A special mention must go to Division Three side Peel Sunset C led by the grandson of Jack Lee, who would no doubt have been proud to see Jimmy Lee lead his team to achieve promotion to Division Two with a team made up of mostly new bowlers, who have shown great appetite to improve both individually and collectively, with a number of their players getting themselves in open competitions most weekends. The Peel men faced a tricky fixture away to Noble’s C, however they wrapped up the league title and promotion in style with a superb 8-2 win.

North Ramsey B pushed Peel all the way throughout the season, as they finished just three points behind Peel following a solid 8-2 win over near-neighbours South Ramsey C, as the Peel win left ensured the Mooragh men couldn’t win the league.

There were just six chalks between Ballaugh B and Ballaugh C (133-127), however a 5-3 win for the higher ranked team secured a 7-3 victory to secure third place, with the C finishing in a lowly ninth place.

With Breagle Glen C having their fate secured some time ago, they hosted Noble’s D, it was the visitors who took home a 3-7 win to finish in fifth place, two points ahead of Marown D.

Winning the Division Three individual merit was North Ramsey’s Bryan Corner with 13 wins from 14 games played, despite not playing in the final fixture of the season the Mooragh man could not be caught. Finishing in second place was Marown D player Stu Mason with 13 wins from 16 games played, however Corner dropped just eight chalks compared to Mason’s 22 chalks. As a point of interest, the North Ramsey man won Division Four merit in 2024.

In a repeat of 2024 Division Four had been dominated by one team throughout the season, this year Onchan C finished streets ahead of everyone on 123 points, with promotion long since secured, they ended the season with a 4-6 away win over Finch Hill B who finished 32 points back on their opponents.

Douglas C just managed to secure second spot by a solitary point thanks to their 8-2 win over the D Team, with this result good enough to leapfrog the Finch men.

South Ramsey D damaged North Ramsey C’s hopes of a higher league finish with an 8-2 home win over the Mooragh men, who finished in fourth, with South finishing in sixth spot, as they crept up one place on the night to finish ahead of Douglas D.

Noble’s E finished their second season of league bowls in a respectable fifth place, following their draw away to bottom side Peel D. The home team won 5-3 on games, however the all-important aggregate saw the Noble’s men ensure they secured a 5-5 draw.

Winning the Division Four individual merit was Finch Hill B veteran Tony Epifani who won 15 games from 16 played, as he won the final fixture of the 2025 season to finish one win ahead of Onchan C player Colin Brown, who won 14 games out of 15 played. Had the Onchan man not missed a game he could have won the merit, having only dropped one chalk in his one defeat, while Epifani had dropped three chalks.

This season has seen some fantastic results from Junior bowlers, who continue to improve, with a lot of newer bowlers who have undoubtedly got the ‘bug’ as the men’s night league continues to thrive. Long may it continue.

Peel Bowling Club held the pre-festival Autumn Shield on Sunday, with an entry of 96 taking part on a blustery day with the competition running like clockwork throughout the day with the days bowling getting underway at 10:00 in the morning. The Peel green has improved considerably over the past two months, with a surface suitable for a day of top bowls.

With some players having to win four games just to reach the quarter final stage, Callum Briddon (Fairfield) lost out to Marown man Colin Kelly 16-21. Marown’s Neil Withers lost 16-21 to South Ramsey’s Glynn Hargraves. In the bottom half of the draw Kev Kelly-Walley (Belvedere) made light work of Castletown captain Nathan Hamilton with a 21-13 win, while the last home greener standing Stevie Kelly played Paul Kissock (Netherfield) in a repeat of the 2019 final, which Kelly won in a thrilling finish to win his first open 21-20. This may well have been in the memory of the Kissock, as this time round the Cumbria man won 21-19 to take his spot in the semi-finals.

Colin Kelly took on Hargraves in the first semi-final, with the Marown man building up a 15-10 lead, with Hargraves closing the deficit to two chalks at 17-19. Two singles were enough for Kelly to ensure safe passage to the final. In the other semi-final Kissock ended the challenge of Kelly- Walley with a 21-14 win to progress.

