Triples overcome South Africans to reach semi
PAUL WAKEHAM, Len Le Ber and Ian Merrien raised their game at the Northfield club in Ayr yesterday and took the scalps of the mighty South Africans, Handre Marais, Clifford Roets and Gerry Baker, in the quarter-finals of the Atlantic triples championship.
PAUL WAKEHAM, Len Le Ber and Ian Merrien raised their game at the Northfield club in Ayr yesterday and took the scalps of the mighty South Africans, Handre Marais, Clifford Roets and Gerry Baker, in the quarter-finals of the Atlantic triples championship. 'That was a great game and we really played well,' said Le Ber after Guernsey's famous 21-12 victory. 'I can't believe we're in the semi finals.'
The Sarnian trio made a dream start, scorching into a 9-1 lead after only four ends, but they had to dig deep to hold off the South Africans, who were always trying to make inroads into their lead.
Every time Baker's men closed the gap, Merrien's team were able to respond with more shots to keep themselves in control and, after going into the last end with an 18-12 advantage, a Guernsey treble was the icing on the cake.
In the morning, Wakeham, Le Ber and Merrien had come through a grueling encounter with three Israelis - Ari Ben Dor, Havib Takin and Raymond Sher - to clinch their place in the quarter-finals.
That last group game was, in effect, a knockout affair, with a place in the last eight at stake - and the scores were level at 6-6 after six ends, and 9-9 after 10, before Guernsey got home, 14-13.
Leading 13-11 after 16 ends, Guernsey looked as if they might drop a shot on the 17th, but a brilliant take-out from Merrien earned a single that gave them a three-shot cushion as the last end got under way.
That cushion turned out to be crucial, because the aggressive Israelis scored two shots on the 18th to reduce Guernsey's winning margin to a singles shot.
'That was an exciting finish and I'm proud of the way the lads have fought their way into the last eight,' said team manager Paul Sargeant, who wore a broad grin after the trio's famous victory over the South Africans.
In this morning's semi-final, Wakeham, Le Ber and Merrien face Ireland's Michael Higgins, Gary McCloy and Clifford Craig, and, if successful, will meet Scotland or Wales in the final this afternoon.
The men's pair of Garry Collins and Matt Le Ber - son of Len - came up against heavyweight Scots David Kelly and Darren Burnett and gave a good account of themselves.
Having qualified by beating England, the Guernsey duo matched the host country's heroes until the 11th end, when Scotland held a slim 11-9 advantage, but the Scots took charge over the last seven ends.
Collins and Le Ber scored a treble on the 14th, but Kelly and Burnett scored on the other six ends to complete a 20-12 win.