It has taken three weeks for the first round matches in the Open Fours Championship to be completed. The matches were originally scheduled for October 22 but they only lasted 5 or 6 ends before they were washed out! The teams then had to wait two weeks while the Women’s Classic Pairs and the Lake Side Triples were played.
Des Jackson, Chris Coddington, Col Fletcher and Marcel Kors had a narrow 5 – 2 lead over Geoff Lee, Peter Macdonald, John Fahey and John Wagstaff when their game resumed. Kors started well and by the 13th end they had increased their lead to 11 – 6. The 14th end started a resurgence from Wagstaff. On this end they picked up 3 shots and followed it with 5 shots on the next end. A further shot on the 16th end meant that Wagstaff had raced to a 15 – 11 advantage and looked very dangerous.
Kors was able to steady on the next end and narrowed the score to 13 – 15. The 18th end proved to be crucial. Wagstaff was holding several shots until Fletcher bowled his second bowl. He was able to move the jack, with a little help from lady luck, and set up a critical four shots for his side that saw them regain the lead at 17 – 15. Buoyed by this recovery, Kors went on to close out the game 22 – 15!
Ben Hewison, Chris Roxby, Jonathan Green and Doug Williams had a great start on the original day and had raced to a 10 – 1 lead against Rose Farrington, Bob Hay and Denise and Bruce Lidbury before play was stopped. With the task ahead of them Lidbury’s team slowly narrowed the gap. By the 18th end they trailed by just 3 shots at 16 – 13. With one end to play the margin was back to just 17 – 15. Williams was able to gain a crucial shot on the last end to take the match 18 – 15.
Noel and Rita Downie teamed with Doreen and John Monks to form by far the most experienced side in the Championship. Their match with Mick and Di Challice, Lorrie Bird and Allan Etheridge resumed with Monks ahead 5 – 2 after 4 ends. By the 6th Etheredge had drawn level at 5 all but Monks’ team draw on all of its experience to dominate the rest of the game. They won the next 10 ends – largely with 1 or 2 shots – to set up a match winning lead of 23 – 6. Still with a mathematical chance Etheredge fought on but by the end of the 19th end a victory was out of sight. Monks moved into the semi-finals with a convincing 25 – 8 victory.
The semi-finals will be played on November 19 with the final set down for November 26.
