LBIOM

LBIOM members have had yet another successful season on the indoor scene, with a continuation of good form for those accustomed to playing indoor, some who have partaken in their first season and one man who hasn’t played for three years! Our members have shown their ability to compete for trophies despite continuing to be out numbered by the crown green code! Mark McGreal retained his indoor men’s championship title. Mark with Martin Paterson just missed out on the premier pairs league following losing out to a stroke of luck in their final game against the league winners. Mark, Martin and Michael McGreal secured the premier team league in convincing fashion. And Win Kewley, Janice Pilling Muriel Cain won the triples championship title, with the assistance of Marcia Pearson, against the odds on favourites.

Traditionally the indoor championship winner is invited to compete at the International Indoor Bowls Council’s senoir World Championships (IIBC formally the WIBC), which were held in Hartlepool this year. Due to Mark being conflicted by participating at the Commonwealth Games, to find a representative the IOMIBA held another knockout competition, where our very own Martin Paterson preveiled. Martin has had a fantastic return since retirement three years ago, when he left the island due to family commitments. However, our former champion returned just in time for the indoor season, and seems to have picked up where he left off.

Between 10th and the 13th April 2018 Martin represented the island competing against some of the world’s best. Martin was drawn in a group with not only one but two world ranked players, world number 7 Stewart Anderson of Scotland and world number 21 Graham McKee of Ireland, along with Piet Mantel of the Netherlands. Martin also couldn’t have had a more difficult start, drawn to play Anderson first! The score card went as expected, but Paterson put in a good opening performance, pushing Anderson right to the end. Martin ended losing in straigh sets, but with a very respectable score of 8-4, 8-4. Next came McKee; Paterson didn’t let the loss against Anderson get him down, as he put McKee under pressure early on by taking the first set and restricting his scoring, taking it 5-3. However, the same couldn’t be said for the second set as Martin dropped a 4 in the opening stages, which really was the telling point as McKee took the second set 7-4. Then came the tie break, but a one end tie break at this level against world ranked players is not easy! Martin sadly just couldn’t match him in the closing stage. Paterson was now not able to proceed to the quarter final stages, but he was determined to show his class. Martin then took on Mantel, and put the pressure on him early, storming into the lead and winning the first set 12-4. The second set saw a reversal of fortune for Martin, as he lost his touch slightly and allowed Mantel to take a few shots lead before ending the set 10-2 down. So, another tie break situation! This time however, Paterson rose to the occasion and claimed the match. Paterson said “It was an incredible week and I played the best bowls of my life. But for the tie break against Graham going the wrong way, I’d be in the quarters. It was the hardest group with the world number 7 and 21, so I am proud of how I played and the achievements”.