The title race took another twist in Canada Life International Division One as league leaders Marown A had an unenviable trip out West to take on Peel B in a tricky looking fixture, so it proved as the Peel men caused possibly the biggest upset of the season so far as they battled to a 6-4 win.

In the first half of the match everything was going to plan for the Crosby men as Sam Clague beat Andrew Cover 21-11, Colin Kelly won 21-12 against Gordon Corrin and Neil Withers held off Peel captain Paul Quirk 21-19. David Proctor picked up the first win of the night for the home team as a good start against Paul Kelly – going into an 8-0 lead helped his cause as he won 21-15.

In the second half of the match Dean Kipling won 21-16 against Philip Pemberton. The home team hit back as Rob Middleton beat Peter Jones 21-15, Andy Mackie won 21-14 against Phil Kelly, while Dougie Allan put the final nail in the coffin with a 21-3 victory over Harry Barton, as the Peel men won by nine chalks (142-131) to claim the aggregate.

South Ramsey A hosted Peel A on Monday evening, with the cancelled racing helping Peel avoid a tricky travel situation. The home team claimed a 7-3 win with Peter Collister winning 21-9 against Peter Greenlees, John Kennish won 21-14 against Brian Lindsay, while Glynn Hargraves edged home 21-19 against George Gadsby. Tommy McMeiken claimed Peel’s first win as Jordan Cain battled back from a 12-20 deficit only for the latter to lose 18-21.

Dave ‘Barney’ Kelly picked up the visitors second win as he romped home 21-4 against Stefan Kelly, while Bob Clark won 21-10 for the Ramsey men. James Teare recovered from a 13-17 deficit to run out with a 21-17 win over Mick Kavanagh, while Peel captain Gary Smith picked up their third win of the night as he recovered from 6-14 to win 21-16 against Steven Waters. The result together with Marown’s shock defeat meant South Ramsey hit top spot by a point in what is turning into one of the most exciting title races in years.

North Ramsey A won 9-1 at Mooragh Park against Port Erin A, as the visitors are destined for an immediate return to Division Two, along with Onchan B who lost 2-8 against their higher ranked A Team. Marown B were missing a few of their regular players, however this didn’t stop them winning 7-3 at home to Douglas A.

The closest match of the night was between Port St Mary A and Castletown A with the home team edging it 6-4 thanks to claiming the aggregate by just two chalks (149-147) with both teams winning and losing games 21-19 and 21-20. In addition to this two 13-21 defeats for the home team were cancelled out as two of the Port men won 21-12 ultimately being the difference on the chalks.

In Division Two runaway leaders South Ramsey B did Marown C a huge favour as they won 3-7 away to second placed Ballaugh A, which ultimately allowed Marown C to leapfrog Ballaugh by two points. For the visitors Alan Moore won 21-6 against Edgar Cowin, while Tony Dugdale inflicted a rare home defeat on John Keenan 21-7. Edward Carlyle edged home 21-20 against John Maddrell, while Phil Quayle was on the right side of a 21-20 score for Ballaugh against Bryan Corner. South Ramsey now top the pile by 19 points.

Marown C just missed out on a whitewash with Douglas man Tommy Collister the lone winner as he beat Stuey Clague 21-20. The 9-1 win for the Crosby men was never in doubt with the highest losers for the Villa men reaching 15, while Jamie Joughin was the best winner for Marown as he won 21-5 against Greg Brew.

South Ramsey C can’t be written off finishing second in the league just yet as they are just seven points off second place following their impressive 9-1 home win over Noble’s A. Anthony Kelly was the best winner for the home team with a 21-7 win over Barry Salmon, while Mark Quinn was Noble’s lone winner with a 21-8 victory over Andy Morgan.

Onchan C jumped two places thanks to a timely 7-3 home win over Ballaugh B as they started the night bottom of the league, with the latter now sitting second from bottom, while Port St Mary B could be heading for Division Three as they are now four points from safety at the bottom of the league following a heavy 1-9 defeat away to Finch Hill A.

Castletown B and Peel C played out the closest match of the week at the Crofts as the home team won 6-4 and claimed the aggregate by a solitary chalk (134-133) as home greener Billy Jones won 21-20 against Jeff Wilson.

In Division Three Noble’s B and South Ramsey D brought their fixture forward a week to prevent any issues with road closures. The Noble’s men won 9-1 to stay firmly in the race to finish in the top two. Matthew Corkill was the lone winner for South Ramsey as he beat Alex Hampson 21-13.

