Jersey make most of own rink

SHORT of key players, such as singles champions Alison Merrien and Nick Donaldson, Guernsey did not fare well in two days of indoor inter-insular competition at Grainville, Jersey. The home island won both the men's and women's team matches.

The women were up first and Jersey retained their title with an 11-shot advantage, winning three of the six rinks. The Caesarean men did even better and by 17 shots regained the title they last held in 2004.

Jersey women's captain Margaret Le Sueur said that they had won 'relatively easily'.

Allan Shaw, her counterpart in the men's team, was pleased with the result, although disappointed that the vagaries of travel meant that games had to be cut to 18 ends instead of 21 to allow the Guernsey players time to get back to the airport for flights home.

'We won by 17 shots - but there are some Guernsey youngsters coming through who played very well today and they'll be a force to be reckoned with in future.

'There was a Guernsey lad I played against - Sean Bichard - and he played very, very well.'

Guernsey captain Paul Ingrouille said the day had been very enjoyable.

'We've been made very welcome, as usual, and we enjoy this competition. I don't know what it is about the men's game, but home advantage seems important for a win. But I think our ladies gave Jersey a bit of a scare.'

In the Channel Islands individual, pairs, triples and fours competitions played, Greg Davis retained his under 18s title 21-14 against Guernsey's Will Ceillam in a match that saw excellent drawing from both the 17-year-olds.

With the scores at 18-14, Ceillam looked as though he could pull something out of the bag, but the champion stayed cool and moved ahead, producing inch-perfect bowls on the last end to take his second title at this level.

'I'm delighted to have kept the title,' said a mentally drained Davis.

Ceillam plays only indoor bowlx as he explained: 'I'm at school in Guernsey and I go home to Alderney every summer, so I bowl only in the winter.'

Jersey's Terry Allen, Jean Holmes and Ken Swanton won the open triples 19-14 in a good-natured game against the Ingrouille husband-and-wife pair, Paul and Carol, and Mick Merrien.

The open pairs also went Jersey's way, with the banter belying the determination of both pairs.

Gus Hodgetts and Sue Noel won against Ricky and Anna Brehaut.

Guernsey did triumph in the open fours courtesy of a 26-15 win for the Ingrouilles and Keith and Gwen de la Mare.

They enjoyed the perfect start and did not look back.

'We had a full-house eight on the first end. It's only the second one I've ever had and it set us up nicely.'

The Ingrouilles also claimed the mixed pairs title, 28-9 against Alex Stewart and Claudette Renouf, while another to go the way of the Sarnians was the veteran singles claimed by Brehaut.

Jersey's Thomas Greechan beat junior Ceillam 21-16 in the under- 35s' final.