have been hoping to pull off a huge upset.

First off the green for the A was Tom Kelly, who having faced younger brother Kevin a number of times, it was the younger sibling who had prevailed on each occasion. Tom didn’t give Kevin a sniff in the game, as he built a 14-6 lead, then went on to finish the game 21-11 to put the A team 1-0 up in the match.

Game two off the green made it 2-0 as Dean Kipling did not display any signs of rustiness, as he beat Stephen Rundle 21-12, keeping the latter down to 12 singles, while picking up five doubles himself.

Game three was keenly contested throughout between Paul Kelly and Phil Kelly, it was Paul who prevailed having trailed in the game on several occasions before getting over the line 21-17.

For the B to have any chance of winning they needed a win in the first half of the match, it was Peter Greenlees the 2020 Rayner Shield hero for Peel who came closest to doing so against Neil Withers, with the former having trailed 3-11, Greenlees, got ahead 20-19, only for Withers to hold his nerve to get over the line 21-20 to put the A team 4-0 ahead at the halfway point of the match, with a 23 chalk lead.

In the second half of the match it became a case of who would officially seal the win by getting the fifth game on the board, it was Glenn Boland who picked up a solid 21-11 win against Matthew Keggen, while Boland’s doubles partner Peter Jones swiftly followed with a win to the same score against Karl Parker.

Game seven saw super sub Sam Clague defeat B team captain Juan Killip 21-15, this left one game on the green – Colin Kelly against John Gelling, with the match a dead rubber, there would be no doubting that Kelly would want to win, however Gelling managed to prevent an 8-0 whitewash as held off Kelly 21-19.

The presentation was made by Brian Kelly, who thanked Plumbmaster for sponsoring the competition, Onchan Bowling Club for the use of the green. The Rayner Shield was presented to stand in Marown captain Neil Withers, who congratulated the B team on reaching the final, who had put up a spirited performance. This is Marown’s 17th win in this competition, their first win in the final since 2018.

Plumbmaster Rayner Shield Final Results

Marown A	Chalks	Chalks	Marown B
Tom Kelly	21	12	Kevin Kelly
Dean Kipling	21	12	Stephen Rundle
Paul Kelly	21	17	Phil Kelly
Neil Withers	21	20	Peter Greenlees
Glenn Boland	21	11	Matthew Keggen
Peter Jones	21	11	Karl Parker
Sam Clague	21	15	Juan Killip
Colin Kelly	19	21	John Gelling
7 Games Won	166	119	1 Game Won

South Ramsey Bowling Club hosted the Association Singles on Saturday with the competition attracting 61 entries, an increase of 16 on the 2024 entry, on a tricky green with everyone in attendance treated to glorious conditions.

Losing out at the quarter final stage were Colin Kelly (Marown) 13-21 to David Bradford (South Ramsey), Walter McCarthy 9-21 to Marown clubmate Neil Withers. In the other half of the draw Kevin Airey (Noble’s) run was ended by Marown captain Paul Dunn 11-21, whilst home greener John Kennish got the better of Wayne Roberts (Breagle Glen) 21-13.

The semi-finals were polar opposites, with Withers having a tough time with Bradford, scoring in just two ends with a 8-21 defeat to Bradford. The other semi-final was well contested throughout between Dunn and Kennish, with the latter going ahead 18-17. The Marown man got in with a single to level the game up 18-18. Playing in to a green area of the green, this may have caught Kennish out as Dunn was grateful to have picked up a cheap two to lead 20-18. A single for John on the next end put him within one end of victory, however Dunn stepped on a short leading bowl from Kennish to see the game out 21-19.

The final was a third consecutive in a row between Bradford and Dunn, following the Ramsey Town Cup, and Dreswick Cup at Breagle Glen two days earlier, both of which Dunn had got the better of Bradford in to comprehensive scores. A steely determination and home green advantage saw Bradford use his green knowledge playing tricky marks brilliantly to build a nine chalk lead at 19-10. Dunn managed to win four of the next five ends, helped by two doubles to close the deficit to four chalks at 16-20. On a longer mark the Marown man left room for Bradford to jump in, which he did playing a two foot bowl, which Dunn didn’t beat which sealed a 21-16 win for Bradford.

The presentation was made by Association Competition Officer Steve Moore, who thanked South Ramsey for the use of the green, providing measurers and the superb refreshments throughout the day.

