TEAM ADAMS AND TEAM GRAY TRIUMPH AT SCOTTISH CURLING MASTERS 2023
Congratulations to Team Adams (Kate Adams, Catherine Dodds, Jill Florence, Elspeth Johnston, Louise Kerr) (Stranraer) and Team Gray (John Kenny, Bill Gray, David Whyte, Neil Fyfe) (Edinburgh) who are the 2023 Scottish Curling Masters champions. They saw off Team McIntyre (Wilma McIntyre, Jackie Orr, Alison Barr, Margaret McDougall, Helen Murray Lyons) (Waterfront) and Team Horton (Ken Horton, Mike Dick, Trevor Dodds, Jean L’esperance, Robin Copland) (Edinburgh) respectively in two gripping finals that came down to the last stone.
Thank you to Stew Sutherland for providing the reports below.
DAY 4
If it’s Sunday, it must be FINALS DAY!! For once, the Men’s and the Women’s semi-final teams would take to the ice at the same time, and even the weather seemed to brighten up in anticipation of what promised to be an exciting and very entertaining day.
In the women’s half of the draw, Gwen Prentice’s Border team were up against Wilma McIntyre’s local Greenacres team. It all started relatively predictably with Team Prentice taking singles in the first couple of ends, but a three in the third end followed up with a two in the fifth by Wilma served notice that this wasn’t going to be a formality for the much-fancied Prentice squad. Indeed, although Gwen fought back to be only one behind at 4-5 after six ends, Wilma held her nerve and closed the game out with two further singles to win 7-4.
In the other women’s semi-final, Maureen Parker’s Stranraer team found herself pitted against her home rink’s Kate Adams. However, there was to be no mercy for her local rivals as it only required five ends by Team Adams for handshakes to be offered at a final score of 10-0.
And so to the men’s semi-finals where Team Horton had fought their way through some pretty toughly-contested earlier rounds to do battle against Inverness’ Richard MacKenzie. Characteristically, Ken’s men hit the ground running with a three in the opening end, following up with a brace of twos in the third and fourth. There really was no way back for Richard with the game ending 8-2 after six ends.
Meanwhile over on Sheet D, Team Prentice was taking on Team Ireland, sorry, Team Gray … This was a much more canny affair, as the two very experienced skips plotted and counter-plotted for the upper hand. At three-all after five ends, a tactical blanking of the sixth end proved to be decisive for Team Gray and some clever defensive play saw the Irishmen sneak two consecutive singles to edge over the winning line 5-3.
The Finals:
When Team Adams and Team McIntyre met in their very first round-robin game, way back on Thursday morning (you remember that amazing 12-12 peeled game?), neither could have really imagined that they would face each other again in the final. In fact, it was almost déjà vu … or did I just imagine I’ve said that before?
It was just about honours even up to the fourth end until Kate grabbed a three to take a 6-2 lead followed by a steal of a single in the sixth. But although it looked like ‘game over’ for the local Greenacres team, a feisty fightback earned them a three in the seventh to bring the score back to 5-7 going into the last. It’s often been the mantra of curling that ‘two ahead with hammer going into the last’ is almost guaranteed a win, but our sport is nothing if not unpredictable at times …
Physical fatigue as well as nerves play a huge part when it comes to the closing stages of any sport, and a couple of unforced errors from both teams left what appeared to be a fairly textbook run-back for Gwen’s last stone to take a three for a comfortable victory. However, whether a change in the ice conditions, a misread or a very slight error in judgement, the stone ran wide and through the house. That left Wilma scoring a single to take the end, but alas a single was not enough and Team Adams became the Women’s victorious team with a 7-6 win.
So to the Men’s Final which, not unexpectedly, was always going to be a low-scoring affair. After four ends it was one apiece, but then some very skilful shot-making from Team Gray saw them grab a two in the fifth. Not to be outdone, Ken retaliated with a two in the sixth to once again level the score at three-all. It was a case of who would blink first, and again some very well-constructed play earned the Irishmen a single in the seventh, but would that narrow margin of one shot be enough?
