Sixth place for pairing
THE weekend was a triumph for Guernsey's high-flying bowls pairing of Eunice Trebert and Anne Simon, who made up for their disappointment at losing in the quarter-finals of the women's world outdoor pairs championship in fine style.
THE weekend was a triumph for Guernsey's high-flying bowls pairing of Eunice Trebert and Anne Simon, who made up for their disappointment at losing in the quarter-finals of the women's world outdoor pairs championship in fine style. The four pairs that lost in the quarter-finals did battle for places five to eight overall by playing a mini-knockout series to establish what positions they would occupy.
Drawn to play Scotland's Margaret Letham and Joyce Lindores, who were the champions four years ago in Moama, Trebert and Simon produced one of the most impressive performances from a Guernsey team to beat the Scots 14-13.
That defeat relegated the Scots to seventh or eighth place, but more importantly gave the Guernsey duo a chance to challenge for fifth place - if they could beat England.
Perhaps the effort of toppling the holders of the title was too much for them because the world-class pair of 25-year-olds Ellen Falkner and Amy Monkhouse powered to a 26-7 victory.
But the Guernsey pair were more than happy with sixth place, finishing as they did ahead of such distinguished bowling countries as Scotland, Ireland and South Africa, as well as Jersey's British champions, Gean O'Neil and Karina Bisson.
When the teams regrouped to compete in singles and pairs, Jacqui Nicolle carried the island's hopes in the singles and Anne Simon skipped the four, but they made a generally disappointing start to their campaigns.
Nicolle's first game boosted her spirits, as she came back from 0-5 after three ends to beat Zambia's Hilda Luipa 21-19, but then faced two of the favourites for the title.
Welsh hope Betty Morgan made history last year when she became the first woman to win three British titles in the same season and she showed why as she swept to a 21-13 win over the Guernsey player, who is making her first appearance at this level.
Nicolle held her redoubtable opponent until the 12th end, when she was actually 11-10 ahead, but then dropped three successive doubles and Morgan completed her victory with a full house of four shots on the 19th end.
Next up came Scotland's Margaret Letham, who was cruelly denied victory in the singles four years ago when her bowls were challenged and she was docked vital points.
The Scot was always in control, winning 21-11 in 20 ends.
Last night Nicolle met Fiji's Radhika Prasad, who has won medals in previous world championships, but she looked on course for a win when she led 7-3 after six ends.
Back came the Fijian, painstakingly drawing level, then going ahead at 11-10 after 13 ends. But there was nothing to suggest what followed: Prasad collected a maximum on the 14th end, then sealed victory with three successive doubles.
In the fours, the Guernsey quartet opened with a game against Wales and had their opponents worried when they led 17-10 after seven ends, but the Welsh dragon suddenly breathed fire and Guernsey were allowed only two more shots as Kathy Pearce's team raced to a 24-12 victory.
The biggest surprise came when Anne Simon's team were denied by a Japanese quartet, who broke a 16-16 deadlock with a winning single on the 18th end.