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Friday 2nd May
Banchory 19 - 8 Stonehaven Banchory 15 - 16 Stonehaven Inverurie 12 - 13 Kintore Inverurie 22 - 7 Kintore Kincardine O Neil 11 - 9 Harlaw Kincardine O Neil 14 - 15 Harlaw Friday 9th May Stonehaven 11 - 15 Inverurie Stonehaven 17 - 12 Inverurie Kintore 12 - 18 Kincardine O Neil Kintore 9 - 21 Kincardine O Neil Harlaw 8 - 14 Tarves Harlaw 15 - 11 Tarves Friday 16th May Inverurie 10 - 15 Kincardine O Neil Inverurie 23 - 15 Kincardine O Neil Kintore 19 - 13 Harlaw Kintore 16 - 13 Harlaw Tarves 17 - 15 Banchory Tarves 8 - 19 Banchory Friday 23rd May Kincardine O Neil 29 - 22 Stonehaven (5-0) Harlaw 23 - 30 Banchory (0-5) Tarves 28 - 22 Kintore (5-0) Friday 30th May Banchory 6-20 Kincardine O Neil Banchory 7-16 Kincardine O Neil Stonehaven 9-14 Harlaw Stonehaven 21-13 Harlaw Inverurie 27-10 Tarves Inverurie 13-9 Tarves Friday 6th June Kintore 14 - 12 Banchory Kintore 7 - 24 Banchory Harlaw 13-20 Inverurie Harlaw 8 - 15 Inverurie Tarves 10-14 Stonehaven Tarves 13-11 Stonehaven Friday 13th June Banchory 8-13 Inverurie Banchory 11-14 Inverurie Stonehaven 21-7 Kintore Stonehaven 9-12 Kintore Kincardine O Neil 12-12 Tarves Kincardine O Neil 10-13 Tarves |
Friday 9th May Kemnay 14 - 5 Pitmedden Kemnay 11 - 12 Pitmedden Belhelvie 13 - 19 Rothienorman Belhelvie 19 - 15 Rothienorman Laurencekirk 13 - 10 Bervie Laurencekirk 16 - 12 Bervie Friday 16th May Pitmedden 15 - 11 Belhelvie Pitmedden 14 - 11 Belhelvie Rothienorman 19 - 15 Laurencekirk Rothienorman 10 - 10 Laurencekirk Bervie 19 - 6 Kemnay Bervie 31 - 7 Kemnay Friday 23rd May Belhelvie 23 - 30 Kemnay (2-3) Laurencekirk 18 - 24 Pitmedden (1-4) Bervie 29 - 23 Rothienorman (4-1) Friday 30th May Kemnay 21-7 Rothienorman Kemnay 7-19 Rothienorman Pitmedden 11-13 Bervie Pitmedden 22-5 Bervie Laurencekirk 13-11 Belhelvie Laurencekirk 12-17 Belhelvie Friday 13th June Kemnay 20-7 Laurencekirk Kemnay 11-9 Laurencekirk Rothienorman 12-14 Pitmedden Rothienorman 15-7 Pitmedden Belhelvie 14-20 Bervie Belhelvie 13-17 Bervie |
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Top Ten Finals Day 2015 - Inverurie crowned champions once again
The Final of the Aberdeen and Kincardineshire Top Ten was played on August 9th at Stonehaven Bowling Club. Inverurie had battled past some extremely tough opposition, including Kintore and holders Tarves, to make it to the final once again. Standing between Inverurie and the title was a Rothienorman team packed with talent, including current Scottish Internationalist and regular county skip Neil Burnett, as well as five other current A and K county players. As the players walked on to the green, many were wrapped up in jackets and jerseys, however, it wasn't long before most were cast as the August sun burned back the cloud. By the end of the afternoon, the players were basking in glorious conditions with the green looking to be running fast and true.
Inverurie's own current internationalist, Jason Banks had the unenviable task of taking on Neil in the singles. With Jason holding a 100% record in the singles throughout this season's competition, he would have been filled with confidence. However, Neil was in devastating form and although Jason battled well, the singles were first off with Rothienorman having 2 points in the bag - Neil winning by 21-13. Jason was able to take his place in the shelter, joining an already healthy Inverurie support and watch the rest of the day's bowling unfold.
