LBIOM

And there it was gone! Another season completed with some 330 matches played across 3 leagues throughout the summer with quite a few newcomers making their debut in the various events.

The ever popular Daytime Pairs League provided the usual mix of fun, social bowls and competitive edge to add to the overall enjoyment of the fixtures. The format features a dual role for partners playing half the match as lead and reverting to skip for the second half. This format enables members to practice and compete in both positions helping to develop their skill set at each role. Finishing the season in 3rd place were Dee Lewis and Marcia Pearson just behind Eric Maddocks & Dave Ball in 2nd position whilst the winners retaining their title from last season were Bernice & Clive McGreal.

In the Premier Pairs League, which has produced some fine bowling this season, the mid table positions were swapped and changed throughout the year as half a dozen pairings vied for a spot in the top three. In the end it was inimitable duo of Dee Lewis and David Quirk who emerged from the pack to nick 3rd place by a single point. In 2nd place were Bernice & Michael McGreal with Michael still managing to surprise everyone with his consistent performances despite playing just once a week throughout the season. However, in 1st spot maintaining a 100% win record from their 18 matches were Kevin Quirk and Clive McGreal.

In the Mixed Singles league there were a number of domestic rivalries going on in conjunction with the main event. In the Drinkwater household it was Gordon who earned the bragging rights over Glynis and for the Kewley’s it was John who got the better of Win! Possibly the best match of the season in this league was the performance of Dee Lewis who defeated Mark McGreal in his return to the sport after a season off. Despite playing some of his best shots the consistency of Dee in this particular contest was world class with the result putting a dent in Mark’s title hopes. This win earned Dee 3rd place in the league. The final match of the season saw the title decider father/son fixture with Mark already having won the National Singles Championship in a similar encounter earlier this season. However, it was Clive who came out in front on this occasion to clinch the Singles League title having managed just a single loss in the season to Pam Makin who deserves a special mention for her performance on that day.
Well done to all competitors in these leagues for their sportsmanship, good company and competitive spirit.

Also a final mention to our members of the Manx Squad who competed at the European Championships recently and despite missing out on any medals finished in 8th Place overall from 18 Nations competing at this event.