National Competitions for men and women are run by Bowls England and the competitions for 2026 are managed from here.
County competitions for men are run by Kent County Bowling Association and for the women by their website here . Entry dates and rules can be found on their respective websites. The Club organises entries on behalf of members through the Secretaries of the Men's and Ladies' Sections.
The KCBA divides the historic County of Kent into 4 Divisions. An interesting map shows it nicely.
County competitions, as well as producing champions of the County in a particular discipline, also provide entry qualifications for the National events held in Leamington.
There are also Kentish team competitions which the club enters, such as the Bernard Annand Trophy/Shield and the Millennium Trophy and our progress, or otherwise, will be recorded at the end of this page.
County Competitions 2026 - Men
The draws have now been made for the 2026 outdoor season. Once again Canterbury has a significant number of entries across the range of competitions.
There are some cracking matches in prospect for spectators . As in previous years we will track the fortunes of our players as (hopefully) they play their way to the finals.
Rules for matches are here.
The scheduled dates for playing are:
Singles
Across Kent the Singles competition is divided into four sections; we are in the most populated section and we start matches on Monday 11 May. To get to a final a player in our section has to play many more matches than in other sections!
The preliminary round is now out of the way. Paul Causer defeated Darren Ellis and so will meet Colin Strouts in the next round.Tom Attaway won his first match away, but then lost to Jason Avery. Mick Fisher will be playing Andy Ferguson. Mark Collison will be playing at home against Pat Briscoe. Jeff Vane won his away match and will be at home next week, as will Steve Wells. Alan Cornfoot won away against Cameron Potter and will now be at home next week, but Pete Foster is away playing Cameron's father. Finally Isaac Tompkins will be away with the incentive that if he wins he may face Alan Cornfoot in the next round.
Spectator days
Pairs
Pete Foster, Alan Cornfoot, Darren Ellis, Jeff Vane, Andy Ferguson are drawn away, Paul Causer, Tom Andrews and Bryan Nicholson start off at home. Matches played on a Tuesday starting 26 May.
Byan Nicholson and Mike Cunningham beat a pair from Parks, as did Paul Causer and Tom Attaway, while Tom Andrews and John Andrews beat a pair from Folkestone. Alan Cornfoot and Matt Rich won away at Parks.
Triples
The triples of Darren Ellis, Colin Strouts and Pete Foster are away Paul Causer (has a bye and could end up playing Pete Foster, if Pete wins away). Matches played on a Wednesday starting on 3 June and we have no matches at home on that day.
Unbadged Singles
Canterbury bowlers have the rough side of the draw in the unbadged with Mark Collison, Darren Ellis, Dean Ellis and Bryan Nicholson all starting away. Colin Strouts and Andy Ferguson are at home. Matches played on a Thursday starting 28 May.
Fours
Darren Ellis and Jeff Vane are away. Joe Vandepeer is at home.
Matches are played on a Friday starting on 5 June.
Over 55 Fours
No entries this year.
Cox Cup
Canterbury A are away at Lyminge in round one, Canterbury B have a bye in round one but will then be away to Whitstable B or Herne Bay A.
Junior Pairs
TBA
Rules
Competition rules for the men's programme can be found here.
County Competitions 2026 - women
The competition bye-laws can be found here.
Two wood singles
TBA
Singles
Lin Riches is at home on June 1 and if she wins she would play Mandy Catt (a bye) in round two. Yvonne Gambrill is at home on June 1.
Pairs
Karen Owen and Yvonne Gambrill are away in the Preliminary round on 29 May. Mandy Catt is at home on 5 June.
Triples
On the preliminary round on 4 June Jenny Anderson is at home and Yvonne Gambrill is away.
Fours
In the preliminary round on 27 May Mandy Catt is at home, while Yvonne Gambrill is away in round one on 3 June.
Senior Fours
Jenny Anderson is at home in the preliminary round on 2 June. Christiane de Weduwe is at home in round one on 9 June and Yvonne Gambrill is away on that date.
Maude Woods
In these singles matches there are play by dates rather than a fixed date. The first round of matches need to be played by 16 May.
Alison Macdonald and Jane Carey-Harris didn't make it. Following her victory, Deborah MacVean could play Lin Riches who has yet to play Robyn Lockhart.
Matches to be played by 30 May have Jenny Anderson playing Karen Owen and with Sue Close away and Yvonne Gambrill at home.
Mollie Cleggett
This double fours sees Canterbury playing New Romney (who beat us in 2025) on 14 July.
Rules
Rules for the above Ladies competitions can be found here.
National Competitions 2026
Rules for Nationals can be found here.
Men's Singles Over 60
Steve Wells, Alan Cornfoot will be at home and Andy Ferguson, Jeff Vane away, to be played by 27 May.
