A huge congratulations to our team that contested and WON the Elco Cup (and other bits of silverware) at the East Lothian Province Bonspiel. After a big win in their first game, they were in second place which meant that they were up against the first round leaders. A second win saw them draw clear on shots and take the title.
Congratulations to Sandy Nicoll, Andy Aberdein, Keith Anderson and Richard Taylor
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| Sandy & Family |
After the ,now traditional, trying to understand the rules, battle commenced. It was interesting to note that of the five times 'skins' were won twice was with the hammer and three times without. Sandy was publicly claiming that his ambition was to win a single skin (which he had failed to do against his only previous skins outing). It should be noted that, his play did not indicate this modest ambition, and with one of his 'spirited' sweeping efforts, shattered the head of his broom !
With no winners in the first end Sandy struck and took 2 skins (with a rollover) in the second end. Morgan struck back with his own 2 skins in the next end. After the fifth end Dad was leading by 5 - 4 with 3 skins available for the next end, which wasn't won. This left, including the rollover, 7 skins on offer for the final end with Morgan being the slight favourite having shed the 'hammer' to his laddie.
Meantime the thirds were conspiring to make the skips have to 'draw the shot' to determine a winner.
With Sandy sitting with a 1 he needed to bite the eight foot with his final stone to take the skins and the win. Unfortunately the whole of the house was well guarded, so he had to make a very wide draw with only a small section of the house available to him. He played onto the tee line and made the shot.
So it is congratulations to Sandy Nicoll, Graeme Maguire, Richard Taylor and Heather Harpur as worthy winners.
The final game of the Wingate was between Team Pate and Team McDiarmid. Team Pate were firing on
were fighting for their survival in the Wingate, while Team McDiarmid required a peel to take the title. Only one of them could come away happy.
Sandy is the seventh player to back up a Rennie win (and achieve promotion) with a win in the 'big league' as a 'rookie'.
Congratulations therefore to Sandy Nicoll, Graeme Maguire , Richard Taylor and Heather Harpur.
They will go on to contest the Skins on 20th March against Team Morgan, the winners of the Rennie.
For factual correctness, this is the first time that there has been a Father/Son lock out in our leagues. There have previously been Father/daughter and Brother/sister as well as Husband/wife lockouts (can you name them?)
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| President Andy & Family |
Meanwhile their deputes were having an altogether different game on the next sheet. The Presidents pick started off sedately, but between taking a 5 in the third end and a 4 in the sixth AND restricting the Vice Presidents pick to a single end meant a very one sided game going to the 'underdogs' 15 - 3.
This meant that President Andy (A) retains the trophy and he and his team (Keith Anderson, Richard Taylor, Susan Stanton, Morgan Nicoll (skip), Hugh Braod and Roy Black) deserve praise for a colossal 21 - 7 victory.
A very convivial supper concluded the evening.
Until the final two ends this was a close game then Team Morgan took a 3 in the second last end and followed that by stealing a 2 in the final end. The final score was 9 - 5 to the Morgan Nicoll Rink.
Congratulations to Morgan Nicoll, Andy McDiarmid, Keith Anderson/Simon Kesley and Susan Stanton.
There is still one game remaining between Ian Donald's team and Dave Munro's team, this will decide the 'spoon' winners.
It may be getting near the end of the season but there are still some BIG games to be played.
Wingate
Still tight as a tight thing.
The top two teams, Andy McD and Sandy have played each other for the last time and are still split by only 1 point. They both still have to play James Pate and Andy A, who in turn still have to meet each other, as well. All four teams could still claim the Rosebowl.
Rennie
The long time leader Karen was beaten by her bottom placed father, which sees her relinquish her long held top spot. Her team now trails team Morgan by 2 points although she has a game in hand. Interestingly though despite playing one less game than Morgan they have both won the same number of ends. Morgan's last game will be against Karen in what could be the title decider. The win for Dave also moves his team off the bottom of the table. That 'honour' goes to Team Ian, although only on ends. Team Ian also has a game in hand over Dave and good wins in his last two games (and a bit of luck) and he could still take the Quaich. The only team that cannot win is Team Dave. With Ian still having to play both Munro father and daughter, it looks like Dave's only remaining game against Ian could be the wooden spoon decider.
Trivia
Especially in the run up to Christmas, I felt that I was always playing on sheet 2 which, at that time had some 'dodgy' ice. As you know, I ask for sheet numbers to be recorded on the score sheets. Following some analysis and omitting the 2 'unrecorded' sheets. Over all our competitions, to date this year we have played on sheet 2 seven times! (so I wasn't making it up). The next most popular sheet was 6 with six appearances. Things then drop off dramatically with sheets 1 & 3 being played on 4 times and sheets 4 and 5 only three times. Last nights game was the only time this season that we have played sheet 7 ! Points and pairs have not been included.
(This is the kind of thing that keeps me awake at nights!)
The final game of round 2 saw all four teams close up. There are now 3 teams on 3 wins and the final team is only one win behind them. Leading the way is Team Sandy with three wins and one peel. He is one point ahead of Team McDiarmid and Team James (P), who are separated by a single end. Meanwhile bringing up the rear is the President's team, but still only two points away from leading the table.
I usually say that there is all still to play for and this time it is really true, with all the teams withing touching distance of the silverware.