League leaders North Ramsey B gave a glimmer of hope to the chasing teams as they slumped to a 3-7 away defeat at Breagle Glen against Port Erin B as they lost the aggregate by just one chalk (131-130). The Mooragh Park men are ahead by 13 points, however they still have to take their turn to sit out a round of fixtures as Noble’s B and Marown B look to close the gap further.

Marown D occupy third place, they kept the pressure firmly on the top two thanks to a 9-1 home win over Douglas D with Dave Corkish the only winner as he beat Phil Dunn 21-16.

Douglas C couldn’t make home advantage count as they lost 3-7 at home to Finch Hill B with Sam Stannard-Duke winning 21-0 against David Caley.

Peel D welcomed Castletown C to the Sunset City with the home team winning 6-4. Most notable mention of the night was three generations of the Keggen family playing in the same team on the same night, quite possibly a first. The youngest Junior won 21-20 against Owen Crompton as he gains vital experience and confidence, while his Dad Thomas beat Andy Morrison 21-7. The biggest surprise of the night was from Grandad Mike, who if memory serves me correctly last turned out for Port St Mary over 20 years ago, as he managed to get hold of a set of bowls he was happy with as he went on to show he still knows how to win a game as he beat Ian Gray 21-17.

The Islands premier doubles competition was hosted by South Ramsey Bowling Club on Sunday on a tricky green in scorching weather. The competition was played 21 up off a handicap of +3 for all competitors. The event was well supported with 26 pairs entering in a bid to win the coveted title.

In one half of the draw it was an all South Ramsey affair as Tony Hart and Lee Dawson lost 15-21 to John Kennish and Alan Moore, while Jordan Cain and Bob Clark seen off David Bradford and Glynn Hargraves 21-12. In the other half of the draw Derek Allen (Port Erin) and Alec Taylor had their challenge ended by Marown pair Neil Withers and Paul Dunn 10-21, whilst Peel pair Stevie Kelly and Dave ‘Barney’ Kelly edged a tough battle with Marown’s John Gelling and Phil Kelly 21-18.

Dunn and Withers didn’t get off to the best of starts against the Kelly’s, who they faced in the 2020 and 2021 finals as they trailed 3-8 in their semi-final, before going on to keep their opponents to just four more singles as the Marown men ran out 21-12 winners. The other semi-final also had Kennish and Moore jump into a 10-3 lead against Cain and Clark, who bounced back with two four’s to tie the game at 11-11 after six ends. The game was keenly contested from there, with the score at 18-17 to Cain and Clark a three secured their place in the final with a 21-17 win.

Cain and Clark got off to a flier to lead 11-3 with five ends played, only for Dunn and Withers to pick up their first point on a tight measure. A change in the playing order saw Withers go to the front as he took the jack. The South Ramsey duo immediately responded with a two to lead 13-4. From there the Marown pair found their length and with it restricted their opponents to one more scoring end as they scored six doubles and five singles over 12 ends to win the title for a third successive year, following their wins at Port St Mary in 2020 and Peel in 2021.

The presentation was made by Association Competition Committee Officer Dave ‘Barney’ Kelly, who thanked South Ramsey Bowling Club for preparing the green and their members for providing refreshments and helpers throughout the day, along with Wayne Roberts for the smooth running of the competition.

The final of the 3R’s Limited sponsored Rayner Plate took place at Finch Hill Bowling Green on Friday evening in fine conditions, with both teams looking to etch their name into the history books with Division Two Side Noble’s A (+45) taking on first division team North Ramsey A (+15).

The Mooragh Park men were favourites on the night, however they would have been wary of their opponents who have formed a good team bond, as the club continues to rebuild.

North Ramsey got off to a solid start with Rob Monk and Allan Callow both winning 21-7 against Mark Quinn and Martyn Hobson respectively to quickly reduce a 30 chalk deficit to just two two chalks. Paul Allison was next off for North as he had to battle for a 21-17 victory over Juan Qualtrough, with captain Gary Merrill following with a hard earned 21-19 win over Yates to put North Ramsey four chalks ahead (99-95) at the halfway stage.

In the second half of the match the next two blocks off went in favour of Noble’s with Mark Bradshaw performing well to beat Brian Colquitt 21-19. The next game off was Jim Callister who at one point led 18-3 and was lying two against Adrian Skinner only for the latter to pull out a huge bowl which completely changed the complexion of the match. Skinner dug deep to pick up another 15 chalks, with Callister not doing a lot wrong as he eventually won 21-18. At this point Noble’s had just edged ahead by one chalk.