The final played under the floodlights went one way, and then the other with the wind still a factor in the final, however it did seem to tail off from what it had been in the earlier rounds. After 10 ends Kelly had got himself 14-10 ahead, with Kissock responding to win five of the next six ends to edge ahead 16-15.

By the 19th end it was all square at 17 across, with the so finely matched there were just three two’s scored all game, the last of these scored by the 12th end. Kissock helped in part by his ability to strike to get himself out of trouble, mixed in with his ability to play good bowls won four of the last five ends to see the game out 21-18 to make up for 2019 defeat in the final.

In addition to securing the Autumn Shield Kissock took home £400, while Kelly could console himself with the runners up prize of £220.

The presentation was made by Peel competition secretary Pip Pemberton who thanked the sponsors Peveril Hotel, Island Civils & Plant, and Utmost International for their support. Robert Cottier presented the prizes on behalf of Peveril Hotel, and Island Civils & Plant.

The 2025-night league season ended this week across all four divisions this week in the Canada Life International sponsored bowling leagues.

In Division One South Ramsey A officially wrapped up the title in style, finishing the season strongly with a 9-1 win over North Ramsey A at Mooragh Park, with five single figure wins and keeping the home team down to just 77 chalks, picking up title number seven to regain the trophy they last won in 2023, in doing so preventing Marown A from successfully defending the title. The last time the Crosby men managed to do this was in 2002, when they won six league titles in a row. The Ramsey men picked up 48 points from a possible 50 in their last five games to seal the title.

Marown A finished the season on a high with a 9-1 win over their lower ranked B Team, with Kevin Kelly sparing the B sides blushes albeit with a 21-20 win over Paul Kelly. The Crosby men will undoubtedly regroup over the winter, knowing their 8-2 defeat away to Douglas A ultimately cost them with four 21-20 defeats that evening, making it even more difficult to take.

Onchan A ended the season in third place once again, as they finished the season on 100 points, 10 points fewer than 2024, as they drew 5-5 away to South Ramsey B in a true draw 4-4 on games and tied on chalks (137-137), with the South men consigned to second division bowls in 2026.

Peel A finished in fourth place, matching their 2024 league finish, however they were 17 points worse off than 2024, with their struggles with the green in the first half of the season playing a part in their results. With an improving green, this saw an improvement in their home form, as they finished the season with a 7-3 defeat away to Breagle Glen A, who strengthened just before the halfway point of the season with two players helping their cause, they managed to get safe to ensure they will compete in Division One next season.

Castletown A were guaranteed to finish on more points than 2024 whatever the result on Monday night, as they were already one point better off than last season going into their final fixture. A good 8-2 home win over Douglas A saw the Town men finish nine points better off, while the Villa finished just one point worse off.

The race for the Division One individual merit was a shootout between Bob Clark, John Kennish, and Colin Kelly. Clark had led the way for most of the season, however a stirring performance from Allan Callow saw Clark suffer his second defeat of the season, just losing out 19-21. This allowed Kennish to hit top spot with 16 wins from 16 games played, despite missing two games, with no chalks dropped. Kelly finished in second place with 16 wins from 18 games, dropping just three chalks all season, losing games to 19 and 20. Clark finished in third place, with just five chalks dropped.

In Division Two there was no change at the top with Marown C winning the league to lift the Rayner Cup as they made an immediate return to Division One, with a solid 2-8 away win over Onchan C to end the season on 126 points.

The Division Two individual merit also had some last day drama, with changes at the top with Alex Yates leading the way going into the final round of fixtures, he came up an in-form Mike Caley, who ended Yates’ merit hopes with a 21-16 win. This gifted Marown C captain Walter McCarthy the merit as he ended the season with a 21-15 win over Mike Kelly, to make it 15 wins from 17 games played, whilst Yates finished in second spot with 14 wins from 17 games.

Ballaugh A were the ‘nearly’ men once again, as they missed out on promotion by six points, however they ended the season with a 7-3 home win over Finch Hill A, who finished in mid-table. The Ballaugh men can console themselves that they are moving in the right direction improving on last season’s third place finish with 14 points more.