Regardless of the singles score, Inverurie appeared to have opened up a healthy lead overall early on, with the fours skipped by Graeme Thomson racing to a 12-2 lead over Mark Campbell's rink. The triples, skipped by Colin Banks also held a decent lead at half way, and although the pair of Gary Cruickshank and Steve Wilson weren't having it their own way against Ian Lonsdale and James Harper, things were looking promising for Inverurie. However, the Rothienorman fours surged back into their match, and at one point were back within one shot. There was also a dramatic turn around in the triples, with Ian Moir's triple overcoming their early deficit to sneak into the lead.
The tables had turned and Rothienorman looked to be edging away with the game, with two points in the bag already and the pairs and triples in front with only a few ends to go. But this time it was Inverurie's turn to rally. There was two pivotal moments in the pairs match, with Rothienorman holding a 5 shot lead and lying four, Steve Wilson ditched the jack with his last delivery to pick up a two - a massive 6 shot swing at this stage. Only a few ends later, and with Rothie once again lying four, Steve drove at the head to burn the end. The pairs and triples games looked to be the key matches at this stage, and just as this end was killed in the pairs, a roar went up on rink 5 in the triples as Ian Moir binned the white with what looked to be a potentially match winning delivery. Colin Banks was in no mood to surrender though, and he produced two sensational bowls inside Ian's toucher in the ditch to make a count of two. Back to the pairs, and in a game of excellent quality where all four players seemed to be hitting top form, Gary and Steve had somehow managed to take a 12-11 lead into the final end. Both Gary and Ian produced a sensational last end, but with Inverurie lying one, with his third delivery, James played a controlled weight shot and managed to squeeze the jack to the edge of the rink but found himself still one down. After agonising over his shot selection for some time, Steve decided to run for cover and rolled a back bowl in to prevent a count of two. James however showed nerve's of steel to draw the shot and tie the match at 12-12, overall score now 3-1 in Rothie's favour, although the draw seemed to favour Inverurie with how things stood and it wasn't long before the overall points score was even. On rink 2, the fours were playing their last end, and with Mark Campbell's rink 4 down and Inverurie lying one, he tried to burn the end with his last delivery. His strike was on target, but unfortunately for Rothie, the jack rebounded back up the rink to an Inverurie bowl and the match finished 20-15.
At this stage the scoreboard read 3-3, and overall shots was Inverurie 45 Rothienorman 48. But with the triples starting their last end all square at 15-15, overall shots would only now be a factor if there was a no shot, leaving it effectively a one end shoot out for the match. Jim Whyte kicked the end off with a front toucher, advantage Inverurie. With his opposing lead Gordon Esslemont not able to better it, it was down to Gordon's dad Neil to try and change things. Rothie could only watch on in vain as his three deliveries all drifted past the head. But the end was by no means over, and with his first delivery, Ian Moir appeared to have played a match changing bowl as his controlled weight shot hurtled towards the head. Incredibly, although hitting the target, his bowl managed to squeeze through between the shot bowl and jack, leaving Inverurie still lying shot, albeit now a couple of feet away. Meanwhile, Colin Banks was running for cover, opting not to draw a closer shot and was covering all angles at the back. So the 2015 Counties of Aberdeen and Kincardineshire Top Ten Final went down to the very last bowl, and with Ian's final delivery looking to be on the perfect road, it agonisingly run up a couple of inches short, meaning Inverurie were champions once again, and for the third time in their history. The spectators had been treated to surely one of the closest and tightly contested finals in many years, the final score reading Inverurie 5 Rothienorman 3.
Afterwards, players and officials were treated to a tremendous spread of post match nibbles. A and K President Graeme Penny handed over the badges to the Runners Up and Winners before presenting President Kenny Gillies with the trophy. Only Colin Banks, Graeme Thomson and Steve Wilson remain from Inverurie's most recent Top Ten victory in 2010, which was also against Rothienorman. Inverurie will now look forward to representing A and K in the Inter County Top Association in 2016. Congratulations to all the team - a great effort on winning this prestigious event once again.
Inverurie's own current internationalist, Jason Banks had the unenviable task of taking on Neil in the singles. With Jason holding a 100% record in the singles throughout this season's competition, he would have been filled with confidence. However, Neil was in devastating form and although Jason battled well, the singles were first off with Rothienorman having 2 points in the bag - Neil winning by 21-13. Jason was able to take his place in the shelter, joining an already healthy Inverurie support and watch the rest of the day's bowling unfold.
