The 2020 Major Pairs Championship has commenced with two very high quality matches decided. Brian Currie and Alan Skelton played Jonathon Green and Allen Etheredge. This match was highlighted by excellent lead bowling by Currie and Green. Both are relatively new bowlers and they demonstrated how much their bowling has improved in an intriguing battle.
Currie and Skelton started well and raced to a 10 – 1 lead after 4 ends only to see Green and Etheredge fightback. After 14 ends Green and Skelton had a two shot advantage at 16 – 14. They extended their lead to 20 – 14 until they had a stutter on the 18th end when they dropped 5 shots – score now 20 – 19. They regrouped well on the next end to pick up 3 shots and move to 23 – 19. The sides shared the last two ends to see Currie and Skelton run out winners 24 – 20.
The second game was between Lawrie Riley and Doug Williams and Jim Macklan and Bruce Lidbury. The first half of this game was very tight. After 8 ends the sides were locked at 8 all. Riley and Williams made the first move and opened up a 14 – 9 lead after 12 ends before the game was turned on its head. Over the next three ends Macklan and Lidbury picked up 13 shots – including a 6 and a 5 - to take control at 22 – 14. They consolidated their lead to be in front 28 – 15 after 19 ends. They ended up winning 28 – 18.
This game was much tighter than the final score shows with all four bowlers playing some very good bowls. The loss of 11 shots in two ends proved to be too big of a hurdle for Riley and Williams to overcome.