In Canada Life International league Division One bowlers were treated to fine weather and perfect bowling conditions this week, as the league season reached two thirds of the way through with just six rounds of fixtures left.

Onchan A hosted South Ramsey A, with the home side missing two of their top players Peter Slinger and Matthew Quirk, it was the visitors who took advantage of this to take an 2-8 win, just missing out on an extra point, as Kevin Quirk held off Glynn Hargraves 21-20. The other winner for Onchan was Reg Temporaza, who beat James Teare 21-11. The next closest Onchan came to picking up a third win was Neil Dunwell, who led 12-3 against Bob Clark, with the latter responding to get over the line 21-17.

Marown A were just two chalks away from a 10-0 home win, with North Ramsey A captain Rob Monk ensuring the Mooragh men got a point as he beat Neil Withers 21-19. David Kinrade came closest to a second win as he lost out 19-21 against Tom Kelly. Three single figures wins for the home team saw the visitors score 92 chalks.

Peel A beat Douglas A 8-2, with Ste Kelly beating Ian Moore 21-6, whilst Dave ‘Barney’ Kelly won 21-7 against Villa captain Merv Sayle. Winning for the visitors were Shaun Seal (21-14) against Andy Mackie, while Nick Firth held his nerve to beat Paul Quirk 21-20.

Breagle Glen A suffered a second defeat in a week at home to Marown B, with this victory less nervy than the Rayner Plate semi-final the previous week, as they took home a 2-8 win, taking the aggregate by 13 chalks (130-143). Winning two close games for the visitors Kevin Kelly beat Chris Oates 21-19, while Jamie Joughin held off Ray Maddrell 21-20. For the home team Dan McCabe beat Stephen Rundle 21-16, with Ewan Cooil beating last minute stand in Tareq Taher 21-1.

On Friday evening Onchan A played their rearranged game with Marown A at the Park, with the Crosby men coming away with a 2-8 victory, with the visitors dropping just six chalks with two 21-18 losses, as Kevin Quirk beat Phil Kelly, and Reg Temporaza getting the better of Tom Kelly. Marown won three games to single figures, as they regained top spot by four points ahead of the crucial clash away to South Ramsey A on Monday evening.

In Division Two league leaders Ballaugh A bounced back from last weeks defeat to beat Peel B 8-2, whilst second placed Marown C lost ground on Ballaugh, as they won 3-7 away to Finch Hill A, it could have been worse as the Crosby men won the aggregate by just four chalks (138-142).

Noble’s B will have gone home happy, thanks to their 91 home win over Onchan B, helped by two single figure wins from Lee Price and Lee Greggor. Castletown B continue to drag themselves away from the danger zone, as they won 9-1 at the Crofts against Breagle Glen B, with Nick Peterson the lone winner for the visitors 21-16 against Ross Moore.

Douglas B slipped to a 3-7 defeat at home to Noble’s A, as they had to give a walkover, with Martyn Hobson the lucky recipient, while Steve Cook was on the wrong side of a 21-20 score line against Jim Callister.

North Ramsey B missed the opportunity to extend their two point lead at the top of Division Three, as they managed to sneak away from their match with Ballaugh C with a 4-6 win taking the all important aggregate by a solitary chalk (126-127). Peel C failed to close the gap on the leaders as they also won 4-6 away to Noble’s D.

Ballaugh B aren’t completely out of the hunt for promotion, as they are nine points off top spot following their 3-7 win away to Breagle Glen C. Marown D went one point ahead of Noble’s C following their 7-3 home win over the Park men.

In Division Four Onchan C continue to keep the chasing pack playing catch up following their 3-7 win away to North Ramsey C. Second placed Finch Hill B got the better of Douglas D 4-6, while Peel D suffered a 4-6 defeat at home to Douglas C, as the Villa men edged the aggregate by eight chalks (134-142).

The Dreswick men’s singles took place on Thursday afternoon at Breagle Glen Bowling Club, with the competition being held for the first time by Breagle Glen Bowling Club. There was an entry of 35, with everyone treated to an afternoon of glorious sunshine, once the mist cleared.

