Two Isle of Man Junior Teams took part in the Ladies British Crown Green Bowling Association six-a-side Championship at Heaton Park in Manchester last weekend, with the rules dictating that a minimum of two female bowlers be fielded in a team, this was never going to be a problem for the Isle of Man, who are well blessed in this area. Both teams were due to play four games, however due to other counties pulling out at late notice the competition had to be restructured.

Isle of Man ‘A’ were in Group 1, a four team group with Warwick & Worcestershire B, Yorkshire and Cheshire. In Group 2 Isle of Man ‘B’ were in a three team group with North Lancs & Fylde and Warwick & Worcestershire A.

In the first game the A against Warwick & Worcestershire B, Lacey McMullan was one of many making her debut for the Island, performing well as she went to win 15-12, whilst Alex Hampson romped home 15-0, with Castletown’s Dylan Marsh not far behind as he won 15-3. Dylan’s club mate Sam Quayle also scored well as he lost out 12-15. From the chalks secured across the six games played the A won 64-60 to make an impressive start.

In the second round of fixtures, it was a lot tougher against a strong Yorkshire side, with Noble’s Alex Hampson the lone winner as he won 15-10, whilst Castletown pair Aalish Moore and Dylan Marsh scored nine and eight chalks respectively. Overall the team were defeated 43-85.

In their final game they were up against Cheshire, once it again Alex Hampson who stood out as he racked up a third win of the day this time holding his nerve to win 15-14. Sam Quayle will have been delighted to pick up his first win representing the Island Team as he won 15-9. In this game the team lost 48-83.

In Group 2, Isle of Man B were up against North Lancs & Fylde in their first match, with Junior Merit runner up Grace Gawne storming home 15-2, whilst Katie Jacobs, also had a comfortable 15-6 victory. Grace’s twin sister Lily Gawne scored a good nine chalks. Overall the team lost out 47-68 in this game.

In the second round of games the B were up against Warwick & Worcestershire A, they performed extremely well losing out by just 16 chalks 55-71. Marown player Alex Colquitt had a brilliant 15-7 win, Lily Gawne picked up her first win for the Island with a solid 15-8 victory, whilst Douglas junior Katie Jacobs scored a respectable eight chalks.

The winner from each group went on to face each other with Yorkshire taking on Warwick & Worcestershire A in the final it was the latter who took the bragging rights as they won 63-89, dropping just one chalk.

Thank you to the coaches Tracy Moore and Merv Sayle, along with the parents who accompanied the children. Once again the Island Team received nothing but praise from other county team representatives, not just for the way they performed, but for the way they behaved on and on off the green, they were a credit to their parents, clubs and the Island. Despite tasting a few heavy defeats the scores did not reflect the performance, with most of our Juniors who were playing for the first time at this level facing more experienced bowlers.

For me personally, with a number of the more experienced Junior bowlers no longer being eligible to compete at this level next year, this was a good opportunity to give our younger Junior bowlers something to aspire to, with vital experience obtained and exposure to what it is like to represent the island at this level. Once again it was a great weekend for our Juniors.

The IOMCCGBA in partnership with Canada Life International are looking to recognise high performance across the sport each month.

Congratulations to May Award winners: –

Under 21’s Player of the Month: Shannon McMullan – Mooragh Park

Men’s Player of the Month: Matthew Quirk – Onchan

Ladies Player of the Month: Sue Gawne – Onchan

Shannon had a superb month winning three out of four games in the league for her night league team, starting the month in good form whilst representing the Isle of Man Junior Team in St Helen’s, again winning three games out of four scoring 54 points out of a possible 60 to help the team finish runners up in the group on what was a successful day. To top the month off Shannon came through a field of 29 players to win the Junior Manx Championship for the second time, following her previous success in 2019, after looking down and out in the final Shannon dug deep to recover from an 8-16 deficit to finish in style with a deserved 21-18 win on what her last opportunity to compete for the title. Shannon now goes on to represent the IOM in the BCGBA Junior Individual Merit at Royton Cricket, Bowling & Tennis Club in Oldham on Saturday 20^th August.

