Comber's Rodger Nield delivers a bowl during tdays match against Belmont
Bowls: Champions Cookstown battling in gale winds
Portrush entertained champions Cookstown but the gusting near-gale force wind evened out any advantages.
Saturday, May 03, 2008
By David Dilworth
It would be a day of attrition with powers of concentration being tested to
the full. It was no surprise to see short first ends as placement of the
jack was very difficult.
Cookstown had a symmetrical look on the score cards, winning one shot on
each of the four rinks. Young M Pearson for Portrush started with two
excellent bowls but his rink still lost one shot when the head disturbed.
K O'Neill at skip was very unfortunate with his drawing bowl just to nudge
it to the opposition. This rink made up for their misfortune in the very
next end, lifting a count of five.
Portrush also had the upper hand on rink three with T Colvin drawing shot
with his bright yellow bowl. The Cookstown skip ran at the head and
displaced the jack to a wide visiting bowl.
Cookstown then took the initiative on rink four when Colm McHugh's four
claimed five shots on the second end. Cookstown also started well on rink
one with M Wilson taking a 5-0 lead.
The difference in pace due to the wind was going to make the game even more
unpredictable.
E Curran inspired his rink when he took out a Cookstown bowl to claim two
shots and get his rink on the board. The very next end he claimed five shots
and took the lead.
Portrush, meanwhile, on rink one with I McClure brought his rink back into
contention, winning consecutive ends. Young Allen and Pearson for Portrush
were the pick of the front ends as their rink opened a 13-4 lead. This was
counteracted by A Paul and J Smith on rink three, who were causing mayhem
for Cookstown as Portrush trailed 12-5.
In a very slow game, due to the gusts, at just over the halfway stage there
was very little between the teams with Cookstown edging in front by three
shots and having three of their rinks ahead.
The likelihood was that this game would go right down to the final ends with
any score at this moment possible.
