Portadown bowlers push for promotion
Portadown Bowling travelled to Antrim Lawn in their final league game of the season. A win was the target for the team against an Antrim team who play on artificial grass. The Antrim team had not lost at home all season and Portadown knew they had an uphill task.
What evened the day up was the weather as it rendered the ground very wet and it was the skill of the team who handled it best. Portadown and Antrim both found the early speed of the ground difficult but Antrim began to get the pace as they played regularly on this type of surface.
Portadown rinks soon found their lines and were competing for every end of bowls. The games were close and Antrim was leading in two rinks and Portadown had the lead in the other two.
It was all coming down to the total point score of each team as to who would take maximum point.
The Billy Martin rink bowled some very good bowls and looked certain to take their rink. Eric McCarneys rink how ever was a tight affair and it was in the second half that they began to have some daylight in the match they evenly won their rink 21 to 16 to give Portadown 2 rinks .
In the other two Portadown were losing and it was just how close they could keep the scores in order to take the the game with the higher points total. David Moore’s rink and Noel Orr’s rinks fought hard to keep the score to 5 and 6 points. The overall result finished 89 points to 80 in favour of Portadown and with it 5 leagues points. This took the team into the vital 4th place and with it possible promotion.
The Portadown Ladies have enjoyed an exceptionally successful 2025 season in the NIWBA Senior League, finishing the year undefeated with 13 victories and a single draw. This remarkable performance has secured their sixth consecutive league title. With one game remaining, the team faced the Ballyholme Ladies in a match that served as a celebratory conclusion to the season, ultimately earning 6 points.
In addition to their league triumph, the team reclaimed the Wingrave Cup, achieving a thrilling victory over Dungannon Ladies by a mere one shot in the semi-finals, followed by another nail-biting win against Newcastle Ladies in the final.
The ladies take immense pride in their accomplishments during the 2025 NIWBA championships, which included being in three quarter-finals, three semi-finals, and two finals. Notably, Sandra Whittle, Lorraine Grimley, Zoe Minish, and Bethany Whittle claimed victory in the NIWBA Fours, adding to their collection of trophies this season. The quartet travelled to Lurgan to compete in the Irish Semi-Final against Sophie McIntyre’s rink from Ballymoney, though they were ultimately defeated 23-17.
This marked the first appearance for Sandra, Lorraine, and Beth in the Irish Championships, and hopes remain high for future participation.
The Portadown Ladies are committed to continuing their campaign and growing in strength. If you are interested in joining the team, please contact us via our Facebook page; we are always eager to welcome new players!