Round-up of the action at Ballybrakes Bowling Club

Tuesday Evening R French 2 v A Scott 20 C Stewart 10.5 v R Calvin 6 R McClure 10 v A McClelland 9 A McKillop 10 v S Mitchell 8

Thursday afternoon R Calvin 9 v T Mairs 14 R French 9 v N Lamont 17 A Scott 12 v M McCullagh 9

Thursday Evening I McClure 12 v A Elliott 6 B Kane 16 v I Lynn 10 W McCaw 16 v H Elliott 6 G Kelly 9 v G McCloy 10

Friday evening G McCloy 10 v C Stewart 11 H Elliott 5 v W McCaw 11 C Brogan 4.5 v A Elliott 9 S Mitchell 13 v A Robinson 8

*Don’t forget everyone is welcome on a Wednesday afternoon for “Fun Bowls” , it is open to member and non-members so come along and enjoy the craic. Cost is £4 for non-members and £3 for members.

* Men’s Inter-Club Championship - The Men’s Inter – Club championship opening match was played on Saturday 26th between the Ballybrakes side and Co Antrim IBC.

The visitors took a narrow lead of 5 shots, 20 - 25 after 5 ends, but was narrowed to just 1 shot at 10 ends 40 - 41, Ian McClure’s rink picked up a 4 and a 3, and Gary McCloy’s rink picked up a 5 in one end for the home side to lead 66 v 59 at 15 ends and with the bell ready to ring it was still anyones game. Barry Kane’s rink lifted a count of 5 shots on the last end to ensure the Ballybrakes side recorded a victory. Rink scores I McClure 13 – G McKee 18, S Colvin 15 – A Kyle 14, G McCloy 13 – A Coleman 17, B Kane 17 – S Coleman 11, G Kelly 17 – A Duncan 5. Ballybrakes 7 points CAIBC 2 points.

On Sunday morning the losing side from Saturday’s game played Belfast IBC but it was all very one sided with Belfast winning on all 5 rinks and claiming the maximum 9 points. Belfast scores first. N Mulholland 20 – A Duncan 10, S Bennett 22 – G McKee 10, M Merritt 20 – A Kyle 7, S Martin 19 – A Coleman 6, R Battersby 18 – S Coleman 10, Belfast 99 – CAIBC 43.

The game in the afternoon was the decider for the Championship between Ballybrakes and Belfast. The scores were tight throughout the match with no more than 5-6 shots in it throughout the game and remained like that right up until the last end, with the home side 5 down and Simon Colvin’s rink the last to finish. He was lying 5 shots with two bowls to come but the Belfast skip Stuart Bennett drew in for 2nd shot to leave Simon a difficult shot to remove the Belfast bowl, but a fighter right up until the last, Simon made a great effort to try to remove the bowl to win the championship but it wasn’t to be. Leaving Belfast to win the match by 4 shots overall and taking the Championship 15 ½ points to 9 ½. Ballybrakes scores first G Kelly 17 – R Battersby 11, I McClure 20 – N Mulholland 5, S Colvin 9 – S Bennett 32, G McCloy 10 – M Merritt 10, B Kane 9 – S Martin 11.

* Friendship Games

The International Friendship rinks are being held in Ballybrakes CIBC from 2nd – 3rd November.