News: Reports
RNLI
Neil Withers lifted his second cup in two day last Sunday, as he won the RNLI cup at Nobles Mixed Bowling club, after finding himself on the right side of an epic 21-20 final encounter with Matthew Keggen.
It was a truly brilliant final with Keggen doing all the work in the early stages before Withers stepped in and found his customary length over the middle, moving through the gears to go from 13-10 in arrears to lead 20-13.
Keggen didn’t give in however and after trailing the jack set off to the corners where he picked up three quick two’s to draw level. With a great lead bowl he must have thought it was his day however Withers made sure he reached and ran the block for the final point required to secure victory.
Both players were at the top of their game in the semi-finals with Withers beating Trevor Qualye 21-8 and Keggen overcoming June Festival finalist Matthew Quirk 21-7. Fallers in the quarter finals were Arnie Withers, Paul Kelly, Phil Kerruish and Peter Lees. At the conclusion of the competition Douglas Lifeboat President Peter Cain presented the prizes and £150 was raised for the RNLI.
Ladies Manx Championship
There was an entry of 29 for the Ladies’ Manx Championship played at Ballaugh over the two days, Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 July. The warm, sunny weather added to the occasion, while after the problems at the start of the season the green keepers should be congratulated on the state of the playing surface. Though the green was a little on the heavy side it did not detract from the quality of bowls on show on both afternoons. The winner will represent the island at The Champion of Champions on 29 September.
Quarter-finals: Elaine Moore 21, Tricia Bull 17; Jenny Moore 21, Viv Grills 12; Paula Firth 21, Rachel Quirk 17; Janet Monk 21, Chris Price 12.
In the semi-finals Jenny had a straightforward win over Elaine, while Janet had to battle hard to come through against Paula who had been ahead at several points in the match.
Semi-finals: Jenny Moore 21, Elaine Moore 12; Janet Monk 21, Paula Firth 19
In the final Janet had the better of the early stages, taking a lead of 12-7 after 13 ends at which point Jenny won the jack and staged a comeback to be ahead 15-14 at end 22, at which point Janet took control again dropping just one more end to take the title 21-16.
The presentation was made by Association vice-president Pat Robertson, who thanked all who had contributed to the day – the ladies running the sheets and the Ballaugh ladies for measuring and for the refreshments, the drinks being particularly welcome on such a hot day.
Thanks also went to Jenny Maddrell for her sponsorship of the event, and Pat passed on apologies for Jenny‘s absence.
Peel Town Cup
Neil Withers (Marown) was the talk of the town as he picked up the magnificent Town Cup to add to the June Festival trophy he recently acquired. He was in magnificent form all day but made to fight to the end by in form home greener Jerome Surridge, in a simply superb to and fro final.
Surridge set the pace in the early phases of the game moving into an 11-6 lead before Withers arrested the block. The Marown man then moved through the gears racing into a 20-14 lead with a spectacular display of leading, however the Peel man was not done yet. Surridge rallied and looked like he might pull of an Houdini like display but fell just short as his opponent picked up the point he needed to seal a 21-19 victory.
The over 60’s brigade were out in force and fine form as two of their stalwarts made it to the semi-finals with Mike Hargraves losing out to Withers and John Alderson going out at the hands of Surridge.
Fallers at the quarter final stage were Bernie Durcan, David Bradford, Stuey Clague and Alan Moore. At the conclusion of the competition Mr Davison from Peel Commissioners presented the prizes.
Report by Mark Kneen
R & A Grimshaw Trophy
Twenty six pairs made the annual pilgrimage to Marown bowling club on Tynwald Day to search for the holy grail of men’s doubles titles, the Grimshaw Trophy.
All eyes were on Colin & Tom Kelly to see if Colin could keep his run of winning all of the doubles competitions with a different partner going, but an early first round exit at the hands of Paul Kelly & Ken Williams put pay to this.
It was defending champions Kevin Quirk & Peter Slinger who found their form and their way to the title with a strong 21-16 final win over Onchan team mates Phil Kerruish & David Braford. Quirk & Slinger built a healthy lead in the early part of the game before Kerruish & Bradford rallied to try and make a comeback, but it was too little too late.
In the semi-finals Kerruish & Bradford saw off the challenge of Douglas pair Keith Rise & Dave ‘Barney’ Kelly whilst Quirk & Slinger put out last year’s doubles merit winners Jordan Cain & Bob Clark at the same stage.
