Sarnians maintain form at Vilamoura

DAY three of the European Bowls Championships saw the Guernsey team continue their fine form on the greens of Vilamoura. Despite collecting 28 out of a possible 32 points on offer, Guernsey find themselves lying in only fifth place overall, which according to team manager Garry Collins is slightly misleading.

'This was a great day for Guernsey, but we played only four games whereas most countries played six to eight,' he said.

'Looking at the table afterwards, Guernsey could have been top today if we had played the same number of matches as the rest.'

The only pairs match on day three was played by Matt Le Ber and Wilma Le Feuvre against Israel's Init Grenchel and Jeff Rabkin.

The Sarnians took a dominant 6-0 first-set lead with four singles and a two and, after an exchange of singles, wrapped it up 7-1.

Le Ber and Le Feuvre continued this fine form into the second set and with a 5-2 lead they produced the goods to score three in the next end to take the set 8-2 and claim eight points for the overall championship trophy.

In the first of the singles, Ian Merrien played the top English international, Kirk Smith, and took an early 5-0 advantage before his opponent struck back to score three singles and a three to lead 6-5.

However, as Merrien stepped up a gear and piled three bowls on the jack in the next end, Smith killed it with some smart bowls which resulted in the end counting without a score and England winning the set 6-5.

But Merrien was not to be denied the second set and with a 7-6 lead, Smith tried to draw the shot on the last end, but the Sarnian had produced a bowl on the jack and he won the end to draw the match and score four points overall.

Next on the green was Alison Merrien and in a commanding display she won six of the nine ends in the first set against Ann Lewis from Wales to take it comfortably 13-2.

Merrien continued to dominate into the second and with a cracking end counted a full house on her way to a 10-4 scoreline and another eight points for Guernsey.

Matt Le Ber coupled his pairs victory earlier in the day with singles success in Guernsey's final match against Wouter Meijboom of the Netherlands.

Le Ber did not have it all his own way, however.

He had been trailing 4-3 after the first six ends but scoring a crucial three to lead 6-4 before exchanging singles in the final two ends gave Le Ber the first set 7-5.

The second was much more comfortable for Le Ber as he dominated the scoring with four threes amongst the 16-2 second-set victory.

But after another morale-boosting day on the greens and matches in hand over the teams at the top of the leader board, Collins is in good spirits.

'With three days to go, the team has been great so far, everyone is getting on and this is showing with our performances on the green,' he said.