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.
Spectator days
County Competitions 2026 - Men
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!
Paul Causer defeated Darren Ellis but fell 21-20 to an inspired Colin Strouts who then went on to defeat Alan Smith from Folkestone in the next round.
Alan Cornfoot received a walkover.
Both Alan and Colin lost out against Jason Avery.
Pairs
Some titanic games this evening saw Darren Ellis and Isaac Tompkins come though in a very tight match against Paul Causer and Tom Attaway. Alan Cornfoot and Matt Rich overcame Graham Funnell and partner, while Mike Cunningham and Bryan Nicholson are through to the next round. The Andrews were put to the sword by the young guns of Nick Holley and Jason Trow. Away Pete Foster and Jeff Vane beat Dad Martin Trow and partner.
This means on 9 June Pete and Jeff will face Darren and Isaac while Mike and Bryan will play a pair from Parks. Alan and Matt will be away at Parks against the pair who demolished the Andrews.
Pete and Jeff saw off Darren and Isaac, Bryan and Mike triumphed over Parks, but sadly Nic Holley and Jason Trow collected another Canterbury scalp of Alan and Matt.
Good news Pete and Jeff saw off another Parks pair to get themselves into the divisional finals. On the other side of the draw Nic Holley and Jason Trow disposed of their third Canterbury pair in the shape of Bryan and Mike.
Triples
Now getting to crunch time in the Triples. Pete Foster's triple is the last triple standing from Canterbury out of the four left and they face a triple led by Pat Briscoe and have to travel to Parks. The other side of the draw is a face off between Hythe and Parks.
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.
Not a good outcome. only the two Ellis's are left to fly the Canterbury flag and both play away. And then there was one.....Darren was due to be at home on 11 June, but his opponent has work committments and ceded the game. Darren is away on 18 June.
Fours
On Friday 12 June Jeff Vane's four were away after a bye, Joe Vandepeer's four was at home after a good win away at Parks. Both teams got through and now on 19 June they are both away at Parks.
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.
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
Canterbury ladies are dominating in one half of the draw, but it has meant that our ladies are eliminating each other. Mandy Catt beat Lin Riches and she now moves forward to play Yvonne Gambrill who had a good win over Julie Parker. But it does mean that Canterbury will have a representative in the last four of this competition.
Yvonne Gambrill beat Mandy Catt and in the semi-final is at home against Sharon Todd, due to be played on 29 June.
Pairs
Mandy Catt. Yvonne Gambrill and Karen Owen all lost in the later stages..
Triples
Yvonne Gambrill's triple (Yvonne, Mandy and Lin) won away on 11 June and will now be away again on 18 June.
Fours
Yvonne Gambrill's four (Yvonne, Maddie, Julie and Lin) is the last Canterbury interest and they won away on 10 June and they will now be at home on 17 June in round 3.
Senior Fours
Yvonne Gambrill's four (Yvonne, Mandy, Sue Mates and Lin) is the only Canterbury survivor and won away on 9 June. Sadly they lost on 16 June.
Maude Woods
In these singles matches there are play by dates rather than a fixed date.
Now in the third week of June we find that Karen Owen and Yvonne Gambrill have to battle it out for a place in the Divisional semi-final, as does Lin Riches. It could be all Canterbury affair.
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 had won two rounds, but came up against an Appleyard player in great form and lost.
Jeff won away at Cranbrook and Tonbridge and now is against Alan Cornfoot. Alan beat Jeff and is now away to Graham Knowles who beat Steve for a place in the Area Final.
Men's Pairs Over 60
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 then saw off Richard Hubbard from Betteshanger.
So the predicted Andy and Tony match comes to pass when they face Jeff and our old boy Chris Dawson to be played before 17 June.
Pleased to report that the two current members Andy and Tony beat Jeff and Chris 20-12 and so ease into the area semi-finals.
Women's Singles Over 60
Mandy Catt will be away at Ramsgate to be played by 24 June.
Women's Pairs Over 60
Lin Riches and Yvonne Gambrill are through to the area Semi-Finals and are at home for that against a pair from Sheerness to be played by the end of the month.
Mixed Pairs
Our only mixed pairs standing of Joe Vandepeer and Sue Mates won 17-9 against a pair from Minster and 21-16 against Dane Park but lost at Walpole Bay.
Mixed Fours
Alan Cornfoot, 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 were then at home to face the challenge of a four from Hawkhurst which they came from behind to win 17-16. They now face a semi-final round against a Josh Pounds Four from Appleyard before the end of the month.
Foundation Pairs
The Foundations have now crumbled.
Family Pairs
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 came through by two shots in the next round against the Trows from Parks and facing a pair from Queenborough away in the area semi-finals they sadly lost 16-15.
Champion of Champions
Men
Tom Attaway travelled to St Margarets in the Quarter Finals, but lost 21-18.
Women
Lin Riches won 21-15 away at Whitstable ; then had a walkover against Sandwich but her journey came to an end when she lost 21-19 away at Ramsgate.
National team events
Men's Top Club
Canterbury A started at home against Tonbridge and won 4-1. They faced Appleyard away and lost 3-2.
Canterbury B lost away at Paddock Wood .
Two Fours
Both A and B teams have fallen.
Women's Top Club
Canterbury lost away at Bearsted and Thurnham.
Over 60 Mixed Two Fours (Tony Allcock)
Canterbury B beat Whitstable but lost at home against Ashford Rail.
Canterbury A (Alan Cornfoot, Jeff Vane, Mandy Catt, Alison MacDonald, Steve Wells, Mick Fisher, Lin Riches and Karen Owen) won away 46-18 at Herne Bay B and were then at home against Lenham which they won comfortably and then won 41-26 away against Maidstone. They will now be away to Tonbridge by 28 June in the area semi-final.
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
We are drawn at home to Play Folkestone Parks by 28 June.
Trophy
We start our journey at Wear Bay to be played by 19 July.
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.