​Kyleakin Indoor Bowling  Club

With the battles of yesterday still fresh in our memories, we started all over again today with the pairs. We had one withdrawal which left us with 3 groups of 5 and one of 6, group winners and runners-up progressing to the knockout stages. Many players looking at the draw were heard to comment that they were in a tough group. I guess there ARE no easy groups any more! 

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I must apologise for not having details to report from the group matches (apart from my own group but I won't bore you all with those). I know there were one or two surprise wins, some tight battles, some not so tight, and I did hear a few comments about luck - both good and bad - that players were experiencing. In other words, it was a fairly typical day's bowling!

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Unlike the group round robins, there are no second chances in the knockout stages. Lose and you're out. And so we said a fond farewell to some of our visitors from the east and the south but at least they would get on the road home a little sooner, hopefully reflecting on a fun weekend away. The fancied pairing of Chris & Kenny surprisingly did not make the semis. Maybe Kenny thought it wouldn't be appropriate to have his name on the trophy twice if he and Chris were the first winners!

Just like yesterday, we found ourselves with the semi-final places filled equally by home and visiting teams. Two of our local ladies with Scottish Team honours, Jill and Donalda, fought their way through to meet visitors Billy & Murray. In the other semi, Fred & Paul, who had brushed aside all opposition, faced the local pairing of David & Roddy, playing together for the first time.

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The former match was played on the frighteningly fast carpet 2, with Jill's laser-like leading and Donalda's accurate follow-up bowls helping them to a more comfortable victory than they perhaps dared hope for against such strong opposition. Meanwhile, Fred & Paul twice took a significant lead in their match only to have it clawed back by determined opponents. This nail-biting match went into the final end all square, and it was David & Roddy who won by nosing ahead for the first time in their semi. If you can gain the lead just once in a match, there's no better time.

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Surprisingly, given the skill of our visitors this weekend, it was two local pairings who met in the final. David & Roddy won a couple of tight ends at the start of the match. With one or two favourable nudges they went on to establish a stronger lead. Jill & Donalda fought back but could not find a big enough score to turn the pressure around. David & Roddy were able to absorb the losses and push on, building an unassailable lead to win the title. It's an encouraging start for a new pairing selected to play together in the British Isles Championships in Aberdeen later this year.

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So, once again, sincere thanks must go to all competitors for their support, to all those who work hard raising much-needed funds for the SSMBF during our competitions, to all the wonderful helpers in the kitchen, and of course to the competition organisers without whom none of it would happen. We hope everyone has enjoyed competing and renewing old friendships this weekend. 

As happens every other year, we welcomed visiting bowlers from across Scotland - and farther afield - to our season-opening competition, today's being Triples for the Donald Adams Trophy, named after a fondly remembered club member, sadly no longer with us. Tomorrow will be the inaugural "Macpherson Pairs", named after former KIBC member Kenny who, happily, is not only alive & kicking but who came back over from Ireland to compete in the weekend's events!

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Four groups of four teams played "Round Robin" producing our quarter-finalists, then whittled down through knockout rounds. Coincidentally, the two semis each produced a "home" versus "visitors" match. The visiting triple, skipped by Murray Masson on his first visit to us, found themselves in a really tight battle, fighting back against the home club triple skipped by the evergreen Roddy Morrison. They entered the final end at 5-5 where the visiting triple finally edged out the home side. 

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The other semi saw another on form visiting team, led by the experienced Paul Walker, running headlong into a reunited "home" team, Chris & Jill joined by the aforementioned Kenny Macpherson. However, the visitors found themselves needing a full house on the final end to keep the match alive. After spectacular and skillful driving shots from Paul, twice burning the final end to keep their hopes alive (just barely!), they finally conceded it was too big a hurdle to overcome. Definitely a "never say die" attitude!

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Appropriately, the final saw some of the finest bowling of the day, some of it from each of the players in both triples. The match swung one way then the other, both sides taking the lead on two separate occasions. Having struggled to find his form earlier in the day, Murray produced some scintillating shots under severe pressure, first to pull level in the final scheduled end (forcing an extra end), and then producing a magnificent draw with the last bowl of the day to take the title.

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Congratulations must go not just to our winners, Eric, Graeme, and Murray, but to all who took part and enjoyed the day. There's not enough room here to mention all the fine bowling performances but I'm sure many of those bowlers will be back tomorrow looking for revenge! Finally, thanks are due, as always, to all the unsung helpers who make the day a success, from the choir members who slaved over hot stoves in the kitchen to keep us fed and watered, to club members and others who performed all the usual donkey-work, without which we'd simply not have had our fun.   

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MEMBERS PLEASE NOTE:

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ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Tuesday 17th September 2019 at 7.30pm

Kyleakin Community Hall