The final end had us all on the edge of our seats. A little cluster of Team Gray’s stones around the ‘pot lid’ looked to have left a pocket for Team Horton to draw into to at least force an extra end. And so the last stone was off and running, the line looked good, weight looked perfect, the sweepers working it to perfection – had it moved the Irish stones enough? Our sport is a game of tiny margins, but on this occasion the luck WAS with the Irish who scored a single to emerge victorious.
It’s been a tournament to remember, for many reasons: marvellous skills, superb entertainment to all watching, played in a competitive but always fair manner. A masterful performance indeed!
DAY 3
And so comes Day 3 of the Championship where reputations will be earned or shattered, hopes dashed or ambitions achieved, but most of all auld acquaintances renewed and friendships rekindled.
The Ladies Section seemed to be rather emulating their male counterparts as there were no runaway scores or truly one-sided games in this Saturday morning session. In fact, Maggie Barry v Mara Lindsay, Maureen Parker v Gwen Prentice, and Wilma McIntyre v Barbara Watt all ended up with the smallest of margins deciding the outcome. Indeed, Angela Wilcox and Kate Adams decided to settle for ‘peels’ at 5-5.
The remaining game between Maggie Scott and Elaine Semple was only different by virtue of Maggie taking a leaf out of Kate Adams’ book by scoring a five in the seventh end – or was that just déjà vu?
The Men’s Saturday lunchtime session saw JonJo Kenny’s Team welcome back Bill Gray who had been indisposed before the Championship started. Whether by coincidence of his return or not his team chose to inflict a 14-3 defeat on Bryce Smith’s team. John Sharp at last recorded his first win with a 9-3 victory over Willie Paterson, while Ken Horton had a tight 5-4 victory over Gary MacFarlane. (Note: Gary has asked me to point out that his game against Ken was FIRST to finish of the six in that session.)
Billy Nairn ran out 6-3 winner against the Dickson rink, effectively ending Graeme Adam’s chances of success this year, while Don Stark had a comfortable win against Greenacres Ian Gillespie. In the tussle at the top of the Men’s Section A an on-form Richard Mackenzie emerged as 8-5 victor over Keith Prentice. With the evening session still to come, there’s still all to play for!
There were signs that the rigours of the last couple of days and the intensity of the level of commitment and concentration required to compete at this level was beginning to take its toll on some of the individuals and teams. The breaks between games may seem to those simply spectating to be very generous, but there is not only a need for physical recovery times, but, very importantly, a requirement for a mental rest. Sure, analysis and insight into previous games, performance, and outcomes is vital in terms of how to go forward to the next game: a reset is required and some people find this easier than others.
The Ladies teatime session at 5pm had an added dimension in that some teams, having completed their game, would then be required to play a Last Stone Draw exercise in line with revised game rules – an extra burden! So, for example, Elaine Semple’s Inverness team, having just played a pretty tough 8-ender against Maureen Parker, find themselves in just such a situation because of their overall ranking. And that too happened to Gwen Prentice’s and Wilma McIntyre’s team.
The point of it all may be a bit obscure and vested in potential ‘what if’ scenarios decided by those who plan and execute these complex competition rules. But we have to accept there is a purpose, however much obscure, in ensuring these additional protocols are carried out.
As for the results, for sure you can see there were some close games, but also a couple of runaways. Fatigue makes victims of all of us, no matter our competence or ability.
The Men’s Evening Session was a slightly downbeat affair. As is the nature of these round-robin stages, there were a couple of fixtures where the protagonists quite rightly accepted they could not adequately improve their position in the scheme of things and therefore opted not to go ahead with their games.
Don Stark and Richard Mackenzie fought out a tight fixture which ended in a 5-5 peel. This didn’t have too bad an effect of Richard’s placing, but, surprise, surprise, he then had to do an LSD for ranking. Similarly, although Keith Prentice had a solid 8-4 win against Team Dickson, they also needed to complete an LSD.
Statistically, you get crazy situations where Team Gray for example only needed to play three ends against Gary MacFarlane to do enough to automatically qualify for the knockout section. Similarly, Ken Horton’s rink only needed to play three ends against Willie Paterson to achieve sainthood, sorry, succession to the knockouts …
See you all for the final stages tomorrow!
DAY 2
The grey skies over Greenacres had changed overnight to mist and drizzle when the teams arrived for Day 2 of the Championship.