Matthew received the award from the Men’s section for his performances in May, as he won eight games from eight played, with six league wins and two Rayner Shield victories. To evidence what good form he was in, Matthew comfortably defeated the previously undefeated Dido Kelly 21-10, with the latter having won the award the previous month.

Sue picked up the award as decided by the Ladies section having won eight games out of eight, having previously qualified for the British Senior Merit Finals to be played at Brighouse Sports Club in July. Sue also picked up a win in the Onchan Commissioners Cup picking up the title with Lynda Cadamy, whilst further success in the doubles arrived more recently winning the Port St Mary Cup with Andy Kennish.

20 pairs took part in this year’s Port St Mary mixed doubles open competition held at Breagle Glen on Thursday afternoon, with the competition having a new sponsor this year with Cooil’s Dairy sponsoring the competition.

There were some good close matches in the early rounds with an all Port Erin contest of Philomena Dobson & Nigel Haymes who took on Pauline Worrall & Alan Crebbin, with this game taking over one and a half hours to complete, this was eventually won by Pauline & Alan.

Losing out at the quarter final stage were Margaret Tasker (Port St Mary) and Derek Allen (Onchan) 17-21 to South Ramsey’s Elaine Moore and Glynn Hargraves. Castletown pair Tracy Moore and Ross Moore succumbed to Onchan’s Sue Gawne and Andy Kennish 12-21. Home greener Caroline Whitehead and Mark Kelly (Onchan) lost out to Philippa Taylor (Marown) and Alec Taylor (Peel) 15-21, while Clare Cooper (Marown) and Wayne Roberts (Port St Mary) were well beaten 12-21 by Lyn Bolton (South Ramsey) and Trevor Quayle (Port St Mary).

The first semi-final between Moore/Hargraves and Gawne/Kennish was quite even early on with the score 13-11 after nine ends to Gawne/Kennish, with a four on end 10 putting the latter in control of the match as they went on to win 21-15. The second semi-final between the Taylor’s and Bolton/Quayle was a bit more one sided, with the latter always in control and scoring a four on the final end to win 21-10.

The final was expected to be a tight match with two strong pairs that have won several competitions between them. After 10 ends the score was 11-11, Gawne/Kennish then had a good run over four ends scoring two doubles, a single and a three to lead 19-11, Bolton/Quayle fought back well getting back to 20-17 before Gawne/Kennish got the single point they needed to secure the win.

The presentation was made by Club President Margaret Tasker who thanked the sponsors Juan and Kirstie Hargraves at Cooil’s Dairy, everyone at the club that helped on the day, Ed Benson for preparing the green and all the players that took part.

IOMCCGBA: Canada Life International Players of the Month – April

The IOMCCGBA In partnership with Canada Life International are looking to recognise high performance across the sport each month.

With that in mind we are introducing the Player of the Month award for Ladies, Men and Under 21 player. League results as well as competition success will be considered.

We hope that this new initiative will help promote our sport and reward individuals who have had a great month on the green.

Congratulations to April Award winners:-

Ladies Player of the Month: Mary Moffatt – Peel Sunset

Men’s Player of the Month: Dave ‘Dido’ Kelly – South Ramsey

Under 21’s Player of the Month: Glenn Boland – Marown

Mary has had a fabulous start to the season with 4 wins from 4 games in the night league which left her top of the Individual Merit in April. In addition to this Mary dropped just one chalk in six games in the Over 60’s League.

Dido also maintained a 100% record in the men’s night league as he conceded just 26 chalks in his four matches and sits top of the Division One individual merit, whilst also recording a great win in the first round of the Rayner Shield.

Glenn has started off the season strongly with 3 wins out of 4, dropping just four chalks in his only loss with a superb win in the Rayner Shield match to top off a great month. Whilst not in April but worth a mention on 1st May Glenn won the inaugural IOMCCGBA Non-Winners Trophy at Nobles to pick up his first men’s singles open title.

