Blackball

Cliff Starkey grows up on the Lynx Estate with his friend Trevor and grandfather Mutley. He dreams of playing for England, but his rebellious style puts him at odds with the local Torquay bowls club. This early friction sets up his drive to prove himself against the sport's establishment.

News of Australian brothers Carl and Mark Doohan touring England sparks Starkey's plan to qualify for the national team. He targets the upcoming tournament as his path to legitimacy. The pursuit frames his ambitions for the rest of the year.

Starkey progresses through the tournament undefeated and faces the veteran Ray Speight, a thirteen-time champion. He defeats Speight, signaling his breakthrough and cementing his eligibility to play for England. The win elevates him into the sport's top ranks.

Shortly after his triumph, Ray Speight bans Starkey for fifteen years for writing an expletive on an opponent's scorecard. The punishment shocks him and jeopardizes his rising career. The ban becomes the central obstacle Starkey must overcome.

Starkey gatecrashes Speight's celebration party and confronts him publicly. In the heat of the moment, he hurls a wood across the dinner table at Speight. The incident cements their heated rivalry and sets the stage for future clashes.

Sports agent Rick Schwartz discovers Starkey and rebrands him as the 'bad boy of bowls.' He turns the sport into a glitzy, media-driven spectacle. Starkey's profile climbs as he wins high-profile matches and attracts headlines.

Starkey develops a romance with Kerry Speight, Ray's daughter. The relationship fuels a new layer of drama as the media attention intensifies. It also tests Starkey's focus amid the growing spotlight.

Schwartz proposes lifting the ban by leveraging the relationship into a public display that would draw national press. The plan hinges on creating a spectacle that would force Ray Speight to rethink the ban. A public swearing at a press event pushes the issue toward resolution and reopens Starkey's career.

With the sport at an all-time high, Schwartz arranges The Ashes, a one-off match between Starkey and Speight against the unbeaten Doohan brothers in a custom-made bowls arena in Torquay. The event is pitched as a national showdown and draws huge attention. The stage is set for the sport's biggest moment.

Schwartz worries that Kerry's influence is affecting Starkey's game and ends his relationship with her. Starkey responds by firing Schwartz. The split shifts the power dynamic and forces Starkey to rely on his own grit as the Ashes showdown approaches.

As the match begins, Starkey loses his nerve and discards his own woods into a canal. Trevor and Kerry intervene, urging the pair to work as a team. The moment marks a turning point as the players regroup and prepare for a comeback.

Starkey dives into the canal to retrieve his bowls, followed by Ray Speight who thinks Starkey is drowning. They return drenched and synchronized, ready to push for a dramatic turnaround. The renewed collaboration sets the stage for a tense finish.

The game goes into extra time, humorously titled the 'golden bowl.' The audience watches with bated breath as each player fights to seize the final advantage. The pressure heightens as the finish line approaches.

In the final one-bowl playoff, Mark Doohan delivers a perfect front toucher. Ray Speight hands Starkey the bowl but instructs him to attempt his own signature shot, a large inswinger. The shot lands perfectly, Starkey and Speight celebrate victory, and they reconcile with Trevor and Mutley.