With the last two blocks on the green, Dave Naughton led 18-15 against Steve Walmsley, with John Cannan leading 18-13 against last minute stand-in Steve Hampson. Walmsley managed to get over the line thanks to two doubles followed by two singles to claim a 21-18 win over Naughton to put the Ramsey men two chalks ahead. John Cannan only needed to get to 19 against Steve Hampson to secure the win on the night, as his team had already won five games. Cannan managed to see the game out with a 21-15 win, with Hampson performing well in the second half of the match having recovered from a 0-10 deficit to put up a decent fight.

Whilst a lot of the plaudits must go to North Ramsey who picked up their second Rayner Plate following their last win in this competition in 2005, a special mention to Noble’s who put up a fantastic fight on the night to make for a good final. The Noble’s team can take pride in their performance as they continue to rebuild having nearly collapsed on more than one occasion over the past few years, the club still has another final to look forward to in the Mixed Plate competition later this month. The presentation was made by Competition Committee Officer Wayne Roberts, who thanked Finch Hill Bowling Club for the use of the green and for their hospitality, whilst also mentioning how well the handicap system had worked to make for a good final. Rob Matthews from 3R’s Limited then presented the trophy to the North Ramsey captain Gary Merrill, who offered his commiserations to Noble’s and complimented them on how far they had come with the challenges they have faced.

North Ramsey A	+15	+45	Noble’s A
Rob Monk	21	7	Mark Quinn
Allan Callow	21	7	Martyn Hobson
Paul Allison	21	17	Juan Qualtrough
Gary Merrill	21	19	Alex Yates
Brian Colquitt	19	21	Mark Bradshaw
Adrian Skinner	18	21	Jim Callister
Steve Walmsley	21	18	Dave Naughton
John Cannan	21	15	Steve Hampson
6 Games Won	178	170	2 Games Won

In Canada Life International Division One this week Marown A hosted long time league leaders South Ramsey A at Crosby as they looked to avenge their 8-2 away defeat earlier in the season and a 5-3 defeat in the Rayner Shield Final on Friday evening. The northern team started the match four points ahead of their opponents.

South Ramsey struck the first blow of the night with visiting captain Glynn Hargraves winning 21-7 against Phil Kelly. Neil Withers hit back with a solid 21-15 win over Dido Kelly, while team mate Colin Kelly performed well to see off Bob Clark 21-9, with the score at 11-9 to Kelly a 10-chalk streak got him over the line, whilst Marown captain Paul Dunn had a convincing 21-12 victory over Stefan Kelly as he gained immediate revenge for Friday’s Rayner Shield result.

In the second half of the match Paul Kelly trailed 15-16 against James Teare, with the former running out with a 21-16 win. Another matchup from Friday saw Peter Jones claim a 21-19 win over David Bradford with Jones performing well to reverse Friday’s result. South Ramsey did pick up their second win of the night with Peter Collister recording a good 21-13 victory over Dean Kipling, while Harry Barton ensured it was an unhappy trip home for the visitors as he sealed an 8-2 victory for his team with a nail-biting 21-20 win over Jordan Cain. Just 13 chalks separated the teams (146-133) on the night. Marown now sit top, two points ahead of South Ramsey with just four games left to play the title is now within their grasp.

Perhaps the surprise result of the night was Port St Mary A with their visit to take on Onchan A, as they recorded a 4-6 away victory over the Onchan men. Two single figure wins to 21-8 from Paul Skelly and Tim Williams over Sid McKnight and Neil Dunwell respectively was enough to seal the aggregate by seven chalks (132-139), along with a good performance from Nathan Hamilton who beat Andy Kennish 21-13. Dan McCabe picked up their fourth win as he held off Mike Thomas 21-19. For Onchan Reginald Temporaza performed well as he beat Trevor Quayle 21-14, with Kevin Quirk seeing off Wayne Roberts 21-12.

Not far behind in causing an upset on Monday were Castletown A who beat Marown B 5-3 on games but lost the aggregate by five chalks (138-143) to ensure the Crosby men didn’t go away with a defeat to leave the result 5-5 on the night. The chalks for Marown were helped massively by John Gelling with his 21-5 win over Chris Lever doing the damage to the Town men. Glenn Boland impressed with a 21-12 victory over Mark Moorley, while captain Darren Kerruish beat Juan Kermode 21-16. Winning for Town were Peter Oates as he beat Brian Kelly 21-13, with Nathan Cooil seeing off Jerome Surridge 21-18, while Ron Williams got home 21-19 against Karl Parker.