Report by Mark Kneen
Marown March On
Champions Onchan A turned on the style on Monday evening as they brushed aside genuine contenders Douglas A with relative ease, effectively ending any real hopes the Villa men had for top honours. The 8-2 score line mirrored that of their first encounter earlier in the season however the match was anything but similar as Douglas were up against it from the off and lucky to escape with two points.
There was something different about the post-festival champions. They had a competitive edge that had thus far eluded them this season, and every single one of them played every bowl as if their lives depended on it. I still think Marown will pip them to the post this year, but this performance has put doubts in my mind. If Onchan do go down, they will go down fighting and the odds of them defending their title for the 11th consecutive time have shortened dramatically after this display.
Marown A kept momentum behind their title bid as they picked up 9-1 win away at Peel Sunset A to close in on the champions. This solid, workman like performance leaves them one point adrift of the champions, but with a game in hand. They will be hoping to better the performance of the champions tonight and return to the top of the tree.
There is definitely something different about the Marown team this year and there seems to be a synergy around this particular line up which had been missing in recent seasons. Their ability to pick up big wins is what has made them stand out from the crowd and could be what sees them to their first title in over a decade.
South Ramsey A took advantage of Castletown A sitting out and a big 9-1 win at Town over the B team sees them move into 4th place. They are now only one point behind Douglas in the battle for third and with all their players firing on all cylinders they could be the ones to watch in the battle for the minor places. They travel to Onchan A tonight and this performance should show us where they are in terms of improvement and progression.
Port St Mary A now have fire in their bellies and their 9-1 win over Ballaugh A has seen them move up the table and away from the relegation places. They need to keep this going tonight and at least try and pick up some good points away at Castletown. If they can string some form together they should be able to finish the season in a mid-table position allowing them to build on it next year.
The final match of the division was a cracker with Nobles Mixed A and North Ramsey A tying 5-5 after the Northerners won on games but just missed out on the aggregate points by 9 chalks. Both these teams sit in the relative safety of 6th and 7th places and if they continue to pick up points in the second half of the season should start next year in the top flight.
Division 2 leaders Port St Mary B remain in pole position after a good 8-2 win away at Ballaugh B sees them consolidate top spot. Castletown C put in the performance of the day to move into second place, just 3 points behind the Spaniards, after they put in a devastating display to demolish Peel B 10-0 at the crofts. Town C have the class to stay challenging for top spot and the thought of making history and having 3 teams from the same club in the top division could become reality.
Port Erin A are still very much in the hunt and are in third spot on equal points with Town C after they beat Port St Mary C 8-2. The fate of this title is still finally in the balance and I can’t call who will be crowned champion come September.
There are new leaders in division 3 for the first time this year with Noble Park A now occupying first place thanks to a brilliant 9-1 win over Douglas C. Long-time leaders Onchan C have slipped down into second after suffering a shock 6-4 loss at home to Ballaugh C.
Report by Mark Kneen
Association Triples
On a dull and windy afternoon 16 sets of triples gathered at Castletown on Sunday 30 June to contest the Ladies’ Association Triples.
Semi-finals: Jenny Moore, Shelley Kennish and Lauren Groen 21, Sue Peach, Ann Oates and Heike Perry 11; Janet Monk, Chris Price and Lilian Slinger 21, Fiona Kennish, Bethany Kennish and Elaine Moore 14.
The final was very close right to the end when the Mooragh Park combo took the last to ends to take the title 21-18.
The presentation was made by Association vice-president Pat Robertson who thanked Castletown for the use of their facilities and its members for their help with measuring and marking throughout the afternoon.
Report by Heather Horsburgh
Threesomes Cup
The Threesomes Cup, sponsored by COLAS ( Isle of Man) Ltd. was played for on Port St Marys Green on Sunday 30th June and attracted a very good entry of 20 teams.
The weather was good apart from the odd shower later in the afternoon, which had the effect of slowing the green down. This did not affect the high standard of bowling however. The winners were the team of Juan Hargraves, Mike Hargraves and Ewan Cooil, who beat the team of Bob Clark, Mathew Quirk and Jordain Cain 21-16 in closely contested game.
In the semi finals, Hargraves, Hargraves and Cooil, beat the team of Trevor Quayle, Mike Collister and Nathan Cooil 21-7, and in the other semi Clark, Quirk and Cain beat the team of Mark Kneen, John Kennish and Glynn Hargraves 21-15. Losing out in the quarter finals were Peter Oates, Andy Clark and Derek Lewney. Ben Dugdale, Tony Dugdale and Steve Cook. Alan Moore, James Teare and George Brew. Paul Leece, Dave Pease and John Ruscoe.
