HEARTBREAK FOR STEVE AND SEAN

For Steve Devonish and Sean Lassman their first appearance in the County Quarter Finals was one they are unlikely to forget. Playing against the 2017 County Pairs Champions from the Alexandra Club in Portsmouth they trailed after 3 ends 0-4 but from then on more than held their own moving to a 9-5 lead after 8 ends. However, when disaster struck on the next end as Alexandra picked up a score of 5 it looked as if Oakley might wilt under the pressure. Oakley quickly bounced back with a 4, but 6 shots to Alexandra over the next 3 ends put them back in the driving seat. Oakley came again and with 2 ends left led 17-16. When Sean ditched the jack to hold 4 shots the Oakley supporters began to dream, but a brilliant saving bowl from Steve Feilder, the opposition skip, stopped on the edge of the ditch to take the match to a last end decider. By now all the other matches had finished and a fine bowl from Sean saw Oakley holding 2 shots and game. Steve Feilder had one bowl left and when he delivered it on the wrong line it looked as if Oakley were through. It was not to be. The bowl was narrow but it missed the head by a yard and hit a very short bowl into the head where it connected with another bowl which rolled in, for what, after a measure, turned out to be the winning shot. Naturally Steve and Sean were gutted but they should console themselves with the thought that they had performed brilliantly on their first appearance at Banister Park and that their opponents subsequently easily won the semi final to qualify for the nationals.

For Mary Varndell and Janie Vickers the morning will be forgettable. In the Women's Pairs against Milton Park they picked up an early 3 shots but for much of the game it was one way traffic as their opponents raced out to a lead. Late on Oakley decided to take the mat up the green and shorten the jack length and although this significantly reduced the deficit the match was conceded at 15-25 after 17 ends.