The fallers at the quarter final stage were Brian Kelly ( Marown) 10-21 to David Bradford (South Ramsey), Arran Dunn (Marown) 12-21 to Will Penhallurick (Onchan). The last home greener Wayne Roberts ended the challenge of Mike Hargraves (Castletown) 21-11, whilst the closest quarter final match was between Marown clubmates James Kelly and Paul Dunn, with the latter prevailing 21-15.

The first semi-final was between Bradford and Penhallurick, it was the South Ramsey man who eased to a 21-13 win. In the second semi-final Dunn won to the same score as the previous round, as he defeated Roberts 21-15.

The final between Dunn and Bradford was a repeat of the 2024 final, with Bradford the current holder, as the pair faced off in a final for the second time in less than a week, with Dunn having the psychological edge following his Ramsey Town Cup win on Saturday. Dunn got off to a great start, never taking his foot off the gas throughout the game as he eased to a 21-8 win to lift the Dreswick Cup for the first time.

The prize presentation was made by Steve Durcan who thanked Pat O’Meara from the Albert Hotel for the sponsorship, Breagle Glen competition secretary Angela Bennett for running the competition, and all the Breagle Glen club members that helped make the day a success.

Marown hosted the ever-popular Tynwald Day R & A Grimshaw Pairs Trophy on Bank Holiday Monday with the green in superb condition. 28 pairs took part, and the competition was once again sponsored by Investasure Financial Services Ltd.

Losing out at the quarter final stage were home greeners Kevin Kelly and Phil Kelly 12-21 to clubmates Colin Kelly and Tom Kelly, Jordan Cain and Glynn Hargraves (South Ramsey) lost out 16-21 to Marown’s Glenn Boland and Peter Jones. Matthew Keggen and Paul Kelly (Marown) lost out to single figures 9-21 to John Kennish and David Bradford (South Ramsey) whilst another all Marown game was won 21-5 by Neil Withers and Paul Dunn 21-5 against James Kelly and Brian Kelly.

At the semi-final stage both winning pairs came through their games relatively comfortably, as Boland and Jones ended the hopes of father and son Colin and Tom Kelly 21-16, while Kennish and Bradford relinquished a 16-7 lead, only to get back in at the right time at 16-15 to run out with a 21-15 win over Withers and Dunn.

So to the final, it was a tight encounter throughout, with just one double scored after 10 ends played the home pair were 10-9 ahead. A four for Boland and Jones appeared to turn the game in their favour with a 14-9 lead, however this sparked the South Ramsey men into action as they got in and went for distance. Whilst it took another 11 ends to finish the game with Kennish and Bradford kept down to eight singles, and two doubles, they seen the game out with a 21-15 win to remarkably pick up their first Tynwald Day win together.

At the conclusion of the competition the presentation was made by Phil Kelly, who thanked the sponsors for their support, Brian Kelly for running the sheet, everyone who had helped with the running of the competition, the Marown Ladies for the refreshments provided. Martin Corkish from Investasure was introduced to present prizes. In his speech John praised the greenkeeper for the condition of the green.

Following his first win in 2020 Paul Dunn overcame a strong field to pick up his second Ramsey Town Cup trophy five years later. There was a healthy entry of 59 bowlers from across the island, with the competition once again sponsored by Corkhill & Callow Ltd.

In the first of the quarter finals Peel man Paul Quirk reached the end of the road, as he lost out 18-21 to Castletown captain Nathan Hamilton 18-21, with newly crowned Manx Champion David Bradford seeing off home greener Paul Cannan 21-14. In the other half of the draw Paul Dunn (Marown) won comfortably 21-10 against James Teare (South Ramsey), while John Cannan (Mooragh Park) lost out 16-21 to Glenn Boland (Marown).

The first of the semi-finals between Bradford and Hamilton was level 10-10 after six ends, as the former went on to win nine consecutive ends to runout with a 21-10 win. The second semi-final was less straightforward with Boland taking an early 13-8 lead against Dunn, with the latter responding to win six ends to lead 15-13. The next four ends were shared with Boland reducing the deficit to one chalk at 16-17, as Glenn went on to score four chalks to lead 20-17. Not done there Marown captain Dunn picked up a double and two singles, using all his experience to get over the line 21-20.

The final was expected to be a close contest between two top players, however in reality on this occasion it was anything but that, as Dunn never allowed Bradford to win two consecutive ends, while four mini-runs of winning ends was enough to secure a deserved 21-9 victory, with it his second Ramsey Town Cup.