The presentation was made at the end of the final by Mr Ian Dunbar, representing the sponsors, Colas.
Report by Sean Lillie
Marown Singles
Report by Heather Horsburgh
On an overcast, though mainly dry, afternoon there was an entry of 27 ladies competing for the Julia North Cup at Marown on Saturday 29 June. Although the green was heavier than it usually is and caught some of the participants out initially, there were some very close games and bowling of a high calibre.
Quarter-finals: Margaret Tasker 21, Rita Callan 13; Maureen Payne 17, Lilian Slinger 21; Jant Monk 21, Rachel Quirk 14; Philippa Fletcher 21, Mary Kinrade 17.
Semi-finals: Lilian Slinger 21, Margaret Tasker 17; Janet Monk 21 Philippa Fletcher 17.
In the final Janet got off to the better start, taking an early lead at 14-8. Lilian took four of the next five ends to close the gap to just one point at 14-15.The next three ends took Janet to 19 while Lilian retaliated, taking three ends to level to 19-19. In the end Lilian came through to claim the cup 21-20, and was particularly delighted as she had finished runner-up for the previous two years.
The presentation was made by Rosie Winckle who thanked all those who had entered the competition and the Marown ladies’ for their help in the smooth running of the afternoon.
Summer Shield
Report by Mark Kneen
A strong field of 47 irrepressible men made the annual pilgrimage to Peel bowling club to take part in the Summer Shield on Sunday for the last chance to win silverware during the June festival period. The gale-force winds and ever changing weather made the conditions almost unplayable and at times a lottery, but it was Glynn Hargraves (Onchan) who cashed in the winning ticket with a formidable 21-12 final win over David Corkill (South Ramsey).
Once Hargraves settled into his rhythm in the final he went about systematically grinding out the victory required to win the coveted shield, and never really let his opponent get into the game. Praise must go to Corkill who handled the treacherous conditions exceptionally well throughout the afternoon, and non-more so than in his semi-final where he defeated newly crowned festival champion Neil Withers 21-14.
Hargraves had a battle on his hands at the same stage where he had just enough to overcome the fierce challenge of wily competitor David Faragher 21-18 to book his final berth. Fallers at the quarter final stage were Kevin Dutchburn, Sid Bolton, Alec Taylor & regular visitor Gerry Buckley.
At the conclusion of the competition Mr Davidson of Peel Commissioners presented the prizes.
Okells Claret Jug
Douglas bowling club celebrated their 125 year anniversary in fine style putting on a magnificent competition to commemorate to occasion. The partnership with Okells is a fitting one as Dr Okell was himself a founder member of the bowling club. It was a fantastic continuation of festival week with a strong entry fighting it out at the Villa Marina, straight after the main event, to earn their place in the last 32 on Saturday and a chance of the £500 first prize, the biggest prize in the local game outside of the actual festival.
Onchan player David Bradford played magnificently all day on Saturday and topped this off with a 21-15 final win over teammate Kevin Quirk on the magnificent Villa green. Bradford took control from the off and kept his nose in front to seal a memorable victory, picking up the coveted Ken Williamson trophy in the process for being furthest Manxman in the competition.
Quirk too played his part brilliantly, showing his talented children that there is still life in the old dog yet, particularly in the semi-finals where he beat Peter Collister (South Ramsey) 21-8. It is great to see Collister back in the game and playing at such a high level after a long absence from the sport and it is hard to believe that it was 30 years ago that he picked up his own June Festival win.
In the other semi-final Bradford had to battle hard to overcome Island Champion Glynn Hargraves (Onchan) 21-19. Bradford held a commanding 19-12 lead before Hargraves dug deep closing the deficit to just one point at 20-19. Bradford held his nerve superbly to finish the game of and book his final berth. Fallers at the quarter final stage were Mike Hargraves (Castletown), Janet Monk (Mooragh Park), Stuart Garrett & Dave ‘Barney’ Kelly (both Douglas).
At the conclusion of the competition Douglas Bowling Club president Roy Williams, along with Judith Cussack (Okells) and Denis Williamson presented the prizes. It is fantastic to see clubs trying new things and this event was undoubtedly a success and praise must go to everyone at the club involved and the green keepers who turned out an immaculate playing surface. Thanks must also go to main sponsor Okells Brewery along with Denis Williamson, D L Gellings & Visit IOM who all put up prizes for the event.