Although the Ladies Section 2nd Round games perhaps threw up fewer surprises, they still had their fair share of eyebrow raising moments. Sheilagh Macfarlane and her Forfar team were up against the Waterfront’s Wilma McIntyre, back after their amazing 12-all ‘peeled’ game yesterday. A three by Sheilagh in the first end seemed to serve notice that this was going to be a hard-fought contest. Despite swopping singles in the next four consecutive ends, Wilma responded in the sixth with a thunderous five. Not to be outdone, Sheilagh hit back with a three in the seventh end to lead 8-7. But clever set up play in the last end followed by a straight draw yielded a winning three to Team McIntyre.
Mara Lindsay and Maureen Parker had a close game with both teams swopping mostly singles. However, clever play forcing Mara into taking singles in the sixth and seventh end resulted in Maureen taking a two in the last to run out 6-4 winner. A similarly tight game between Elaine Semple’s Inverness ladies and Edinburgh based Maggie Barry saw Maggie squeeze a single in the last end to edge out her opponent 7-6.
So how about the ‘eyebrow raising moments’? Well, those of us who had witnessed Kate Adams’ amazing high scoring game against Wilma McIntyre yesterday had more than a little sense of déjà vu when she again scored a five in the opening end! Her opponent Barbara Watt decided she was not going to follow that particular script and responded with a two to keep in touch. However, the curling gods have nothing if not a quirky sense of irony as Kate then took a four followed by a triplet of twos to safely put the game out of reach, eventually running away with an 18-3 final score.
In the remaining game Maggie Scott never really recovered from losing a three followed by a five in the early stages of the game and was always chasing the scoreline, eventually losing 4-12. Lots to look forward to on the later session today!
The Men’s Section, as expected, proved to have a few surprises in store, with Willie Paterson’s Kinross rink ending up 8-4 winners over Gary Macfarlane after a close fought tactical match. Ken Horton’s team didn’t have it quite all their own way against Bryce Smith’s Lanarkshire rink but managed to raise their game at the right point to edge an otherwise tight game 6-5.
Local Greenacres Team Sharp were anxious to put yesterday’s defeat at the hands of Ken Horton behind them as they took to the ice against JonJo Kenny’s Team Gray and started off solidly enough with a couple of singles either side of a blanked end, but the Irishmen were in no mood to be charitable. Consecutive twos in the fourth and fifth end followed by a three in the seventh and another two in the eighth stopped any hope of a Greenacres comeback as they closed out a 9-3 win.
The other Greenacres team skipped by Ian Gillespie didn’t fare much better, though, to their credit, coming back from being 7-0 down after three ends to only losing 9-5 deserved at least an A for effort!
Keith Prentice continued his Masters campaign against Lockerbie’s Billy Nairn with a very controlled 9-5 victory while elsewhere Forfar’s Don Stark somewhat upset the formbooks with a spirited win against Graeme Adams’ Team Dickson, throwing in a brace of fours for good measure in his 11-6 scoreline. Perhaps early days, but a few crucial games coming in the late evening session surely? Watch this space!
In the second Ladies session of the day Kinross’ Angela Wilcox seemed to be just cruising to victory, being 6-0 up after five ends. Barbara Watt’s ladies woke up in time to smell the coffee though by taking a couple of two. But Angela wasn’t prepared to be made a Mocha-ry of (sorry) and closed the game out in the eighth end with a door-slamming four – 10—4 good buddy and keep on truckin …
So over to the game between Sheilagh MacFarlane and Kate Adams. Well, Kate opened with a five – sorry, déjà vu … or have I somehow imagined I’ve said that before? Anyhow, the inexorable machine that is the Stranraer-based ladies had no mercy in their hearts and the eventual 10-3 victory seemed inevitable …or have I said that before …?
The bout between Maggie Barry and Maureen Parker was a very close affair with nobody getting the ascendancy in a hard fought 7-7 peel. Mara Lindsay must have thought her game was going the right way at 5-1 up after six ends. Maggie Scott made a fist of it though (please keep hands off the ice, everybody!) with a tremendous fightback, only to be pipped at the post at the last end when a single wasn’t enough to overcome a 5-4 loss.