John Cannan of North Ramsey Bowling Club introduced Brian representing the sponsors Corkhill and Callow Ltd and thanked him and the club members who organised the competition and provided catering and raffle support for their efforts. The prizes were then presented to the losing quarter and semi-finalists, runner up and winner. The trophy was then presented to Paul Dunn, who said perhaps 2030 would be the next time that we would win it, with five years having passed since his first success.

PlumbMaster Rayner Shield

The first semi-final on Wednesday evening was a blockbuster between hosts South Ramsey A and Marown A on a tricky green, which proved a challenge for the players. The first game off saw David Bradford stroll to a 21-2 win over Sam Clague. Neil Withers got Marown’s first victory on the board with a 21-17 win over Glynn Hargraves, with the former having led 11-5 and 16-12. Stefan Kelly made his second appearance of the season for the A team after his travels to earn a 21-19 win over Peter Jones, finishing the game strongly with two doubles having trailed 17-19. The last game of the first half saw Peter Collister build a 11-1 lead over Colin Kelly, with the Crosby man reducing the deficit to one chalk at 12-11, Collister managed to get another run of the jack to lead 18-12. The expected fightback from Kelly arrived, as he managed to set the game out with a 21-19 win to level the match 2-2 on games, however South Ramsey crucially held a 15-chalk lead.

The second half of the match saw Tom Kelly put Marown into a 3-2 lead with a win over Bob Clark, with the game finely poised at 7-7, a strong second half of the game saw Tom win 21-11. Dido Kelly came off with a second single figure victory of the night for the home team with a 21-9 win over Paul Kelly to level the match once more 3-3.

This left two games on the green with South holding a commanding 17-chalk lead, one more win would seal it for the hosts. Two fine performances from the Crosby men saw captain Paul Dunn overturn a 11-14 deficit to run out with a 21-16 win over John Kennish, leaving the match going to the wire as is often the case when these teams clash. Glenn Boland was in control of the game with Jordan Cain, leading 16-11, only for the latter to take the lead 17-16. A loose end was punished to the maximum by Boland picking up a two, with Cain levelling the game at 18-18. The South Ramsey man then forfeited the jack after failing to send the jack the minimum distance of 19 metres, with the Crosby man picking up a double and a single to secure a 21-18 win, and a 5-3 victory making the chalks irrelevant (144-135).

The second semi-final was played on Thursday between hosts Breagle Glen A and Marown B, in front of another good crowd with nervous spectators on the sidelines in another fascinating encounter.

Ewan Cooil rolled back the years to get win number one on the board for the home team beating Matthew Keggen 21-5, with John Gelling hitting back with a 21-7 win over Steve Durcan. Trevor Quayle took a comfortable 21-14 win over Stephen Rundle, with Marown captain Juan Killip swiftly squaring the match up on games with a 21-13 win over Tim Williams. At the halfway point just one chalk separated the sides with Breagle edging it (62-61).

In the second half of the match Breagle captain Chris Lever held a 11-8 lead over Phil Kelly, with the latter going on to finish strongly with a 21-12 win. Karl Parker got win number four for the Crosby men, similar to Kelly a strong finish to the game resulted in a 21-16 win over Mark Moorley.

With just two games left on the green, Breagle had to win the last two games to stand any chance of reaching the final, would also have to overturn a 13-chalk deficit, while Marown needed both players to score 30-chalks between them. Wayne Roberts got over the line 21-14 against Peter Greenlees, leaving Dan McCabe and Kevin Kelly on the green. A good run of ends with the jack had McCabe take a 15-10 lead along the edge of the green, the Breagle man was counting for one only for Kelly to trail the jack to count for two and start the fightback. Towards the end of the game, it became known the chalks were safe for Marown, with Kelly continuing to battle as he edged home 21-20 to seal an outright 3-5 victory for the visitors.

Marown A and Marown B will play each other in the final of the Rayner Shield on Friday 18^th July, with the venue to be decided.

PlumbMaster Rayner Plate

While the first Shield semi-final took place Castletown A (+15) took on their B Team (+35) in the Plate semi-final, with the A Team drawn away they had the advantage of sending the jack on the first end. In truth it was a comfortable win for the A Team as they overturned a 20-chalk deficit to win by 37-chalks to ensure safe passage to the Final of the Rayner Plate. Three single figure wins from Town captain Nathan Hamilton, Dean Kinley, and quarter final hero Kieran Krypner saw the higher ranked team progress. Winning for the B Team were Alan Phair, as he beat Nathan Cooil 21-18, with Ross Moore holding off Ian Watson 21-19.

