Susan Kesley, Jenny Barr, Fran Stretton and Morna Aitken, representing Murrayfield, came so, so close to winning the Henderson Bishop trophy in Dumfries this week, losing a tight final to a last stone winner by the home team.
Things were looking good for Susan and her team. With her last stone to play, the team was sitting shot and guarded. Susan's last stone, an attempted draw round the guard to lie two shots (and game), just over-curled and caught the guard; this opened up the shot stone and left the Dumfries skip with a relatively easy hit for the game. Shades of Logan Gray in his semi-final against Dave Edwards. Shades of Gray indeed. Someone should write a book!
Murrayfield 2, skipped by Katie Wood, with Agnes Barr at third, Betty Gibb at second and Margaret Nicol at lead just lost out on ends in their group, so didn't make the knock-out stages.
Apparently it was a great week and the Dumfries curlers looked after and hosted their guests really well.
Saturday, 1 March 2014
And then there were three!
A couple of weeks ago or so, the cry in Perth was, "there's only one Barr in Scotland". This week, in the perhaps more important (and certainly more ancient) Lymphoy Cup, a Barr-less Jenny Barr (she was away at some party or other - Mrs Kesley THAT age? Surely there's some mistake?) was not needed. In her absence, Raymond Preston skipped her team to a notable win over a fast-charging John Steven.
Katie Wood's team was similarly Wood-less (same excuse!) so Karen Munro stepped up to skip her team. Andrew G managed to win and keep his defence of the trophy live into the last round of the competition next week, but Karen played the shot of the night, when she angled a shot into the four-foot to score an unlikely two and get herself onto the board.
Robin needed a result in the Wooden Galloway game (either a draw, or a Wood win) and he didn't get it. To be very fair, at 5-0 down to Bob Barr after four ends, his win did not look on the cards, but, in an unlikely turn-round, he ended up with a somewhat fortunate 6-5 win.
Finally, Andrew B scored a five in one end, but only managed a draw against Brian Fleming. I tipped them both as potential winners in this post, so never listen to me again is all I'm saying!
So, looking at the league table with one round to go, Jenny is guaranteed a trophy and is in pole position for the Lymphoy trophy itself. She plays Robin in the last round. Andrew G plays Andrew B in his last game. He needs a draw at the very least (if Jenny loses) to retain his trophy. A win puts the pressure on Jenny for her last game. John Steven plays Susan Kesley in his last game and has to win it to keep in contention for second place.
I have just checked something. If Robin, John and Katie win their games and if Andrew draws his game, then the top five teams will be on 10, 10, 9, 8 and 8 points. It's been a good league and no mistake.
Katie Wood's team was similarly Wood-less (same excuse!) so Karen Munro stepped up to skip her team. Andrew G managed to win and keep his defence of the trophy live into the last round of the competition next week, but Karen played the shot of the night, when she angled a shot into the four-foot to score an unlikely two and get herself onto the board.
Robin needed a result in the Wooden Galloway game (either a draw, or a Wood win) and he didn't get it. To be very fair, at 5-0 down to Bob Barr after four ends, his win did not look on the cards, but, in an unlikely turn-round, he ended up with a somewhat fortunate 6-5 win.
Finally, Andrew B scored a five in one end, but only managed a draw against Brian Fleming. I tipped them both as potential winners in this post, so never listen to me again is all I'm saying!
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||
| F | A | E | F | A | E | F | A | E | F | A | E | F | A | E | F | A | E | F | A | E | F | A | E | |
| Barr J | 7 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 15 | 3 | 4 | ||||||
| Wood K | 8 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 3 | ||||||
| Barr A | 5 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 | ||||||
| Kesley | 3 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 1 | ||||||
| Fleming | 4 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 1 | ||||||
| Copland | 2 | 8 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | ||||||
| Steven | 4 | 8 | 3 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 5 | ||||||
| Galloway | 3 | 15 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 3 | ||||||
So, looking at the league table with one round to go, Jenny is guaranteed a trophy and is in pole position for the Lymphoy trophy itself. She plays Robin in the last round. Andrew G plays Andrew B in his last game. He needs a draw at the very least (if Jenny loses) to retain his trophy. A win puts the pressure on Jenny for her last game. John Steven plays Susan Kesley in his last game and has to win it to keep in contention for second place.