Observers of the match between Team Prentice and Team Semple could have been forgiven for thinking that Gwen was wanting to finish the game early to partake of the sumptuous repast being generously provided by the Greenacres management to all the participating curlers that night. However, despite being 13-2 down after five ends, Elaine Semple’s team at least had the satisfaction of getting a couple of ends on the board to record a 5-15 scoreline.
Perhaps it was the lateness of the hour or the fact that the gents had already consumed their Greenacres Banquet, but the men’s evening session was a much more tranquil affair resulting in a series of very close games. Gary MacFarlane recorded a 7-5 victory over John Sharp by way of scoring a four in the seventh end.
Keith Prentice continued his winning form with a similar score against Team Gillespie, while Willie Paterson ran out comfortable 9-4 winner against Cameron Bryce. Elsewhere, the Nairn v Stark tie ended up as a 5-all peel. Ken Horton recorded his first defeat going down 3-4 to Team Gray, while in the remaining game Team Dickson were never at the races, being soundly defeated by Richard Mackenzie’s squad.
Saturday should be an interesting day.
DAY 1
Grey skies greeted the men’s and ladies’ teams to Greenacres for the first day of this prestigious and well-loved event. Many familiar faces were present of course, but also a few new ones – as if we needed a reminder that time marches on in curling too!
The Ladies’ Section games were for the most part close affairs with Gwen Prentice narrowly losing out to Maggie Barry while Maggie Scott lost 6-4 to Maureen Parker. After a promising start, Angela Wilcox’s Kinross rink succumbed to a 10-4 defeat at the hands of Sheilagh Macfarlane, with Mara Lindsay and Elaine Semple ending up ‘peels’.
But the stand-out game of this first session (and possibly of the championship) was that between Stranraer’s Kate Adams and Wilma McIntyre’s Waterfront ladies. A steal of five by Kate in the first end was followed by a six in the next by Wilma. Thereafter, both teams traded ends, but a thre in the seventh by Wilma appeared to have secured the result at 12-8. However, Kate had other ideas and simply took a four in the last end to peel the game – as you do!
The Men’s Section team line-ups contained a few different faces as some familiar names were on Strathcona Cup duties in Canada.
Don Stark’s Forfar boys were up against the redoubtable Team Prentice who must have thought they were almost home and dry at 5-2 up after four ends. However, following a blanked fifth, Team Stark responded with a three in the sixth plus a single in the seventh to ease in front. Keith wasn’t having any of that and a two in the last end saw him just squeeze through.
The Inverness-based Team MacKenzie took early control of a rather one-sided game against Billy Nairn’s Lockerbie team to run out comfortable 9-3 winners. Early days Billy, early days …
‘The Legend That Is Graeme Adam’ started off rather shakily against local heroes Team Gillespie from Greenacres who must have thought they had the tie won at 6-2 up after six ends. However, as many opposition teams have learnt to their cost, Graeme is dangerous when provoked and responded with a four and a two in the closing ends – just because he can!
So on to what some would regard as the pick of the First Round matches, with the inimitable Ken Horton rink up against Greenacres own John Sharp. The game started pretty level with honours even until the fourth end when Team Horton grabbed the encounter by the throat with a mighty four. Despite resolutely digging in with a steal and a single, Team Sharp really couldn’t get back on even terms. A a steal followed by a three in the last end closed Ken’s first session off successfully 10-4.
Jon Jo Kenny skipped what was mostly the amazing Irish Men’s World Seniors 2012 Champions against Willie Paterson’s Kinross team, showing that they aren’t full of the blarney by running out 11-3 winners.
And so to the last game of the initial Men’s session, Greenacres ‘local boy made good’ Gary MacFarlane versus Lanarkshire’s local ‘bad boy’ Bryce Smith. Anyone who knows Gary well would admit that he is a very affable, mild-mannered individual – but ever so competitive and cobra-like in his immediate response if provoked. A five in the third end followed by a single steal left Bryce with no choice but to retaliate with a three and a one. Gary decided not to be a ‘nice guy’ any more and closed the game out with a two and a three in the final ends for the avoidance of doubt.
Looking forward to more action and reports, some more fictional than factional tomorrow!