In glorious sunshine and on a much-improved green 31 any combination doubles bowlers played in the Lilian Slinger competition at Mooragh Park. It was lovely to see so many coming from so many clubs and getting to the green before the roads closed for a 12noon start. The competition was watched by members of Lillian’s family for most of the afternoon and they were able to witness some great games taking place.

The opening rounds saw some close games. Lilian’s daughter Janet Monk and Shannon McMullan (Mooragh Park) very nearly knocked out Marown Pair Neil Withers and Paul Dunn being 18-11 up at one point but just losing out 20-21. Last year’s winners Trevor Quayle and Wayne Roberts (Port St Mary) were seen off by Matthew Keggen and Paul Kelly (Marown) 15-21. 

In the quarter finals a South Ramsey squad of Billy Blair and Bryan Corner played Sue Collier and Judy Kelly winning 21-15. Home greeners Brian Colquitt and Ray Skelly were seen off by Eddie Carlyle and James Teare (South Ramsey) 6-21. Home team Gary Merrill and Allan Callow ended Matthew Keggen and Paul Kelly’s run 21-14 and Dunn and Withers won convincingly against Steve Waters (South Ramsey) and Steve Walmsley (North Ramsey) 21-7.

In the first semi-final we saw a very close game between the Corner and Blair pair who were pipped at the post by Carlyle and Teare 19-21, but the second semi-final was not so close with Merrill and Callow being seen off by Dunn and Withers 10-21.

With the sun still shining and a good crowd remaining the final was played. Dunn and Withers continued with their good form taking an early lead ahead of Carlyle and Teare who played very well but just could not retain the jack and lost 21-13.

The prizes were presented by Lilian’s daughter Janet who was thanked by one of the competition organisers, Mike Skelly, for sponsoring the event and providing the winners and runner ups with individual trophies to keep. Neil thanked the club for organising the event and his partner for a great competition and congratulated North Ramsey for the improvement of the green and everyone who had taken part in the competition.

On Saturday the Haldane Fisher Mixed Pairs Competition was run by Douglas Bowling Club on a lovely day at the Villa Marina. There was a good turnout of bowlers on a green that was running well.

At the quarter final stage we saw South Ramsey pair Jenny Moore and James Teare beat Margaret Tasker (Port St Mary) and Derek Allen (Port Erin) 21-16, while a superb performance from Louise and Nigel Tebay (Ballaugh) saw them beat Onchan pair Sue Gawne and Andy Kennish also 21-16. Home greeners Paula and Stuart Garrett beat Ballaugh’s Michelle and Paul Cubbon 21-12 and Kim and Glynn Hargraves (South Ramsey) beat Marown duo Rebecca Teare and Paul Dunn 21-18.

The semi-finals saw two great games with Jenny and James beating Louise and Nigel 21-15 and Paula and Stuart beating Kim and Glynn 21-17.

In the Final Paula and Stuart started well to take a 10-8 lead and then Jenny and James levelled the score to 10-10. Paula and Stuart then went into an 11-10 lead but from this point on Jenny and James piled on the pressure to win 21-11.

The trophies were presented by Douglas Bowling Club Competition Secretary Andy Cannell and on receiving the trophy James thanked the sponsors Haldane Fisher and Douglas Bowling Club for putting on the event. He also thanked the Greenkeeper for a superb playing surface and those who ran the competition throughout the day.

A fantastic entry of 29 junior bowlers from all over the island entered the Junior Manx Championship at Onchan Bowling Club on Sunday. There was a good crowd in attendance with numbers approaching 100 at one stage. Once again there were more girls than boys through to the latter stages, which was fantastic to see, with some great bowls played by all the juniors.

Losing out at the quarter final stage were Graiagh Smith (Douglas), who lost 8-21 to Madison McMullan (Mooragh Park), whilst home greener Grace Gawne ended the hopes of Toby Hart (South Ramsey) who was defending the title he won last year with a 21-17 win. In the other half of the draw Shannon McMullan (Mooragh Park) seen off club mate Grayse Blencoe with a 21-5 victory, while another Mooragh Park player Victoria Johnson got a bye due to her opponent feeling unwell.

