Around The Rinks: 16th – 18th November
WJCC-B Playdown
15th-18th November, Curl Aberdeen
Team Farmer have won the right to represent Scotland at the 2019 WJCC-B Championships in Lohja, Finland after emerging victorious from the playdown held last weekend at Curl Aberdeen. Following an exciting double round robin, Team Farmer were top of the table and clear at 5 wins and 1 loss with Team Davie one win back on 4-2. This meant that Team Farmer took a one game head-start into Sunday’s best of 3 final.
The first final began cautiously with a blank end before Farmer took the initiative scoring 2. Team Davie worked hard to peg their opposition back and were level at 4-4 after 5 ends. After a single score in the 6th end things swung decisively in end 7. Team Farmer faced two counters and chose to draw behind a centre guard, coming up short with this stone meant Team Davie could apply pressure and sat 3 before skip Beth Farmer’s final stone. This attempted hit was wide away and chipped off the shot stone leaving an open hit for 4 which was made by Team Davie before running their opponents out of stones in the final end. They levelled the final series and took things to a decisive game that afternoon.
The second final saw a similar start where the first end was blanked and the teams were level at 2-2 at the halfway point. After a steal in the 5th end by Team Davie, the teams traded twos in the next two ends to leave things finely poised. Team Farmer were one point down with the hammer in the eighth end. An excellently played end by Team Davie saw them sit several guarded stones. They left their opposition facing the game, needing to draw fully to the four foot circle to win. Cool under pressure, Beth Farmer scored a single point for her team and sent this long weekend into one more and final end. Team Farmer started the ends with centre guards as they went all out to steal. An excellent hit through a port by Kirsty Barr couldn’t be followed by Kirsten Bousie meaning that Team Davie were able to remove the protection out front. Team Farmer did all they could and left their opposition facing two counters before their final draw attempt. Team Davie’s sweepers watched anxiously as the stone slid past the tee line and out of shot position, Team Farmer had stolen the end and the game and were the new Team Scotland.
Team Farmer were now represent Scotland from 3rd-10th January 2019 at the WJCC-B Championships. A podium finish will see Scotland promoted back to the World Junior Championships. You can review the scores from the weekend here
By Eoin McCrossan
Asham Under 14 Slam
17th November, intu Braehead
Sixteen teams from all over Scotland travelled to Braehead to play in the 2nd Under 14 Slam of the season, showcasing the upcoming young talent of Scottish Curling.
The teams were split into four sections to play three four end games with the Top four going forward to play in the semi-finals and then the final. The four section winners were Teams Craik, Carson, Jackson and Jahn. The 2nd place teams go forward to play in the low road and these were Teams Fermus, Stranraer YC, Archibald and Chalmers.
In the final of the low Road, Stranaer YC took on Team Fermus and scored ones in the first Two ends and then a Two in the 3rd end to go Four in front. In the final end Team Fermus scored a consolation one but lost the game by Four shots to One.
Both games in the high road semi-finals were very close with Team Jackson nudging past Team Jahn by Three shots to Two. In the other semi-final Team Craik were 2 shots up playing the last end, but Team Carson managed to score a Three to win the game by Six shots to Five.
In the Final, Team Jackson, representing Greenacres and skipped by Ewan Jackson, scored a One in the 1st end with the hammer. However, Team Carson, Representing Dumfries and skipped by Orrin Jackson, were now playing their best curling of the day and scored Two, One, Two, in consecutive ends to win the by Five shots to one.
The full team (L to R in the photo) was Orrin Carson, Logan Carson, Archie Hyslop and Charlie Gibb. In his skip’s speech, Orrin thanked everyone who helped to make this a special day for his team and especially the Umpires – Senga Hair, Robert Boyd and Ann Marie-Davidson.
The prizes were presented by Jim Ingles, from the Braehead local standing committee who was representing Scottish Curling. Chief Umpire Senga, was full of praise for the young curlers stating “A great level of curling was observed throughout the day and the behavior was impeccable, which made the umpires job easy.
Great to see so many young curlers participating in the true spirit of curling – Stars of the future. Plenty of support from spectators too, which added to the atmosphere.
By David Horne CDO, intu Braehead Curling Rink