I have just checked something. If Robin, John and Katie win their games and if Andrew draws his game, then the top five teams will be on 10, 10, 9, 8 and 8 points. It's been a good league and no mistake.
| Position | Team | Played | Ends | Shots U/D | Shots | Points |
| 1 | Barr J | 6 | 23 | 31 | 58 | 10 |
| 2 | Galloway | 6 | 25 | 9 | 42 | 9 |
| 3 | Steven | 6 | 25 | 3 | 39 | 7 |
| 4 | Copland | 6 | 24 | -1 | 38 | 6 |
| 5 | Wood K | 6 | 22 | -1 | 38 | 6 |
| 6 | Fleming | 6 | 17 | -9 | 32 | 4 |
| 7 | Barr A | 6 | 16 | -5 | 41 | 4 |
| 8 | Kesley | 6 | 18 | -27 | 26 | 2 |
Thursday, 27 February 2014
That was the week that was....
All change at the top!
What a week that was! Katie, whose progress had hitherto been serene - regal, even - found that John Steven was in no mood for jokes, royal or otherwise. 9-4 the score in this one.The other front-runner had been Andrew Galloway; he found himself up against an international front-end, including the skip of the current Scottish Ladies Junior Champion team. For a man who has done a lot of cropping in his time, he came a cropper (don't you just love it?) this time and was on the wrong end of a proper thrashing from Mrs Barr (ooh err, Mrs!). Fortunately, he got his ends away, scoring three.
Robin and Andrew B had a toothy tussle that swung one way (at one point, Andrew was 9-2 ahead), then back the other; the game ended in a 9-9 draw.
In the clash at the rear end of the table, Brian came out on top - again in a bit of a one-sided game, 9-3.
Three thrashings and a draw. Bring on Mr Freud.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||
| F | A | E | F | A | E | F | A | E | F | A | E | F | A | E | F | A | E | F | A | E | F | A | E | |
| Barr J | 7 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 15 | 3 | 4 | |||||||||
| Wood K | 8 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 3 | |||||||||
| Barr A | 5 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 | |||||||||
| Kesley | 3 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 1 | |||||||||
| Fleming | 4 | 9 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 1 | |||||||||
| Copland | 2 | 8 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | |||||||||
| Steven | 9 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 5 | |||||||||
| Galloway | 3 | 15 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 3 | |||||||||
All of which leaves the table looking something like this with two rounds of curling to go.
| Position | Team | Played | Ends | Shots U/D | Shots | Points |
| 1 | Barr J | 5 | 19 | 27 | 50 | 8 |
| 2 | Steven | 5 | 22 | 7 | 35 | 7 |
| 3 | Galloway | 5 | 21 | 3 | 32 | 7 |
| 4 | Wood K | 5 | 19 | 5 | 34 | 6 |
| 5 | Copland | 5 | 20 | -2 | 32 | 4 |
| 6 | Barr A | 5 | 14 | -5 | 34 | 3 |
| 7 | Fleming | 5 | 12 | -9 | 25 | 3 |
| 8 | Kesley | 5 | 14 | -26 | 21 | 2 |
Pick your winner from any of the top four teams. Robin, if he wins both his games can get to eight points. He plays Susan Kesley and Jane Barr, but there are too many people between him and top place for him to have a realistic shout at anything other than second place. Apart from anything else, Jenny and John play each other in one of the remaining games; if Jenny wins or draws, she moves out of his range. If Jenny lost to Robin, but beat John, then she would be on 10 points and, if Robin beat Susan as well, he would be on eight. John's other game is against Susan, so let's say that Susan won that game (he has already lost to Jenny in this scenario), then Robin could overtake him.
What about Andrew G? He's got Katie and Andrew B. Right - let's say that Andrew B beats Andrew G and then he draws with Katie. Andrew G moves to 8 points and Robin can get in amongst him on ends in that scenario.
Katie has Brian Fleming and Andrew G to play. Let's say she loses to Brian and draws with Andrew. Even if she beats Andrew G, in that scenario, she moves to 8 points and Andrew (if, as postulated, he loses to Andrew B) stays on 7.
OK - here's the deal. One of four teams can win and one of five can end up as runner-up. Which is another way of saying that, if you are in the Andrew B, Susan K or Brian F teams, you are officially goosed.
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