In the semi-finals Grace was up against Madison, with the score 7-5 to Grace after the first 12 ends with both players managing to keep their opponent to singles. From there both players picked up two’s, however it was Grace who prevailed with a 21-15 win over Madison, scoring five doubles to take her spot in the final. In the other semi-final Shannon made light work of her team mate Victoria with a 21-9 win.

In the final Grace with home advantage made the better start over Shannon, with the latter having won the title in 2019, Grace took a 6-2 lead after five ends. After 17 ends Grace who was playing extremely well, had built up a big lead at 16-8 to go strong favourite for the title, however Shannon with a bit more experience dug deep to work her way back into the game to win six consecutive ends on a longer length to reduce to the deficit to just one chalk at 15-16. Grace responded just in time, scoring a good two to lead 18-15. Shannon responded immediately to score three consecutive two’s over the middle of the green to see the game out and be crowned Junior Manx Champion for the second time with a 21-18 win. Credit must also go to Grace for her part in a good final. Grace will get another couple of chances to win the title, with this the last time that Shannon is eligible to play.

The presentation was made by Association Competition Committee Officer Steve Moore, who thanked all the juniors for taking part, Onchan Bowling Club for providing the refreshments and measurers. Association President Philip Kelly then presented the prizes, congratulated the juniors on the standard of bowls throughout the day.

In Canada Life International Division One this week Marown A bounced back from defeat in their previous outing with a 10-0 win (168-69) over Peel B. Just two of the visiting players made it into double figures, with Paul Quirk losing out 13-21 to Neil Withers and David Proctor was the highest scorer as he scored 16 against Paul Kelly. Phil Kelly was the best winner for the home team as he bounced back from his heavy defeat the previous week to beat Philip Pemberton 21-5.

League leaders South Ramsey A had a good 2-8 away win as they took on Peel A in the Sunset city. Winning for the home team were Dean Kinley with a 21-19 win over Jordan Cain, while George Gadsby was pushed all the way and got over the line with a 21-20 win against Bob Clark. Dido Kelly kept up his unbeaten start to the season with a 21-18 win over Peter Greenlees.

Marown B remain in third place, they came away from the Villa with a 3-7 win over Douglas A. Kevin Kelly stepped into the B Team and did not look out of place in any way as he won 21-6 against Shaun Seal. For the home team Andy Cannell was the best winner with a 21-8 victory over Jamie Joughin.

Onchan A sit in joint third place with Marown B, as they took on Onchan B, following their 8-2 victory with three single figure wins, while the two winners for the B were Bernie McPhee who beat Neil Dunwell 21-13, and Mike Alexander who beat Mike Thomas 21-19.

Port Erin A had their spirits lifted as they claimed their first league win of the season as they beat North Ramsey A 7-3 at Breagle Glen. Allan Callow was the best winner on the night as he beat Steve Durcan 21-8, Adrian Skinner won 21-12 against Peter Hulley and Paul Allison made it four wins from four games played as he continues his comeback having not played league bowls for five years.

Castletown A hosted Port St Mary A at the Crofts, as they managed to scrape a 7-3 home win taking the aggregate by a solitary chalk (144-143). For Town Mark Moorley beat Trevor Quayle in a good quality game. For the visitors Paul Skelly picked up only his second league win of the season, as did Jordan Drewett who returned to his former stomping ground as he scrambled home with a 21-20 win over Ron Williams, while it wasn’t such a happy return for Nathan Hamilton who lost out 18-21 to George Foy.

In Division Two South Ramsey B kept the foot on the throttle with a 9-1 win over third placed Ballaugh A as they used home advantage to good effect despite the heavy rain overnight and the showers throughout. Austin Hart returned to the team with a 21-7 win over Gordie Moore, captain Ben Dugdale beat Richard Hainge 21-18, while Alan Moore was staring down the barrel at a 0-9 deficit against Patrick Grant, before recovering only to be lying two down at 20-20 and bowled in to win the game 21-20. Preventing the whitewash was Barry McDonald who beat Eddie Carlyle 21-13.

