Bowls: Dark times but Hush and Hogg come through

Published on Friday 26 June 2009 10:01

AS DARKNESS fell over the Belmont greens in Belfast last night, Carrick Knowe bowlers Darren Hush and James Hogg had to call on all their reserves to reach the pairs shootout in today's British Isles Championship finals.

They opened with a morale-boosting 24-10 quarter-final win over Jersey's Tim Murphy and Terry Allen and looked to be coasting in their semi-final match against Guernsey brothers Danny and Matt le Ber when they led 12-2, 15-3,16-6 and 19-7.

But, as the evening temperature dropped and the dampness came through altering the lines of the rink, the Channel Islanders reeled off 4, 3, 2 and 1 to cut the deficit to 19-17 and, in a tense run home over the concluding three ends, the relieved Broomhall Avenue team-mates held on to win 22-20.

Their opponents in today's title decider were set to be Wales' Ian Henderson and Martin Selway.

Former East Lothian star Wayne Hogg saw his title hopes in the singles bite the dust when he lost 21-16 to unknown Welsh champion Roger Jones from Panteg Park.

Jones was set to face Guernsey's Matt le Ber in today's final.

Also left on the sidelines after the quarter-final play-offs were Clackmannan trio Joe Young, John Bell and Mark McCallum and Gourock Park quartet John Reid, Alex McIlvray, Rodger Lynn and Ian Brown who lost 23-7 to England and 25-9 to Guernsey respectively.

So the only other Scots title challenge comes from Campbeltown's Iain McMillan.

The 24-year old came through his Under 25 junior singles match with flying colours, accounting for Aaron Sexton from the Preston Brighton club 21-10 and will also face Welsh opposition in the shape of Mark Thomas.