Noble’s A finished the season in third place, 25 points better off than 2024, as they continue to improve, despite their 2-8 home defeat on number one green to their B team, who use number two green for their home fixtures. The B team ended the season just four points back on the A team, they were rumoured to have been heavily using number one green in preparation for the last game of the season. Watch this space in 2026, as the B Team will be looking to overtake the A and be rebranded for a fourth time, having been labelled as the D team in 2023, C in 2024, and B this season. Or could there be a mixture of the A & B team over the winter to give Noble’s a real shot at promotion, only time will tell.

Safe in the knowledge that both teams would not be relegated Douglas B beat Castletown B 9-1 at the Villa. The Town men had recovered from a slow start to the season to finish in seventh place, while the Villa men finished next to bottom spot, safe by 13 points.

Peel B finished 36 points worse off than 2024, being closer to relegation than promotion this time round, however they finished the season strongly with a 9-1 home win over Breagle Glen B, whose fate was already sealed prior to this fixture. Dougie Allan had a 21-0 win over Mark Pendlebury, while Ed Benson prevented the whitewash with a 21-20 win over Jeff Wilson.

The Keenan Fours was held on Saturday with 30 pairs making the annual pilgrimage to Ballaugh despite the forecast of heavy rain. The day started dry, however as the day went on the rain set in, became heavier making for tough conditions.

At the quarter final stage Ballaugh pair Andy Young and Chris Pedley lost out 17-21 to Castletown’s Willie Corkill and Davey Garrett, with visiting bowlers Lee and Mick Longland losing out 18-21 to South Ramsey pair John Kennish and David Bradford. In the bottom half of the draw Breagle men Wayne Roberts and Ewan Cooil defeated Marown’s Glenn Boland and Peter Jones 21-7, while Glynn Hargraves and Jamie Box (South Ramsey/Marown) beat home pair Ed Trustham and Richard Hainge 21-10.

The semi-finals saw Kennish and Bradford in a tussle early on with Corkill and Garrett, with the conditions now so heavy that going for distance and ‘cobbing’ – sending the bowls through the air came into play, as the South Ramsey managed to see the game out 21-15. The other semi-final was a more comfortable win for Hargraves and Box, as they were in the opposite corners to get over the line 21-10 to take their place in the final.

The final got underway with the heavy rain persisting, and four already soaked players getting a further soaking. Hargraves and Box won the first end with a single, however Kennish and Bradford took control of the game to go into an unassailable lead, as they strolled to a 21-9 victory in the final in the same corners they had enjoyed success on in the semi-finals.

The presentation was made by Mark Dimsdale who thanked the club members, everyone for entering, the catering team, and those who had stayed to watch the final. John Keenan the sponsor of the competition, presented the trophy.

The Islands premier doubles competition the Plumbmaster Doubles Championship was held at Finch Hill Bowling Club on Sunday. The competition was played 21up off a handicap of +3 for all competitors. The event was well supported with 31 pairs entering in a bid to win the coveted title, an increase of two pairs on the 2024 entry.

At the quarter final stage John Kennish and David Bradford (South Ramsey) were too good for Dean Kinley and Stefan Kelly (Castletown/South Ramsey), with the latter only scoring two points, the game was over in just 10 ends. An all-Marown clash took place as Matthew Keggen and Paul Kelly led 16-7 against Phil Kelly and John Gelling, were counting for four, however a single scored by Kelly and Gelling saw them eventually close the deficit to 18-20, with Keggen and Kelly getting over the line 21-18.

In the other half of the draw Glynn Hargraves and Jamie Box (South Ramsey/Marown) quickly went into a 12-5 lead after five ends over Peter Greenlees and Pip Pemberton (Marown/Peel), scoring heavily early on. Incredibly this was the last end of anything more than a one, as the next 11 ends were all singles, with Hargraves and Box winning nine ends to see the game out comfortably 21-7. The Hart Brothers – Austin and Toby (South Ramsey) battled well against the Breagle Pair Wayne Roberts and Trevor Quayle, who had earlier knocked out the winners from the past five years, Neil Withers and Paul Dunn (Marown), with the Breagle men level at 18-18, a three got them over line 21-18 to book their spot in the semi-final.

