Marown Bowling Club hosted the Juan Kelly Cup last week, with the competition attracting 46 as the curtain was brought down on the 2024 season.

Played over two qualifying nights on Monday and Tuesday, four pairs qualified each night for the finals on Wednesday.

The format was any combination doubles, played over 15 ends with ends five, 10 and 15 played as ‘power’ ends with the points scored counting double.

Players received a handicap based on their rankings in the men’s and women’s game. If scores were tied after 15 ends, a one-bowl shootout determined the winner.

For finals night a re-draw took place, with a good mixture of high and low handicaps still in the competition.

Losing in the quarter-finals were home greeners Glenn Boland and Peter Jones (SCR) 10-19 to team-mates Colin Kelly and Tom Kelly (SCR), while 2023 winners Paul Dunn and Stevie Kelly (SCR) (Marown/Peel) beat +8 handicappers Paul Moore and Lee Price (Noble’s) 21-13.

Kim and Glynn Hargraves were off a +2 handicap (South Ramsey) and beat Peel pair Tony Carroon and Dougie Allan (+3) 18-10, while Phil Kelly and John Gelling (+2) won the all-Marown battle versus Debbie Leece and Neil Withers (+1) 18-14 in the closest tie of the round.

The Kelly father and son combination progressed with 19-14 despite conceding eight chalks to Dunn and Kelly on the first power end, as they won the last two power ends with eight chalks of their own.

The Hargraves reached the final 19-16 win over Kelly and Gelling despite losing two of the power ends themselves.

The final got underway with the South Ramsey pair scoring a three on the first end. They conceded a single, were lying one on the following end only for Tom to take the jack off the green. Another single followed for Kim and Glynn.

The game swung on its head on the first power end as a four scored by the Marown men turned a 1-6 deficit into a 9-6 lead.

The home greeners scored a two on the following end, with another great bowl from Tom tipping the jack going into the river corner.

Kim and Glynn pulled a two back on the following end, then conceded a two and a three to trail 8-16. The second power end was won by the visitors with a single, with a bigger scoring end needed to close the deficit.

A single on the following end proved to be their last point as the Kellys scored two doubles and a single on end 14 was enough to lift the title for the first time 21-11.

At the conclusion of play the presentation was made by Marown club president Peter Kelly who thanked Juan Kelly for once again sponsoring the competition, Brian Kelly for running the sheet, the women for the refreshments over all three nights, everyone who entered and all those who came to support.

GLYNN HARGRAVES