d03f4472-b24c-4545-8c4c-d08288259241

57

ISLEOFMANEXAMINER

Tuesday, September 14, 2021 www.iomtoday.co.im

FINALWHISTLE

Callumgets itWraight towinhis first IsleofManBowlsFestival title

roundofapplauseinapprecia- tionofagreatfinal,withBailey hanginginthroughoutagainst aformidableopponent.Bailey could take consolation in the runners-upchequefor£1,000. Wraight reached the final courtesy of a nervy 21-20 win overDannyBarwise (Birchley StMary’s),withtheformerre- covering from a 14-18 deficit to lead for thefirst time in the game at 20-18. On the fol lowing end Wraightpushedhis jacktothe edge only for his first bowl to flyoffthegreen.WithBarwise failing to punish him for this, Wraight watched his second bowl trickle off the green to allow Barwise to carry up his second bowl and tie the score at 20-20. On the deciding end the counting bowl changed with each bowl sent and it was Wraight who played a great last bowl under tremendous pressure to take his place in thefinal. In the other semi-final the local player who had progressed the furthest and receivedtheChrisQuayleMe- morial trophy for the furthest ManxmanwasDavidBradford (SouthRamsey)whowasplay- ing superbly to go into a 14-8 lead against Paul Bailey. He was counting for one and, upontryingtomaketwo, Bradfordwent intothebackof his opponent’s bowl to allow Bailey a free shot to take out the counting bowl. He duly achieved this in whatwasahugeturningpoint in the game to count for two. chan pair Paula Firth and Jo Smith 11-5 in thefinal. The mixed pairs was won by Paul Kissock (Lindal BC) andGraceHubbert(Stalmine) - the latter retaining the title she won in 2019 with Andy Mailer - as Kissock/Hubbert won 9-5 againstMarkHinch- cliffe (Penwortham) andEliz- abeth Bennett (Penwortham Sports). The Festival prizes were presented by British Crown Green Bowling Association’s former CEO John Crowther. In his acceptance speech, men’swinnerCallumWraight thanked the organisers for their hard work, commiser-

The long-awaitedreturnof the IsleofManSeptember Bowls Festival tookplaceon sixgreens in theDouglas and Onchanarea lastweek. Somuchhas happened in the two years since the last fes- tival, so it was great to meet up with old friends and new, whilst also remembering those that are no longer with us. The festival is now in its 100th year having first been played for in 1921. Noble’s one, two and three greenswere used, in addition to Douglas [Villa Marina], FinchHill andOnchan. In the men’s event it was CallumWraight (Castlefields) whopickeduphismaidenIoM Festivalwin,havingprevious- ly lost intheJune2016final to Kez Smith (Crossgates). Wraight made no mistake this time roundashe took the winner’s cheque for £3,000 and finally got his hands on the famous trophy. He had to overcomethechallengeof an- otherregularvisitor, two-time winner from 2005 and 2007 Paul Bailey (Thongsbridge). The final started with Wraight taking seven of the first eight ends to build a 14- 6 lead playing his customary short length. Baileyrespondedwithtwo doublesonly toconcedea two himself, then scored a single as he sprung the jack to his backbowl to sit 11-16 behind. A double and a single got Bailey towithinfourchalksat

BOWLS

byGlynnHargraves

14-18.Wraight tooktwoof the next three ends to grab a 20- 15 lead, only for Bailey to play anothergreatrunningbowl to trail the jack through for two to set upa tense ending to the gamewith the score at 17-20. Bailey left his initial bowl 18inches fromthe jack,which Wraight didn’t beat with his first. With the former just failing to improve with his second, Wraight shrugged off any hint of pressure and changed his peg, stalking his last bowl to tap the jack and claimamagnificentwin. As he did, he let out a roar of sheerdelight, throwingthe mat up in the air in front of a good crowd who gave a huge

Action fromwhatwas anenthrallingfinal for the spectators atNoble’sParkNo.1 greenwitheventualwinner CallumWraight of Castlefieldsbowling,watchedby runner-upPaul Baileyof Thongsbridge Photos:MikeAshmole

