The continuation of the glorious TT weather drew 32 pairs to a superbly prepared Castletown green on Sunday for the Tony Brown Mixed Pairs competition with the winners being Andy Clark and Elaine Moore who triumphed 21-9 in the final over Phil Kerruish and Amanda Lawler.

The husband and wife pairing of Ray and Ann Maddrell fell in the semis to the eventual winners while Neil Withers and Hannah Kermode were the other last-four players. Losers in the quarters were George and Sue Peach, Ron Williams with Kath Kinley, Rob and Janet Monk and also Juan Kermode with Doreen Ashworth.

As always the main purpose of this event is to raise money for local charities and this year the sponsor, Tony Brown, chose ‘Manx Miracles’ which is a parent led concern for families and children that have additional needs. Thanks to the generosity of all players and the sponsor, as well as several of the prize winners who returned their prizes, an excellent sum of £238.00 was raised.

Report by Mark Kneen

Douglas Bowling Club played host to the Haldane Fisher Mixed Doubles competition on Mad Sunday and a good line up of 19 pairs made it onto the grid despite the rearranges TT races. Matthew Keggen & Rachel Quirk notched up their second title of the season with a 21-14 final victory over Jordan Cain & Paula Firth.

Our winners were in control of the final throughout and found themselves in a 20-9 lead before the runners up staged a bit of a fight back. Both pairs played exceptionally well over the whole day however Keggen & Quirk were more consistent on the extremely tricky green, not necessarily playing many more good woods than their opponents, but certainly less wayward ones.

In the semi-finals our eventual victors but in a brilliant performance to see off Robert & Janet Monk 21-11 whilst Cain & Firth survived an epic tussle with Stuart & Paula Garret to emerge 21-20 winners and book their final birth. Fallers at the quarter finals stage were Glynn & Kim Hargraves, John & Fiona Kennish and Tim & Katy Williams.

At the conclusion of the competition Douglas Bowling Club President Roy Williams presented the prizes thanking everyone for their support of the competition and paid particular thanks to the sponsor Haldane Fisher.

Report by Mark Kneen

Port St Mary’s Sam Palmer played exceptionally well to pick up the Island Junior title at Marown Bowling Club on Saturday beating defending champion Casey Bolton 21-4 in the final.

Palmer was simply imperious in the final and left Casey no place to hide as his bowls shadowed the jack throughout. Casey should be commended for reaching the final for a second occasion and it was a great attempted defence of her title. Both finalists have qualified to travel away to represent the Island in the British Junior Merit finals in August and I wish them both every success.

Tie of the competition came in the semi-finals with Palmer just seeing off hotly tipped home greener Luke Hyland in an epic encounter 21-20. Hyland should not be discouraged as he really did nothing wrong and played his part magnificently in making this a tremendous match. In the other semi Casey put out Manx Youth Games participant Edward Walker 21-5, Walker is younger than a lot of the field and a real talent and I am sure this is not the last we will see of him. The remaining quarter finalists were Jake Cade, Bobby Thorn, Thomas Curphy and Sam Stannard-Duke.

The future of our game looks in great hands and I hope to see the numbers growing in years to come but things are certainly moving in the right direction. The day though belongs to Sam, himself a Manx Youth Games Coach, and it is great to see him emulating the form of his head coach Glynn Hargraves who picked up the senior title just a few weeks ago. Actually we better watch out for these coaches from South and with George Peach set to take part in the over 60’s championships what are the odds on them doing a clean sweep?

Report by Mark Kneen

Crown Green Bowls featured in the Manx Youth Games for the first time in the sports history on Saturday 18th May with 50 children taking part on the day. Unfortunately due to the weather the programme had to be moved inside to the bowls hall at the NSC, and whilst this is not ideal unlike a lot of sports we are so lucky to have a facility like this that we were able to use as a contingency – and if I am honest it was great as the atmosphere inside the NSC on the day was, quite frankly, electrifying.

Some of the children that took part have not been able to compete in the Games before as they were unable to find a sport suitable due to conditions that they may have, their fitness levels or just one that they felt they could master so as well as this being a first for bowls it was also a first for some of them, which is magical. The format had to be slightly adjusted on the day as we had planned to use two greens at Nobles Park however coordinator Glynn Hargraves and his team thought on their feet brilliantly changing the schedule as they went along to suit the new venue. All of the competitors took part in some singles games as well as competing over various obstacles to amass points for their regions.