In the semi-finals Kennish and Bradford made light work of Keggen and Kelly , with the latter pair winning just four ends, scoring four singles, while the South Ramsey pair won 11 ends, as a longer length mark paid dividends just as it did in the semi-finals.

The other semi-final was a comfortable 21-12 win for Hargraves and Box, who had preferred a straight peg over a fair distance falling off the edge of the crown, as Roberts and Quayle struggled to get a foothold in the game.

The final got underway with Kennish and Bradford having won the title for the first four years looking to get their fifth win to match Withers and Dunn, they would undoubtedly have started as favourites to win. On the first end Kennish planted a great lead, which was immediately beaten by Hargraves, however Bradford ensured that a positive start was made on the first end with a double. As Kennish headed for the corner Hargraves and Box scored a three, which they repeated on the following end. A double from the South Ramsey pair closed the deficit to two chalks at 7-9.

Hargraves and Box picked up two doubles of their own in between conceding a single to lead 13-8 after seven ends. The match got turned on its head over the next six ends as Kennish and Bradford made their move with a change of tactics from Kennish, as he opted for a short round peg mark which almost paid off with the pair counting for four a great last bowl from Box saved three chalks. A two on the next end took the score to 12-13. Hargraves played two good bowls on the next end as he dialled back in to the match, however Bradford saved one. A single in the corner saw Kennish and Bradford head for distance once more, as they picked up a good three to lead 17-15.

Kennish went short once more, with Hargraves playing a toucher with his second bowl. Disaster struck as Box played up trying to sit out Kennish’s nearest bowl and the block was sprung to leave them lying three down. Box immediately redeemed himself, just getting in with a glance off the nearest counting bowl to leave the game finely poised at 16-17. Two good bowls from Hargraves and one from Box on the following end saw Bradford save one with his last bowl as the score went 18-17 to the South/Marown pair. On the following end, a change of peg from Hargraves on the round peg with his second bowl left the pair counting for one, as Box trailed the jack to make the route in to the jack tough as his bowl followed through with it. A good second bowl from Box made a counting second. Bradford played a reaching bowl, just getting on the high side as he was unlucky to tip in Hargraves’ bowl for game, with a 21-17 win. Hargraves and Box were just the third different winners of this trophy, with Kennish and Bradford winning it for the first four years, with Withers and Dunn winning it for the past five years.

The presentation was made by Competition Committee member Steve Moore, who thanked Finch Hill Bowling Club for providing refreshments throughout the day, everyone who had helped with the smooth running of the competition and those who had entered.

Storm Floris featured in Canada Life International League Division One on Monday evening resulting in difficult bowling conditions across the Island. Second placed Marown A bounced back from the previous week’s disaster, as they were at home to Breagle Glen A, winning 9-1 with the visitors managing to pick up a point as Ewan Cooil’s 21-4 win over Phil Kelly was never in doubt. The Breagle men would have been hoping for another game or two more to ease their relegation worries with the blustery lottery like conditions, with Trevor Quayle losing out 19-21 to Paul Dunn, while Mark Moorley and Tim Williams lost 17-21 to Glenn Boland and Paul Kelly respectively. The Crosby men secured two single figure wins from Peter Jones (21-4) against Chris Lever, while Tom Kelly beat Steve Durcan 21-7.

South Ramsey A continue to press ahead with their unexpected lead, which was extended to four points thanks to a third consecutive 10-0 win, as they come into form at the business end of the season. Castletown A were the visitors, despite the result the Rayner Plate winners put in a good effort, with all games reaching double figures the Town men could have snatched two games with two 18-21 losses. South captain Glynn Hargraves recovered from an 8-12 deficit against Ian Watson to see the game out. Bob Clark won to the same score against Dean Kinley, with the latter having led 18-13, four consecutive doubles for Clark sealed the comeback, kept the Ramsey man at the top of individual merit with John Kennish hot on his heels.

Peel A won 8-2 at home to bottom side South Ramsey B who did manage to close the deficit on Breagle to a point, with Stefan Kelly beating Gary Smith 21-4, while Alan Moore won 21-9 against Andy Mackie. Losing out in close games were Austin Hart 17-21 to Tommy McMeiken, while Tony Dugdale was pipped at the post 19-21 by Pip Pemberton.