Bothsemi-finalswerewell contested with Bailey edging home 21-18 against Chris Bly (Hopwood).Dysonbookedhis place in the final with a hard- fought 21-17 win over Callum Wraight (Castlefields). In the quarter-finals Bly had progressed with a 21-19 winoverMikeTunstall (Crad- ley Sports & Social); Bailey won21-12againstBenPhillips (Lloyd Hotel); with Wraight winning to the same score against Dave Allsop (Mare- hay), while Dyson beat James Fitzpatrick(WestKirbyVicto- ria)witha21-11wintoprogress to the next round.

(Hopwood), while Barwise progressed to the semi-fi- nals courtesy of his 21-12 win over 2008 winner Colin Kelly (Marown). MEN’S TOURISM The Men’s Tourism competi- tion was played down to the winneronThursdaymorning on Noble’s No.1 green, and it was JohnBailey (Castlefields) whoperformedwell to see off JackDyson (Thongsbridge) to take the Tourism title with a 21-16 victory. Bailey recovered from an 8-14 deficit to take nine of the last 10 ends. His mother Tracy could not have been prouder, with Callum’s dedication to play bowls tothebest ofhisability shiningthrougheverytimehe steps on the green. Callumisahighly-respect- ed bowler and person on and off the green, with this hav- ing been instilled in him at a young age. He has won al l of the game’sbiggestprizesandwas the bookies’ favourite before abowlhadevenbeenbowled. No doubt his next challenge will be to get his name on the Junetrophytobecomeoneof a select few to win both June andSeptember festivals.

He then scored another dou- ble, followedbyasingletopull the score back to 13-14. From there, Bailey took eight of the next 11 ends scor- ing singles to see the game out 21-18 in another excellent game for the spectators. The quarter-finals were all fairly comfortable for the winners, Bradfordending the hopes of previous winner Ian Nicholson (Hale) with a 21-13 win, andBailey seeingoffCal- lumBriddon(Fairfield)witha 21-15 victory. In the bottom half of the draw, Wraight also won 21- 15 against Anthony Rukin ating with his opponent and good friend Paul Bailey. He also said it was great to have hisgrandmother,motherand stepfatherRichietheretosee himwin it. The 34-year-old Shrop- shire man has been coming to the island on a regular ba- sis for 17 years, having suf- fered more heartache than most reachingsixsemi-finals and losingout inthefinal five years ago. Two or three years ago he had said that while he had won everything there was to win in theUK, the Isle ofMan Festival was the one that he wantedmost.

DavidBradfordwith theChris QuayleMemorial Shield for the lo- cal that progressed the furthest Photo: ArnieWithers

Festival winner has been a regular visitor to the island for half his life

TheMen’sConsolationevent was won by Dave McDer- mott (Tixall), beating Andy Sorsby (Thongsbridge) 21- 14, with the women’s going to Marown’s Lynda Cadamy defeatingJaneGlaister(Win- dermere) 21-17. The Visit.com Flyer title alsowent toCallumWraight (Castlefields) who had a 9-2 victory over Debbie Davis (Pudsey BC), and the Last Chance Mixed Final was wonbyRobertWhyatt(Pack- horse)whobeatKevinNicho- las(GresfordColliery)21-17in another closefinal. The open doubles was won by Conor Chamberlain

SUPPORTEVENTS

(Stretton,Anglesey)andBrad Bayliss (Castlefields) with a 11-8successoverRossMeese (Meersbrook BC) and Katie Morgan (Maltby BC). Men’s doubleswent to fa- ther and son Dave and Ben Phillips (Lloyd Hotel) who went one better than Sep- tember 2019 as they beat Neil Rigden (New Longton) and SteveMcCall (Kirkham) 11-7 in thefinal. The women’s pairs was won by Jane Glaister (Win- dermere) and Gill Simm (Lune Road), defeating On-

FestivalwinnerCallumWraight Photo: ArnieWithers