After a full weekend of bowling, the Outdoor Winter Bowls League title race has come down to only two teams, with each side having two matches left to play this season to determine who clinches the championship.

Last Saturday saw Louie's Angels continue the defence of their title with a match against Seven Up. Margy Tasker and Michele Cubbon opened the scoring for Angels by taking the doubles. Caroline Whitehead then won her singles, as did Trevor Quayle, to give Angels a solid 3-0 start.

Phil Kerruish and Steve Parker reduced the margin by winning their singles before Wayne Roberts gained revenge for an earlier season defeat to give Angels a 4-2 scoreline.

Continuing into the next match, Angels faced a patched up Odd Balls. Tasker and Cubbon finally ran out winners in the doubles having been all square at 13 across.

Roberts won a second singles of the day, while captain Matthew Keggen and Quayle each won their singles to secure the overall win.

For Odd Balls, Nigel Tebay and David Tait stepped up to give a more respectable score of 4-2 in Angels’ favour

Two sides looking to add to their league points saw Seven Up host Odd Balls. Three singles wins for Kevin Quirk, Kerruish and Parker appeared to secure a match win until Maria Dimsdale and Les Brookes fought back to 3-2.

With all resting on the doubles, it was left to Bernie McPhee and Sid McKnight to get Seven Up over the line and seal the third 4-2 result of the day.

Sunday began with Unbelievabowlers taking on Mooragh Marvels. Andy Cannell teamed up with Rebecca Jacobs to win for Unbelievas in the doubles, but thoughts of an overall match success were soon dismissed as Marvels dominated the five singles.

Joe Kneale, Bailey and Lacey McMullan, Richie and Grayse Blencoe ensured a repeat of the season's earlier encounter.

Perhaps tired from the previous day's exploits, Odd Balls also finished on the wrong side of a 5-1 outcome.

Outsiders’ Jenny Moore and Kim Hargraves partnered to take the doubles, before singles success for Tony Dugdale, Mike Alexander, James Teare and Steve Cook. Stephen Oates acted as a ray of sunlight for Oddballs with a rare appearance.

The first 3-3 draw of the weekend came when Marvels faced Odd Balls. Bailey McMullan, Brian Lindsay and Peter Corlett enjoyed singles success for Marvels, while Oates, Tebay won for Odd Balls. Rounding off the scoring by taking the doubles were Lil Smith and Les Brookes.

In the final match, Outsiders ensured a top-four finish with a 4-2 win over Unbelievas. Alexander, Moore and Cook each triumphed in their singles, as did Ben Dugdale and Teare in the doubles.

Unbelievas’ merit winner Andy Cannell saw out a close 21-19 win and late call-up Willie Cowley added a second.

Club Championship

In order to accommodate rearranged fixtures, the club's individual contest has been pushed back to Saturday, March 22 with the annual Best v Rest and prize presentations taking place the following day on Sunday, March 23.

MARK KELLY