The standard of bowling on the day was exceptional considering it was the first time most of the children have ever played on the artificial indoor surface, it cannot be overstated enough how different this is to the outdoor greens they have practiced on and the way they adapted to their new surroundings over the day was simply mesmerising. They were magnificent. I think what worked exceptionally well is that as well as ensuring there was an element of competition the main focus was on fun and this shone through on the day as all of the children left with smiles on their faces, at one time all of the parents got involved and had a go which was certainly one of the highlights of the day, and I am sure they now appreciate that bowls isn’t as easy as their talented children made it look.

The overriding message to be taken away is that Crown Green Bowls in not an old persons game, it is a sport for all ages and we are now in the age of the Manx Youth Games. It is very fitting that the next day coordinator Glynn Hargraves retained his Manx Championship and that this current champion is helping spearhead an initiative that will almost certainly be the birthplace for the champions of the future.

As development officer for the sport it is hard to put into words how important this initiative is for us and whilst it might not be the most important development for the sport in my lifetime it is certainly in the top 1

Report by Sean Lilley

The Port St Mary Trophy, sponsored by Isle of Man Farmers Ltd, was played for on Port St Marys Bowling Green on Monday the 27th May and attracted a very good entry of 30 pairs. The weather at the beginning of the Competition was to say the least not very good, rain and a cool wind, but it improved as the afternoon wore on. The Green was as usual in excellent condition, thanks to the hard work put in by the Greenkeeper, Ray Watterson.

The winners were the team of Trevor Quayle and Lyn Bolton who beat Arthur Moore and Jenny Maddrell 21 – 9 in the final. In the semi finals the team of Quayle and Bolton beat Ray and Ann Maddrell 21 – 13 and the team of Maddrell and Moore beat Paula Firth and Jordan Cain 21 – 17. Losing out in the quarter finals were the teams of Derek Allen & Caroline Whitehead, Alec Taylor & Phillipa Fletcher, Mathew Quirk & Jean Radcliffe and Zoe Bolton & Steve Moore.

At the conclusion of the competition the prizes were presented by Mike Caley of Isle of Man Farmers Ltd.

Report by Di Benson

27 pairs took part in the Capital International Cup at Breagle Glen Port Erin. Once again the weather was normal for bowls , raining!

Despite the green being wet there were some really good bowls being played and some close scores.

The sun came out in time for the final and it was a very close game with mostly one’s being scored, firstly one side and then the other, eventually Matthew Keggen and Rachel Quirk were victorious 21-18 over Mary & John Alderson.

Losing Quarter Finalists were Rita Callister & Thomas Keggen, Linda & Derek Cadamy, Hilary Kermode & Trevor Quayle, Caroline Whitehead & Ken Jackson.

Losing Semi Finalists were Viv & Chas Grills, Trish Bull & Ray Watterson.

Chairman, Di Benson thanked everyone for coming and Janet Shilling for running the days’ competition , then introduced Daren Ward from Capital International , sponsors of the competition , to present the prizes.

Report by John Kennish

The Jim Senior 4 a side mixed team event was held at South Ramsey Bowling Club on Sunday and attracted what turned out to be a good entry of 13 teams.

The format of the competition meant that matches consisted of each team fielding two singles players and a doubles pairing with the combined aggregate score determining the winners. There was a slight twist this year as every team that progressed was given the option of changing the batting order of their team for the next game.

The team consisting of John Kennish, Elaine Moore, Fiona Kennish and Alan Moore came out on top after an extremely close and exciting final against Tony Dugdale, David Thomas, Nigel Thomas and Ben Dugdale. All three games started at the same time, with John Kennish coming off first with a 21-11 win against Tony Dugdale, putting his team 10 chalks in front. David Thomas reduced the deficit to 7 chalks after securing a 21-18 win against Elaine Moore. This left the doubles game on the green with the score at 19-13 to Ben Dugdale and Nigel Thomas. With Dugdale and Thomas lying the two chalks they needed to win their game and the final, Alan Moore played a great bowl deep in the corner to count one, only to see Dugdale play a superb running bowl to take it out. Under pressure with his last bowl, Moore produced an exact replica of his first to save game. An absolute “wonder wood” by Moore and bowl of the day without question. Fiona Kennish led out the next end trailing 14-19 with the final hanging in the balance. With Kennish and Moore needing to get to 15 to win the match they managed to score a double and therefore gain the chalk they and their team needed. Dugdale and Thomas closed the match out at the next end to win 21-16, which meant that the team from South Ramsey triumphed 55 – 53.