Marown C remain in second spot thanks to another 7-3 home win over Douglas B on Tuesday, with Walter McCarthy winning 21-7 against Stuart Garrett, while Dan Smith had it all to do as he beat Mark Kneen 21-20. For the Villa men it was good to see the return of Gary Conwell, who made it two wins from two played as he beat Peter Kelly 21-14.

Noble’s A had a tough time on Monday evening as they hosted South Ramsey C, with the visitors coming away with a 2-8 win. For the visitors’ captain Tony Hart led the way with a 21-5 win over Martyn Hobson, while Jim Collister was the best winner for the home team as he beat Anthony Kelly 21-15, with Alex Yates not far behind as he won 21-16 against James Evans.

Onchan C came away from taking on Ballaugh B with a vital 2-8 win to go level on points with their opponent on the night. Their cause was helped by Brian Aspden’s 21-7 win over Mike Buckeridge, while Sid McKnight won 21-20 against Ray Parry.

Finch Hill A stayed in the hunt as they are in fourth place following a good 1-9 away win over Port St Mary B. Individual merit leader Paul Dougherty just about held on to his unbeaten record as he beat Peter Collins 21-20. The Finch men just missed out on a 10-0 win by four chalks as Nicholas Peterson managed to see off Tony Epifani 21-17.

In Division Three North Ramsey B kept a firm grip on top spot as they beat Port Erin B 9-1 at Mooragh Park. The visitors cause not helped by being two men short as they failed to score 100 chalks (164-78) with Ed Benson the only winner for the visitors as he beat John Piekalns 21-17.

Marown D are well placed in second spot, just eight points behind the league leaders with 47 points and a game in hand as they won 2-8 away to Douglas D. Jay Waters continues to lead the individual merit following his 21-7 win over Mark Clarke, while Charlie Bell who is relatively new to the game beat William Cowley 21-6.

South Ramsey D weren’t able to make home advantage count against Noble’s B, with some doubt as to whether the match would go ahead due to the heavy rain. For South Matthew Corkill continues his fine start to the season as he made it six wins from seven games as he beat Michael Johnson 21-10. Richie Davies won 21-16 against Noel Ash, while Ryan Hargraves edged the battle of the Juniors as he won 21-20 against Alex Hampson. For the visitors Ciaran Broad having just taken up bowls this season also made it six wins from seven, as he beat Billy Blair 21-11 to claim the best win for his team.

Castletown C had a tough night at home to Peel D as they lost 3-7. Colin Moore was the best winner for the visitors with a 21-4 win over Dylan Marsh. For Town Paul Cromwell was their best winner as he beat Charlie McMeiken 21-7.

There were two matches called off last week due to the weather – In Division Two Peel C were due to host Castletown B, while in Division Three Finch Hill B were due to play Douglas C.

The second round of fixtures in the Mixed League group stages were played on Wednesday evening with both matches in Group A being won 6-3 by the home teams. North Ramsey A beat Onchan A at Mooragh Park by 46 chalks (159-113), while on the other side of Ramsey South A beat Castletown A by 27 chalks (164-137).

In Group B Marown A came away from another visit to Breagle Glen with a 3-6 win over Port St Mary as they won by 29 chalks (136-165). Douglas A also won 6-3 at home to Port Erin with the home team winning by 40 chalks (172-132).

In the Plate Competition in Group A, Noble’s appear to be shaping up as favourites in their group as they beat North Ramsey B 7-2 at home, winning by a margin of 59 chalks (171-112). Peel recorded a solid 2-7 away win over Castletown B winning comfortably on chalks (125-165).

In Group B Marown B hosted South Ramsey B at Crosby with the young home team just falling short by six chalks (154-160), with some good individual performances from the juniors and new bowlers on both teams, with the visitors winning 3-6. Ballaugh recorded the biggest win of the night as they won 7-2 at home to Douglas B, as they won by 62 chalks (176-114).