Favourites prove too strong for Mid-Antrim Zone ladies

Pre match predictions placed the favourites tag on the visitors and the nine times ladies zone champions lived up to those expectations with a 57–40 win over the locals.

The opening game on mat 1 saw Pearl Peacock, Madeline Graham, Eva Ferguson and Ann Bacon taking on the rink skipped by M Lagan.

The visitors opened strongly with counts of 1 and 3 to move into a 4–0 lead. The hosts replied with counts of 2, 2 and 1 to lead 5–4 at the halfway stage.

Thereafter, the ends were closely contested with 1’s and 2’s being scored on ends 6, 7, 8 and 9. This left the score line 8–6 in favour of the visitors. However, the Mid Antrim rink collected a 2 on the final end to earn a well deserved 8–8 draw.

Mat 2 saw Yvonne Rock, Ashley Rainey, Pearl Fleming and Roberta Morrison in opposition to D Young’s rink.

On this rink too the visitors started strongly with counts of 3, 3 and 1 putting them in control. Twos were then exchanged to leave the locals trailing 9–2 at the halfway stage. Despite winning three of the final five ends, the locals went down to a 13–5 defeat.

Although beaten on mat 3 the Mid Antrim rink of Maria Millar, Helen Rainey, Samantha Lynn and Helen Lynn put up a very creditable performance against E Brown’s rink.

The game consisted of seven single shot ends and three, 2 shot ends which gave the visitors a hard earned 8–5 win.

The winning margin could have been greater for the visitors who lay 4 shots on the last end with the jack in the ditch. However, Helen played one of the shots of the day with her last bowl to turn a ‘toucher’ into the jack to secure the shot.

Half-time was reached with the visitors holding an 11 shot lead, 29 shots to 18.

Mat 4 paired the Mid Antrim rink of Linda Turtle, Eilish McNeil, Ann Agnew and debutant skip Megan Wilson against E Wright.

This rink was to provide the hosts with their only win of the day and saw the home foursome out play the visitors. Counts of 4, 1 and 3 saw them dominate the opening exchanges to forge an 8-2 lead at 5 ends. The closing ends saw four single shots and one “no head” resulting in a well deserved 10-5 win for the host rink.

Irene McCullough, Roberta Hayes, Yvonne Hall and Joyce Green were drawn against arguably the strongest visiting rink skipped by Irish International Bridget Davidson.

The game on mat 5 saw the host rink up against it throughout with the mother/daughter combination at the back end of the Mid Ulster rink playing some exceptional bowls. This was a game the visitors dominated scoring on seven of the ten ends to win 14–4.

The final game on mat 6 saw Molly Turtle, Kathleen McKelvey, Sheila Smith and Wilma Adair drawn against the rink skipped by Sheila Anderson. This was a close game throughout and saw the home rink holding a slender 4–3 lead at five ends. The visitors replied with counts of 3, 2 and 1 against the locals 1 and 3 to claim a narrow 9–8 win.

The Mid Antrim ladies will now be competing in the shield competition.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

The qualifying stages of the National Championships for Mid Antrim will be held at the County Antrim Indoor Bowling Stadium next month with the following dates

Thursday, December 5 - Open singles/Ladies singles; Friday, December 6 - Open Rinks; Saturday, December 7 - Open Pairs/Open Triples & Ladies Pairs; Tuesday, December 10 - Ladies triples/ Over55s.

All clubs are reminded that entries MUST be with the competition secretary, Graham Maybin on or before this Thursday, November 7.