Peel A were just five chalks off recording a 10-0 win at home to North Ramsey A, with Gary Merrill beating Geoff Rice 21-18 for the visitors, with team mate Rob Monk winning 21-19 against George Gadsby. For Peel two 21-6 wins from Dean Kinley and Tommy McMeiken helped their cause, while Dave ‘Barney’ Kelly was pushed the hardest with his 21-17 win over John Cannan.

Douglas A hosted Peel B at the Villa, with the home advantage being used to good effect with a 9-1 win. Gordon Corrin was the lone winner for the visitors as he beat Alistair Lothian 21-3. For the Villa men Kevin Firth beat Michael Kavanagh 21-6, while Keith Rise won 21-9 against Dougie Allan.

The bottom two teams faced off at Breagle Glen on Monday night with the home team Port Erin A getting the better of Onchan B 6-4, however the result did neither team any favours in their bid to get out of trouble. David Cain trounced Bernie McPhee 21-1, with Bernie Durcan winning 21-6 against Colin Spence. For the visitors Mark Kelly was their best winner as he beat Derek Allen 21-9.

In Division Two South Ramsey B now have a 17-point advantage over second placed Ballaugh A, following their 10-0 home win over Onchan C on a tricky home green. Three of their players are in a battle for the individual merit with Tony Dugdale, Alan Moore and Bryan Corner occupying the top three spots. 

It is a two-way fight for second place after third placed Marown C closed the gap to second by a point following their8-2 home win over Castletown B, while Ballaugh A came away from Breagle Glen with a 3-7 win over Port St Mary B.

Elsewhere Peel C slipped to a 4-6 home defeat to South Ramsey C, losing the aggregate by 4 chalks (140-144), Finch Hill A came away from Noble’s Park with a 3-7 win over Noble’s A, while Ballaugh B won 7-3 at home as they edged the chalks (141-137) to take the aggregate.

In Division Three the top two clashed at Mooragh Park, with North Ramsey B seeing off Noble’s B 9-1 to all but end the visitors hopes of winning the league. Phil Salmon prevented the whitewash with a 21-17 win over Geoff Porter. 

Marown D couldn’t fully capitalise on the heavy defeat inflicted on Noble’s B, however they did win 4-6 away to Finch Hill B to close the gap by five points to sit just three points off second spot. Jay Waters stayed firmly in the hunt for the individual merit with a 21-17 win over Peter Woods.

Elsewhere South Ramsey D returned to winning ways with a good 8-2 home win over Peel D, while Castletown C took five games off Douglas C at the Crofts with young bowlers Junior Keggen and Sam Quayle both impressing with 21-13 wins over David Beynon and Ashley Halsall respectively. The Villa men won the aggregate by 10 chalks (129-139) to secure a 5-5 draw on the night.

Mixed Team Championship

South Ramsey A topped Group A to make it six wins out of six, as they beat Onchan A 8-1 at home by 80 chalks (181-101).

North Ramsey A signed off their campaign with a 7-2 home win over Castletown A, as they won by 43 chalks (181-138).

In Group B Marown A also kept up their 100% win record, as they won 2-7 in their away fixture with Douglas A, winning by 27 chalks on the night (138-175).

Port St Mary A and Port Erin A clashed at Breagle Glen, with the PSM team taking six individual victories and winning by 29 chalks (177-148).

Mixed Team Plate

In Group A Noble’s dodged a heavy defeat away to Peel to top the group in their 5-4 defeat as they lost out by just six chalks. With both teams finishing on 10 points a superior chalks for and against for Noble’s was enough to reach the final.

Castletown B signed off with a 6-3 win over North Ramsey B, taking the chalks by 38 (158.120).

In Group B Ballaugh marched on to top the Group with 12 points following their 9-0 win away to Marown B, although the Crosby Team did score well (126-189).

South Ramsey B also finished the group with a win by the smallest of margins (152-153) as they beat Douglas B at the Villa. The home team could take some consolation as they won 5-4 on games.

South Ramsey A now face Marown A in the final of the Championship, while Noble’s take on Ballaugh in the Plate final on Wednesday 24^th August with the venue to be confirmed.