Castletown Bowling Club hosted the Cringle Fours charity men’s open competition on Sunday, attracting 18 pairs on a well-running green.

The quarter-finals were well contested, the lowest losing score being 16-21, with Shaun Seal (Douglas) and Collin Holland (Castletown) losing out to the South Ramsey pairing of James Teare and Steven Waters.

Home greeners, Alan Phair and Cliff Clague, were beaten by the Marown/Peel combination of Sam Clague and Dean Kinley 19-21.

In the bottom half of the draw Wayne Roberts (Port St Mary) and Alan Moore (South Ramsey) ended the challenge of Jimmy Sansom (Douglas) and Andy Kennish (Peel) 21-16, with Nathan Hamilton (Port St Mary) and Stefan Kelly (South Ramsey) edging home 21-20 against South Ramsey pair David Bradford and Glynn Hargraves.

The high-scoring games continued into the semi-finals as Teare and Waters put paid to the challenge of former home greeners Clague and Kinley 21-17. Their score was aided by a three and a four early on in the game.

In the other semi-final Roberts and Moore looked favourites to progress to the final as they were ahead 13-8 and 18-15. They also led 20-18 only for a single and a double from Hamilton and Kelly to prove sufficient for the latter pair to progress through to the final with a 21-20 win.

The final began somewhat tough to call, but the younger pairing of Hamilton and Kelly took control of the game with eight ends played to lead 16-10 thanks to a full-house scoring four. Teare and Waters got back into the game, taking five consecutive singles to sit one chalk behind at 15-16, only for Hamilton and Kelly to find another gear.

Despite winning one end fewer than their opponents over the entirety of the match, Hamilton/Kelly took a deserved 21-17 win and with it Hamilton’s first open success.

At the conclusion of the competition the presentation was made by Phil Taubman, who thanked Kath Kinley and the club members for the smooth running of the competition and announced that £232 had been raised for Manx Blind Welfare Society.

Murray Cringle, son of long-term sponsor Noel Cringle, presented the trophy.