LBIOM

The Isle of Man Lawn Bowls Mixed Pairs Championships were due to be played on Saturday 21st August 2021, however it was postponed to the following day due to the inclement weather and poor green conditions. The overnight delay in playing the mixed pairs championship at least brought the sunshine, even if the green was a bit heavy and tricky to deal with. It also brought good fortune to Bernice & Michael McGreal, who managed to become the first pairing to retain the Eric Maddocks cup.

The game itself was a bit scrappy at times, as everyone found the rink hard to master. The reigning champions managed to take an early lead, and restrict their opponents to limited counts on their attempt to claw the game back. The game was at a pivotal moment when Michael managed to overturn a three down, which would have seen them go behind for the first time in the match, to knick a single for themselves, denting the challengers’ hopes. This was followed by a loose end where Mark & Charlotte dropped a five. With the game drawing towards the end of the number of ends scheduled, this all but sealed the win for Bernice & Michael. They ended up reclaiming the trophy with a 17-11 victory.