In the semi finals the Kennish and Moore team beat Lyn Bolton, Trevor Quayle, Sid Bolton and Casey Bolton 56-51 in what was another close encounter and in the other semi final, the Dugdale and Thomas team eliminated Jenny Moore, James “Earl” Teare, Shelley Kennish and Lauren Groen by the score of 62-53.

At the conclusion of the event the prizes were presented by Moira Anderson, President of South Ramsey Bowling Club.

It was great to see such a good turnout of players for this event with 52 bowlers competing on the day, which included new bowlers and also some more experienced bowlers playing competition bowls for the first time.

Report by Mark Kneen

There was a new sponsor and a new look for the mixed doubles competition held at Douglas bowling club on Saturday 20^th April. A total of 29 pairs put their names forward for the draw of the Isle of Man Farmers competition which in a new format was redrawn each round up until the final, meaning that nobody knew who they were due to play after the first round. Programmes and spot prizes were also a new feature on the day and despite one or two small teething problems the competition ran extremely smoothly and was a huge success, as was the first proper test for the new refurbished catering facilities.

The field was a stellar cast and featured all of the main contenders you would expect to see fighting out for glory in a Mixed Doubles competition along with some new ad hoc pairings, which is always good to see. Inaugural winners Janet & Robert Monk played the tricky green exceptionally well and when ability seemed to elude other players who couldn’t get their heads around the green they managed to conquer the Villa and show mastery of their craft. They beat John Kennish & Jenny Moore 21-16 after an enthralling final.

The eventual victors had their work cut out getting to the final after a hard fought contest with Rachel Quirk & Matthew Keggen in the semis. Kennish & Moore struggled to find their best in the final but got their thanks to a strong showing which saw them eliminate home greeners Stuart & Paula Garrett 21-12 at the same stage.

Fallers at the quarter final stage were Brian & Sandy Lowe, Paula Firth & Jordan Cain, Ray & Ann Maddrell and Edward Trustham & Brenda Williams.

After a truly successful event Mike Caley of Isle of Man Farmers presented the prizes. In this day and age of falling open numbers it is great to see a club trying new things and being prepared to think outside the box and step away from the norm.

Report by Paul Bradford

As a result of the sterling efforts of greenkeepers Alan Kelly and Dave
Foulis following the devastating snowfall at the end of March, the green at
Ballaugh was opened for the first time this season, enabling the Ayre Mowers
sponsored Men’s singles competition to be played today.

The green was predictably heavy which suited John Kennish throughout the day
and into the final where he defeated his former Onchan team mate Phil
Kerruish 21-13. Losing semi finalists were Kevin Quirk of Onchan and Chas Grills
of South Ramsey.

Losing quarter finalists were Matthew Quirk, Mark Kneen, Neil Withers and Colin Kelly

Report by Sean Lilley

The C.Tarleton Hodgson sponsored Jubliee Cup attracted a very good entry of 19 teams.  The weather was dry but the cold and blustery wind made conditions tricky.  The Green was in excellent condition as usual and the standard of bowling all afternoon was of the highest standard.

The eventual winners were Kevin, Rosemary and Mathew Quirk, who beat the team of John and Fiona Kennish and Alan Moore 21-18 in a closely fought final coming back from 16-8 down.

In the semi finals the Quirk team defeated the team of Margaret Tasker, Tricia Bull and Ron Maycox by score of 21-9 and the Kennish/Kennish/Moore team beat Bob Clark, Shelley Kennish and Nathan Cooil by the score of 21-19.  Losing out in the quarter finals were Stuart and Paula Garrett and Paul Kelly,  Ken Karran, Louis and Rita Callister,  Val McFarlane and Ray and Ann Maddrell and Sam Palmer, Edwina Reid and Dorothey Mylchreest.

Thanks to Rachel Quirk for the picture.