One of the biggest events on the bowls calendar, the Isle of Man June Bowls Festival, took place last week.

The event attracted approximately 600 entries in both the men’s and women's events, as entries continue to improve.

The spectators were treated to a week of mixed conditions, particularly later in the week and especially on finals day, with heavy rain setting in for the morning and early afternoon.

In the men’s event it was Phil Lee (St Mary’s), known on the bowls circuit as ‘Sooty’, who picked up his second June Isle of Man Festival win, having won this event in 2023, as he etched his name further into the history books.

Lee collected the £3,200 winner’s cheque and lifted the famous trophy after beating Crossgates man Simon Walder 21-11.

Walder made a bright start by winning the first two ends, but Lee soon settled into the game, putting together short scoring runs while limiting Walder to only three further scoring ends.

The St Mary’s player scored five doubles on his way to a convincing victory.

The rain clearly affected conditions, with parts of the green saturated but not visibly so, making play difficult. Players had to navigate the heavier areas carefully, while the bowls ran more freely on the drier parts of the green.

Lee sealed victory with a double in the corners to score the two points needed to lift the June title once again and the sizeable cheque for £3,200.

Lee reached the final with what ended up being a comfortable win over the current holder Callum Wraight (Castlefields), who started off +3 because of his success in 2025.

Despite trailing 5-12 after only six ends, Lee started to find his feet and, with another six ends played in saturated conditions, the Wirral man found himself ahead 13-12.

Wraight was contained to only two more chalks, as a strong finish from Lee booked his place in the final 21-14.

Crossgates man Walder was up against the last of the locals Colin Kelly (Marown), with the visiting bowler always in control, remaining in the lead throughout the game to seal his place in the final with a 21-15 win.

Kelly picked up the George Craine Trophy as the furthest local bowler, while he also took home a cheque for £650 for his efforts.

The quarter-finals saw Lee start his day with what turned out to be his toughest game of finals day, with a hard fought 21-18 win over Jack Bowes (Pudsey Littlemoor).

The latter led on three separate occasions by a solitary chalk at 8-7, 14-13, and 18-17, before the Wirral man saw the game out with four consecutive singles.

Wraight advanced to the next round in a match that swung one way then the other and back again with Neil Withers (Marown).

Wraight led 11-6 then trailed 11-17 with a seven-end losing streak before the Castlefields man then went on a seven-end winning streak to see the game out 21-17.

In the other half of the draw Walder beat three-time June winner Graeme Wilson (AEU Alstom) 21-17, while Kelly took a comfortable 21-11 win over Danny Barwise (St Mary’s).

The Men’s Tourism was played down to the winner on Thursday morning on Noble’s number one green and it was Callum Wraight (Castlefields) who picked up the Tourism title with a solid 21-12 victory over Ryan Clark (Meersbrook).

With neither player taking the early initiative, it was Wraight who led by two chalks after 10 ends.

The Castlefields man went on to win seven of the following nine ends on his customary short length up to the crown and back to the corner to run out with a 21-12 win, and with it taking his fifth victory in the June Tourism event.

In the semi-finals Wraight made light work of Robbie Ellis (Pudsey Littlemoor) with a 21-10 win to book his place in the final, while Clark had to work for his 21-17 victory over Matty Stewart (Netherfield BC).

In the quarter-finals Wraight started his morning with a battle as he held off Joe Dicken (Sir John Bayley) 21-19, while Ellis beat Paul Bailey (Belvedere BC) 21-10.

In the other half of the draw Clark beat Simon Walder (Crossgates) 21-17, while Stewart beat Mark Booth (Dodworth MW) with a single-figure win 21-9.

The men’s consolation was won by 18-year-old Lewis Pember (Spen Victoria) who enjoyed success in what was his first time entering the festival.

He beat 1990 June winner Kevan Shaw (Carleton) - who has won the biggest prizes in the game - with an assured victory 21-14 in the final.

Pember beat Daniel Moores (Comberbach) 21-17 to book his spot in the final having trailed 17-18 before going on a three-end winning streak, scoring the four chalks needed.

In the other semi-final, Shaw held off the challenge of Richard Bendrey (Wirral) 21-18 as he scored five doubles to the Wirral man’s solitary double, which ultimately proved to be the difference.

The women’s consolation final was more straightforward for the winner Alexis Lunn-Gadd (Ossett Flying Horse) who beat Catherine Wilson (AEU Alstom) 21-11 in the final.

The latter scored five singles, while Lunn-Gadd scored five singles and six doubles on her way to victory.

Lunn-Gadd reached the final courtesy of a 21-12 win over Sarah Boyd (Lune Road), while Wilson took her place in the final to the same score with a win over Sarah Harrison (Eccleshill BC).

The Visit.com Flyer title went to Sally Turner (New Mill) who had a tussle with Matt Gilmore (Wirral), with the former having initially led 7-0 in a nine-up match.

Gilmore fought back to level the match at 8-8 to ensure the match went to a deciding end. Having a great bowl Gilmore would have been certain he would win, but a superb last bowl from Turner sealed a 9-8 victory.

Turner also had to work to reach the final, with another 9-8 win over Lorraine Hirst (New Mill), while Gilmore eased to a 9-3 victory over Kyle Chapman (Alford Hall BC).

The Last Chance Mixed Final was another close encounter, with Nick Dawson (Parkfield) winning 21-19 over Maurice Edmonds (Dalton Cricket Club).

Dawson reached the final with a solid 21-11 win over Steve Barber (Grapes Hotel), while Edmonds had to dig a little deeper to hold off Lorraine Hirst (New Mill) 21-17.

GLYNN HARGRAVES