On Thursday evening, it was another uneventful semi-final as Marown C (+25) were drawn at home to Peel C (+60), with the Crosby men losing just one game on the night as Jamie Joughin lost out 15-21 to James Lee. Two single figure wins from Peter Kelly and Walter McCarthy saw 30-chalks clawed back in these two games alone. Marown won by 25-chalks (187-162) to become the third Marown men’s night league team to reach a final this season.

Castletown A will play Marown C in the final on Friday 1^st August, with the venue to be confirmed, with the higher ranked Town men favourites to lift some silverware.

Canada Life International – League Action

With Marown A rearranging their match with Onchan A, South Ramsey A hit top spot by default in Canada Life International League Division One following their 8-2 home win over Peel A on a tricky green. Winning for Peel Gary Smith beat Peter Collister 21-14, whilst Dave ‘Barney’ Kelly held on to win 21-18 against Glynn Hargraves, having led 15-5. The next closest to picking up a win for Peel was Stevie Kelly who lost out 17-21 to Dido Kelly. For the home team Manx Champion David Bradford beat Pip Pemberton 21-5, whilst Jordan Cain won 21-7 against Andy Mackie.

Castletown A came away from Mooragh Park with a 4-6 win over North Ramsey A, edging the aggregate by two chalks (133-135). All four wins for the visitors were comfortable, whilst Allan Callow beat Jordan Drewett 21-18, the chalks scored by the latter helped his team get over the line.

Douglas A won 6-4 at home to Breagle Glen A, with the home team losing out in two close games, as Merv Sayle lost 19-21 to Dan McCabe, with Keith Rise defeated 17-21 by Wayne Roberts. Given the Breagle sides league position the four points would have been most welcome.

Marown B won 6-4 at home to South Ramsey B, with all four home wins being comfortable. John Gelling was the best winner for the Crosby men beating Christian Caley 21-5. For the visitors Tony Dugdale won 21-10 against Karl Parker, whilst Lee Dawson beat Marown captain Juan Killip 21-17.

In Division Two league leaders Ballaugh A suffered their first defeat of the season as they lost 6-4 away to Noble’s A in an unusual manner, as they won three games, but shared the chalks (147-147). Making the defeat even harder to take they lost three games 20-21, with Chris Pedley, Mark Dimsdale, and Edward Trustham losing to Dave Naughton, Martyn Hobson, and Jim Callister respectively.

Marown C took the opportunity to close the gap on the leaders as they beat Castletown B 8-2 at home, winning three games to single figures, and two close games 21-18 as Sid Bolton, and Darren Kerruish held off their opponents.

Finch Hill A bounced back from last week’s heavy defeat to beat Noble’s B 8-2, whilst Onchan B did enough to beat Peel B 4-6 in the Sunset City, taking the aggregate by seven chalks (139-146).

Breagle Glen B will be in better spirits as their 7-3 home win over closest rivals Douglas B consigned the Villa men to bottom place by four points.

In Division Three sitting in top spot are North Ramsey B who missed out on a maximum by just three chalks at home to Noble’s C following their 8-2 win, as Ray Skelly was pipped at the post 20-21 by Steve Colquitt, whilst Lee Christian fell short 19-21 to Jay Elliott.

Peel C kept in touch with the Mooragh men with a 7-3 home win over Breagle Glen C, with the home team featuring several improving players. Ballaugh B won 7-3 at home to Marown D, with both teams sharing a 21-20 victory.

South Ramsey C suffered a 3-5 home defeat, however two single figure wins from David Corkill and Jay Moore helped salvage a 5-5 draw to take the aggregate by seven chalks (146-139).

In Division Four Onchan C look uncatchable with a 23-point lead at the top following their 8-2 home win over Noble’s E.

Finch Hill B occupy second place, they lost ground on the leaders following their 7-3 away defeat to Castletown C, with the Town men winning three games to single figures.

Douglas C hosted South Ramsey D at the Villa, with the home team winning 7-3. Three of the home wins were to a 21-6 score line, whilst the visitors won two games to singles figures.