S-F Hetty S & David N v Trudy R & John R – February 14th, 2012

  Hetty and David beat Trudy and John by 11-3 in their Couples semi final but that score line does not tell the whole story.

  Trudy put the first wood of the match to four inches on a jack, only a foot short of maximum length. Hetty was short by just over two feet, then just short again, but Trudy promoted her to second wood at fifteen inches. Then Hetty’s first wood was promoted, by David, to second wood at ten inches, before Hetty was again promoted, this time by John (her opponent), to four inches – a measure. All the time Trudy’s first wood hung resolutely at an angle. Had it settled, it would have been her shot, but a calliper measure gave shot to Hetty, by a whisker. First blood to her and David, after her shot wood being promoted twice!

  There was further ping pong in the second end, as John was promoted to shot, but David’s last pinged the jack two yards and then ran through to take the end - another shot taken at the death for a two to nil advantage that might just as easily have been a deficit.

  End three was crazy. For most of the rest of the match there were pretty good, tight heads, but here the closest wood was a yard away. Amazingly, though, because Trudy and John had not adjusted to the shorter twenty-seven yards, the next four woods all belonged to Hetty and David and they were ahead 7-0. Another short jack, in the fourth, saw all the players finding the length, the head was packed, but the single shot was to Hetty and David and they led 8-0.

  Back to long jacks at thirty four yards, in the fifth, with Hetty putting her wood to eight inches before being trumped by Trudy at six inches. Hetty then pushed her first wood to four inches. With John and David finding the right length, the head was filled with woods at a foot or less from the jack – but the final count saw two shots to Hetty and David, now 10-0 up after five ends.

  End six was the second untidy end. Trudy was holding shot, some five feet from the jack till David’s last crept inside, only just, but taking the shot away. At 11-0, it was over unless Trudy and John could win an end – which Trudy did with an immaculate BACKHAND to ten inches. But with Hetty second wood, and 11-1 down, only big wins would now be good enough. Trudy was holding shot in end eight until John moved her out, but only by a few inches, to take two. At 11-3 there was no need to play the last end, but this had not been the walk in the park that score line suggests. So many woods, from Trudy and John, that went without reward, and a loose end that cost them dear.

  But hearty congratulations to Hetty and David, on a hard fought and well played victory which takes them into a final against Hans and Penny.
 

S-F Penny G & Hans F v Marian R & Pete Bradshaw – February 7th, 2012

  We have had some fantastic matches and today’s semi final between Marian and Peter and Penny and Hans was right up there with them. The lead see-sawed between the two couples and it went right down to the wire.

  Marian made a storming start to eighteen inches, then promoted herself to four inches to hold two, but instantly Penny moved her out to take shot. Before Peter moved inside with his last wood to restore the lead and first blood for his pairing. Marian then set a long jack – only two of the ends were less than thirty-one yards – but it was Penny this time who held two until Hans (her partner) moved her out, but taking shot himself and not moving her far enough to prevent her lying second and third. Advantage moves to Penny and Hans at 3-1.

  In end three at thirty-four yards Marian held shot at nine inches in front of the jack, and she had second wood also. Hans then had a remarkable series of contact woods. The first caught Marian’s shot wood but just faintly nudged it behind the jack – no change at two down. His second hit Peter’s wood firmly amidships to propel it into second wood – three down. His third caught Marian’s third wood and moved it a few feet, but his own ran to the ditch and left Marian still in the count. With three shots Marian and Pete were back ahead, at 4-3.

  End four was full length. Marian held shot at two feet until Hans again made contact, but this time moved her out to take shot, himself. Four all after four ends. Marian and Peter responded by taking two shots in end five and when Peter rolled in his last for a further shot – always difficult when you are holding in case you disturb your own woods – it was three shots and they were back in the lead, at 7-4.

  The sixth end was the loosest, but Hans less loose than the rest to take two and cut the deficit to one, at 7-6. At twenty-seven yards, end seven was the shortest of the match and Penny kissed the jack with her first wood before it settled at four inches away. Hans promoted it to two inches, lying second himself. It was a measure for third between Hans and Peter – it turned out to be Hans by half an inch, and once more, the lead had changed hands. With Penny and Hans, 9-7 up.

  In end eight, there was a cluster of woods around Marian’s shot wood at one foot. Peter again tried to make his final wood count without moving Marian or promoting his opponents; he was an agonising couple of inches short, so they remained behind, but by just one shot now, at 9-8.

  At twenty-nine yards, the final end was set at somewhat shorter length than most of the rest of the match. Nerves showed as they tried to adjust and it was Peter’s wood at fifteen inches behind the jack that was holding, to square the match, as Hans delivered his final wood. Hans played with weight, and sent the jack a full five yards, missing Peter’s shot wood by a whisker and moving towards and beyond Marian’s back wood. It looked like Hans had only transferred shot from Peter to Marian, but his own wood continued its path, slowly, slowly up to and past Marian. Shot to Hans and Penny and the match 10-8. Decided only with the very last wood.

  Congratulations to both pairings for a great contest played in the best possible spirit.