Regardless of the singles score, Inverurie appeared to have opened up a healthy lead overall early on, with the fours skipped by Graeme Thomson racing to a 12-2 lead over Mark Campbell's rink. The triples, skipped by Colin Banks also held a decent lead at half way, and although the pair of Gary Cruickshank and Steve Wilson weren't having it their own way against Ian Lonsdale and James Harper, things were looking promising for Inverurie. However, the Rothienorman fours surged back into their match, and at one point were back within one shot. There was also a dramatic turn around in the triples, with Ian Moir's triple overcoming their early deficit to sneak into the lead.
The tables had turned and Rothienorman looked to be edging away with the game, with two points in the bag already and the pairs and triples in front with only a few ends to go. But this time it was Inverurie's turn to rally. There was two pivotal moments in the pairs match, with Rothienorman holding a 5 shot lead and lying four, Steve Wilson ditched the jack with his last delivery to pick up a two - a massive 6 shot swing at this stage. Only a few ends later, and with Rothie once again lying four, Steve drove at the head to burn the end. The pairs and triples games looked to be the key matches at this stage, and just as this end was killed in the pairs, a roar went up on rink 5 in the triples as Ian Moir binned the white with what looked to be a potentially match winning delivery. Colin Banks was in no mood to surrender though, and he produced two sensational bowls inside Ian's toucher in the ditch to make a count of two. Back to the pairs, and in a game of excellent quality where all four players seemed to be hitting top form, Gary and Steve had somehow managed to take a 12-11 lead into the final end. Both Gary and Ian produced a sensational last end, but with Inverurie lying one, with his third delivery, James played a controlled weight shot and managed to squeeze the jack to the edge of the rink but found himself still one down. After agonising over his shot selection for some time, Steve decided to run for cover and rolled a back bowl in to prevent a count of two. James however showed nerve's of steel to draw the shot and tie the match at 12-12, overall score now 3-1 in Rothie's favour, although the draw seemed to favour Inverurie with how things stood and it wasn't long before the overall points score was even. On rink 2, the fours were playing their last end, and with Mark Campbell's rink 4 down and Inverurie lying one, he tried to burn the end with his last delivery. His strike was on target, but unfortunately for Rothie, the jack rebounded back up the rink to an Inverurie bowl and the match finished 20-15.
At this stage the scoreboard read 3-3, and overall shots was Inverurie 45 Rothienorman 48. But with the triples starting their last end all square at 15-15, overall shots would only now be a factor if there was a no shot, leaving it effectively a one end shoot out for the match. Jim Whyte kicked the end off with a front toucher, advantage Inverurie. With his opposing lead Gordon Esslemont not able to better it, it was down to Gordon's dad Neil to try and change things. Rothie could only watch on in vain as his three deliveries all drifted past the head. But the end was by no means over, and with his first delivery, Ian Moir appeared to have played a match changing bowl as his controlled weight shot hurtled towards the head. Incredibly, although hitting the target, his bowl managed to squeeze through between the shot bowl and jack, leaving Inverurie still lying shot, albeit now a couple of feet away. Meanwhile, Colin Banks was running for cover, opting not to draw a closer shot and was covering all angles at the back. So the 2015 Counties of Aberdeen and Kincardineshire Top Ten Final went down to the very last bowl, and with Ian's final delivery looking to be on the perfect road, it agonisingly run up a couple of inches short, meaning Inverurie were champions once again, and for the third time in their history. The spectators had been treated to surely one of the closest and tightly contested finals in many years, the final score reading Inverurie 5 Rothienorman 3.
Afterwards, players and officials were treated to a tremendous spread of post match nibbles. A and K President Graeme Penny handed over the badges to the Runners Up and Winners before presenting President Kenny Gillies with the trophy. Only Colin Banks, Graeme Thomson and Steve Wilson remain from Inverurie's most recent Top Ten victory in 2010, which was also against Rothienorman. Inverurie will now look forward to representing A and K in the Inter County Top Association in 2016. Congratulations to all the team - a great effort on winning this prestigious event once again.
Inverurie 5 (61) Rothienorman 3 (63)
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Singles
Pairs Triples Fours |
Jason Banks
Gary Cruickshank Steve Wilson Jim Whyte Jim Bruce Colin Banks Martyn Thomson Gary Macdonald Norman Burnett Graeme Thomson |
13-21
12-12 16-15 20-15 |
Neil Burnett
Ian Lonsdale James Harper Gordon Esslemont Neil Esslemont Ian Moir Colin Knox Frank Willox John Nicol Mark Campbell |