Onchan A were two chalks shy of a 10-0 victory at home to North Ramsey A, with Tom Collins preventing the whitewash with a 21-19 win over Mike Alexander. Next closest to picking up a win was Mooragh captain Rob Monk, who lost out 19-21 to Kevin Quirk. Neil Dunwell was the best winner as he beat Joe Kneale 21-7, while Peter Slinger won 21-9 against John Cannan.

Douglas A matched the previous week’s 8-2 home win, this time over Marown B. Karl Parker won 21-20 against Shaun Seal for the visitors, while Jamie Box beat Nick Firth 21-12. Losing out in close games for the Crosby men were Peter Greenlees 17-21 to Ian Moore, while Kevin Kelly lost out 18-21 to Villa captain Merv Sayle. Two 21-9 wins for the home team arrived from Andy Cannell and Gordy Wynne-Smythe against Juan Killip and Jamie Joughin.

In Division Two Ballaugh A struggled on their travels with a heavy 8-2 defeat to Castletown B, which could well consign them to another season of second division bowls. Just 10 chalks separated the teams (153-143) with the home team holding their nerve in the close games. Ross Moore beat Mike Spooner 21-20, Juan Drinkwater held off Steve Grant 21-19, while David Quayle beat Ed Trustham 21-18. Mark Saunders won 21-16 against Phil Quayle, while Junior bowler Sam Quayle had a more comfortable 21-16 victory against Chris Pedley. Winning for the visitors were Patrick Grant 21-12 against namesake Patrick Cooper, while Tony Quine beat Dave Evans 21-15.

Marown C played their fixture on Tuesday evening in fairer conditions knowing a good win at home to Peel B would give them a healthy advantage to take into the final two games of the season. Crosby captain Walter McCarthy kept himself in the hunt for the Division Two individual merit with his 21-15 win as the home team won 7-3 to establish a five-point lead with just two fixtures left to play. Darren Kerruish was the only single figure winner on the night 21-7 against Colin Moore. Winning for the visitors were Andrew Cover 21-15 against Peter Kelly, while Denzil Smith beat Steve Rough 21-11.

Third placed Noble’s A managed to sneak home with a 3-7 away win over Breagle Glen B, taking the aggregate by just two chalks (131-133) despite winning 5-3 on games with visiting captain Alex Yates continuing his quest for the individual merit with a 21-15 win over Ben Mowle. Mark Bradshaw’s 21-20 win over Derek Cain proved pivotal to the result as a win to the Breagle man would have changed the result from a 7-3 win into a true draw – 4-4 on games and the aggregate shared between the teams for a 5-5, which shows the fine margins.

Noble’s B won 7-3 at home to Douglas B, winning the aggregate by seven chalks (149-142). Five games finished to 17 or over as evidence of a keenly contested match. Andy Greggor beat Bob Callow 21-20, as the teams shared a 21-17 victory each, also sharing a 21-18 win each. Steve Cook was the only single figure winner as he beat Steve Cain 21-9.

Finch Hill A suffered a rare home defeat, losing out 2-8 at home to Onchan B. Winning for the home team were Pat Maher 21-13 against Neil Taylor, while Shay Waterworth beat Derek Allen 21-19. Losing three close games for the home team were Mark Taylor, Kevin Stannard, and Kevin Anderson to 17, 18, and 20.

Division Three looks to be going to the wire. North Ramsey B are still top after taking their turn to sit out the latest round of fixtures which gave Peel C the opportunity to close the gap to a point following their 8-2 home win over third placed Ballaugh B to give them an 11-point lead over their opponents, with the gap five points at the start of play.

Ballaugh C put the final nail in the coffin for Breagle Glen C, with the visitors 17 points behind with one game left to play, the Breagle men will ply their trade in Division Four next season assuming there is no major league restructure over the winter. The Ballaugh men won 8-2, keeping the visitors to an average of 11 chalks each. Four single figures winners for the home team arrived from Stephen Swift, Dicky Watson, Peter Corlett, and Gary Griffiths.

