Lurgan’s Development Team tie at home to tough 58th Old Boys’ side

Gareth Bunting, skipping on Rink 1, with Sandra Grieve, who delivered some great bowls, Jake Frazer and Neil Allen inspired his team to come from one shot adrift at 9-10 against Chris Hill at the three-quarter stage to claim nine shots off the last five ends, to produce a match-tying 18-11 win that included a dramatic finish.

With Gareth’s first bowl lying shot and the 58th’s bowl matching it, he calmly dislodged their bowl to claim two shots and tie the match.

On Rink 2, young Thomas Martin, who had a very good second game, Leslie Wylie, Neil Harvey and Paul Henderson faced a rink skipped by David Shaw, this season’s NIBA Junior Singles Champion. The Lurgan put up hard fight to recover from being 4-11 down after 10 ends and to take four shots off the last end and finish just four shots short of rink win; losing by just 11-14.

Gordon Whitehead, Ryan Bates, Melvyn Hamilton and Stanley Watson had a tough match facing Andrew Robinson and his trio to be 1-11 down after seven ends but succeeding with a five-shot win on the next end to shorten the visitors’ lead to 6-11.

The Lurgan Four were 10 shots down going into the last end but Ryan Bates, bowling at second and in his second competitive match, delivered a brilliant bowl to take the jack forward and out of the head thus providing the back end with the chance to pick up three more shots which they did to lose by just 13-17 on the night.

A Lurgan spokesperson was full praise for the Development Team who played so well to tie the match at 42-42 and who were certainly up for the challenge. He was also thankful to the Ladies who provided a very nice supper post-game.