Islanders in hunt for a third title

NICK DONALDSON'S Chancers remained unbeaten and headed the league table after day two of the HSBC Bank Guernsey Open Fours Tournament. But they were made to fight for it all the way during their encounter with visiting side Alcopops at the Guernsey Bowls Stadium.

John Hagan's rink of Dave McCullough, John Bartlett and Peter Axon held their own with the local side in the early stages of the game and forged a 12-7 lead after 13 of the 18 ends.

However, Steve Desperques, Dennis and Neal Mollet and Donaldson took a double before dropping a single and then picking up a treble to trail by just a single shot with two ends to go.

On the penultimate end, Donaldson struck with a perfectly weighted bowl to trail the jack a little less than a yard into a group of Chancers' orange-stickered bowls for a count of six and effectively the match as they established a five-shot lead with only one end to go.

That was hard on the visitors, who had more than held their own for the bulk of the match, but they picked up a consolation double to lose the match by three and left Hagan remarking, 'that's bowls', as he reflected on their three-and-a-half-hour game and how close they had been to victory.

Scorpions stung visitors RSRB, with an excellent performance from Dave Mahy at skip highlighting their display.

John Wallis, Dave Lock and Richard Hill were full of praise for Mahy who played a blinder and almost single-handedly established a 16-4 lead at the half-way stage.

Ricky Brehaut, Ray Vincent, Davey Nixon and Michael Merritt came good in the second half, but the damage had been done and Scorpions emerged comfortable winners by 22 shots to 12.

Tiger Sharks were pleased to welcome victorious English under-25 captain Lucy Beere to their ranks for their match with local side Rat 'R' st and she slotted in at number three with Gwen and Keith de la Mare playing at the front end and fellow Isle of Wight bowler Peter Furmidge continuing at skip.

However, Rat 'R' st were not fazed by the presence of the international starlet and led 19-3 after 11 ends.

At the conclusion of the game and over a pint of beer, Craig Dorey was asked for the story of the game and he answered in two words - 'Gary Pitschou'.

The latter was again in devastating form and steered team mates Terry Boreham, Terry Dowinton and Dorey to an emphatic 21-10 victory.

Meanwhile, defending champions Islanders were in action against Les Filles.

The women were up for the game from the off and quickly made their mark, with Marion Mumby excelling at lead and being ably backed up by Barbara Martel, Lynn Small and Wilma Le Feuvre.

Les Filles established an early 7-0 lead after four ends and a major upset seemed on the cards when Le Feuvre trailed the jack into the ditch for a count of five, which would have put 12 shots on the board without reply.

Islanders' skip Paul Merrien maintained his composure and calmly drew the shot to remedy the situation.

That was the signal for lead Paul Ingrouille to take the mat well up the green and shorten the jack and three ends later islanders were level.

Carol Ingrouille at second played consistently well and with support from Ian Merrien at three and a couple of devastating drives from skip Paul Merrien, Islanders edged ahead and eventually ran out 18-11 winners in a very evenly balanced game, which again highlighted Le Feuvre's consistent bowling.

n CHANCERS lost their unbeaten record yesterday morning in the pick of the session's clashes.

Beere took her place at skip and the England international guided her Tigers Sharks team to an emphatic victory.

She and the rest - Keith de la Mare, Martyn Dorey and Furmidge - proved too hot to handle for Chancers, who on this occasion were skipped by Matt Le Ber.

Le Ber had to resort to his piledrivers on numerous occasions, but did not have much luck.

The 11th end typified this as Chancers lay one but Beere played an inch-perfect bowl to trail the jack into a net of Shark bowls for a count of three.

Le Ber drove with real venom, the head scattered, but when the dust had settled it was only his own team's bowls that had been removed and Sharks took an amazing seven shots.

It ended 26-12.

Islanders got off to their customary slow start against RSRB, but the Merrien brothers and the Ingrouilles foughtback and ran out comfortable 23-10 winners.

Pitschou was in fine form once again as Rat 'R' st overcame Alcopops while Mahy skipped his Scorpions team to victory over Le Feuvre's Les Filles.