South Ramsey C won 7-3 at home to Noble’s C in a keenly contested game with all matches reaching double figures, however there were no games that anyone could argue could have gone the other way as the winning scores ranged from 11-16 for both teams. 16 chalks separated the teams with South Ramsey taking the aggregate (145-129).

Noble’s D won 7-3 at home to Marown D, with Stephen Hampson beating Eddie Rough 21-1, while three other home wins were close as Terry Bates and Grahem Moore won 21-17 against Andy Sykes and Brian Cain respectively, while Mark Quinn beat Steve Wilson 21-18. For the visitors Ken Bawden’s 21-19 win against Rob Bell was the closest match of the night.

Division Four saw Onchan C stroll to a 9-1 win at home to Castletown C, with Junior Freddie Palmer once again the hero for Town as he beat Peter Johnstone 21-13.

South Ramsey D (pictured) were away to Noble’s E on the number two green, it was a tough night for the visitors as they lost 8-2. Paul Cain and Bryan Kennaugh were single figures winners for the home team, while Andy Cain damaged South captain Frank Feeney’s individual merit hopes with a 21-18 win. Winning for the visitors were Steve Kelly 21-12 against David Karran, and Geoff Collier 21-19 against Matthew McKeoun.

Elsewhere Douglas D won 8-2 at home to Peel D, despite the Villa men being a player short, they lost one other game as James Teare (Senior) just lost out 20-21 to Ash Leece. North Ramsey C won 8-2 at home to Finch Hill B, however just eight chalks separated the teams (148-140). Tony Epifani kept his individual merit hopes in place with a 21-5 win over Euan Christian.

The final of the Plumbmaster Rayner Plate took place on Friday evening at Noble’s Park in ideal bowling conditions between first division side Castletown A (+30) and second Division side Marown C (+40), who have won the title on three occasions in 2017, 2019, and 2021. The Town men’s one and only success in this competition was in 1998, when they beat Port St Mary B on their home green by 19 chalks, when the final used to be played on the teams green that was drawn out first. Interestingly this was the last occasion that the final was contested this way, as from 1999 the final of the Plate competition has been played on a neutral green.

Castletown started as favourites as they ply their trade one division above Marown, with the latter team having a 10 chalk start on the night, they are currently occupying top spot in Division Two, as they look to make an immediate return to Division One.

The evening started positively for Town as Dean Kinley had the Crosby men’s most experienced player Peter Kelly, with the former impressed as he kept his opponent to nine singles, as Kinley scored seven doubles on his way to a 21-9 win. The next game off saw Jordan Drewett finish the game strongly to run out with a 21-14 win over Jamie Joughin. John Kelly picked up Marown’s first win and clawed some chalks back as he beat Ian Watson 21-14. The last game off in the first half of the match saw the most inexperienced player Kieran Krypner once again prove he is the man for the big occasion, as he displayed a great attitude, matched by his performance to seal a 21-15 win over Darren Kerruish.

At the half way point Castletown had won three of the four games and turned a 10-chalk deficit on the handicap into an eight chalk lead (107-99). This left all to play for in the second half of the match.

First game off in the second half saw Aaron Richardson put in a solid performance in the second half of the game to beat Dan Smith 21-13, with the latter having led 12-8, the Town man only conceded one more chalk. The 16-chalk lead held by Town was swiftly reduced to just two chalks as Walter McCarthy put in a captains innings to beat Andy Clark 21-7. Just as things had got interesting with just two games left on the green Town captain Nathan Hamilton ‘brought home the bacon’ as he got over the line 21-17 against Brian Kelly. Despite the win being sealed for Town this did not deter Marown’s Steve Rough from recovering from a 16-19 deficit against David Quayle, as the Town man had already scored enough chalks to play his part in the win. Rough hit a great strike to score a single to, then scored a double to get over the line 21-20.

The win was secured for Castletown by five chalks (176-171) as the Town men etched their name onto the trophy for the second time, in a final that was well contested throughout the Town men deservedly edged it.

The presentation was made by Competition Committee Secretary Matthew Keggen who thanked Noble’s for hosting the final, along with providing measurers and the refreshments. Town Captain Nathan Hamilton was then presented with the trophy, he congratulated his team on their performance and offered his commiserations to Marown.