Alan had a good win over Nick Bowden a former Kent County champion and will now be at home to be played by 10 June. Andy lost to John Sadler of Ashford Town. Steve won 21-3 and wil now be at home against opponents from Bearsted or Lenham.
Jeff won away at Cranbrook and will have to travel again in the next round.
Men's Pairs Over 60
Steve Wells with Mick Fisher won away at Parks and will now face Andy Ferguson and Tony Dobson.
Andy Ferguson and Tony Dobson made a late comeback and beat a pair from Sandwich 15-14 and will now be at home to play Steve Wells.
This friendly rivalry came to a head on Bank Holiday Monday when Andy and Tony outfought Steve and Mick and their next match is the Divisional Quarter Finals when they will be at home and could play Jeff Vane if he wins his next match.
Jeff Vane, (playing with a Club old boy) won easily at Gateway and will now be at home against Richard Hubbard from Betteshanger. Colin Strouts pair fell to another Gateway pair.
Women's Singles Over 60
Mandy Catt will be away to be played by 24 June.
Women's Pairs Over 60
Mandy Catt's pair will be away to be played by 3 June, Lin Riches' pair will also be away but to be played by 17 June.
Mixed Pairs
Andy Ferguson and Joe Vandepeer's pairs will be at home, while Steve Wells, Tom Andrews and Isaac Tompkins's pairs will be away to be played by 7 May.
Tom Andrews and Deborah McVean lost 20-19 against a strong Aylesham pair on their green. Isaac got a walkover and will play the next round at home.
Steve Wells with Yvonne Gambrill won away at Lenham 22-14 and will now be at home against a Faversham pair to be played by 21 May. Steve injured himself and had to withdraw and a late substitute was not up to the task.
Isaac's pair had to withdraw and Andy Ferguson lost out to the formidable Alan Morton from Lenham.
Joe Vandepeer and Sue Mates won 17-9 against a pair from Minster and will now travel to Dane Park to be played by 21 May.
Mixed Fours
Andy Ferguson's four will be away at Tonbridge while Alan Cornfoot's four will be at home to be played by 18 May.
Alan's four of Alan, Paul Causer, Lin Riches and Yvonne Gambrill won against a Tonbridge four and then were away at Maidstone where they won on the last end. They are now at home to face the challenge of a four from Appleyard or Hawkhurst.
Andy's four lost to another Tonbridge four.
Foundation Pairs
Both Darren and Dean Ellis's pairs are away to be played by 25 May. Darren and Mark Collison succeeded and will now be at home against a pair from Charing or Hythe.
Family Pairs
Tom Andrews and Colin Strout's pairs will be at home, while Darren Ellis and Paul Causer's will be away to be played by 14 May.
Colin Strout's pair won comfortably and will be at home to be played by 28 May.
Tom and John Andrews beat Dave and Cameron Potter to progress to the next round to be played away by 28 May. The Causers were given a walkover in Sandwich and so it will be an all Canterbury next round.
Tom Andrews created a record by once again losing on the last end in 3 national competitions this year. With his twin John they lost out 20-19 to the Causers. The Causers will be at home in the next round.
Champion of Champions
Men
Tom Attaway was given a walkover in round one and is now away to be played by 2 June.
Women
Lin Riches won 21-15 away at Whitstable and will now have to travel to Sandwich in the next round.
National team events
Men's Top Club
Canterbury A started at home against Tonbridge and won 4-1. They will now face Appleyard away.
Canterbury B lost away at Paddock Wood .
Two Fours
Canterbury B will start at home against Whitstable by 4 May. Canterbury A will also start at home against Ramsgate by 17 May.
Canterbury B triumphed over Whitstable having trailed for large parts of the match but coming good at the very end and winning 34-30. They won again at home against Kearsney and will now be away at Sandwich.
Canterbury A started their campaign on 10 May and beat two fours from Ramsgate and will now be away at St Lawrence.
Women's Top Club
Canterbury will be away at Bearsted and Thurnham by 7 June.
Over 60 Mixed Two Fours (Tony Allcock)
Canterbury B will be at home against Whitstable, while Canterbury A will be away at Herne Bay B by 17 May.
Canterbury A (A Cornfoot, G Vane, M Catt, A MacDonald, S Wells, M Fisher, L Riches, K Owen) won away 46-18 at Herne Bay B and were then at home against Lenham which they won comfortably and now they will be away against Maidstone or Herne Bay C.
Other major tournaments
Bernard Annand
Two competitions the Shield and the Trophy. The Shield is open to all club members, but the Trophy cannot have County badge players or members who have been part of a team who had previously won a Shield or Trophy competition.
Shield
Trophy
Millennium Cup
This is a competition run by clubs in Mid-Kent and to which we were invited to join a few years ago. We won the competition in 2023. The rinks are a two wood singles, a four wood singles, a pairs, a triple and a four. The scoring system is geared to winning at least three disciplines.