James goes full Hogg at Ayr

Published on Friday 29 July 2011 13:16

BIG events need highlights to make them memorable and day three of the Bowls Scotland Championships. sponsored by The Prostate Cancer Charity, at Ayr Northfield witnessed such a moment from James Hogg of Carrick Knowe.

The second-round clash in the Fours between the Edinburgh District 12 champions and Port Seton of East Lothian drew a large crowd and it lived up to expectations with the result going right down to the last bowl - at an extra end.

Hogg, pictured right, fluked a trail on the jack to collect a 4 at the first end then skipped Graham Pringle, Craig Aitken and Richard Tough into a 6-4 lead after four ends but Craig Valentine, Gordon Baillie, Steven Morgan and Derek Oliver captured the next seven ends to cross 12-6.

Carrick Knowe then rallied with counts of 3, 1, 1, (1), 1 to square the score at 13-13 and take the game into an extra end where Baillie ran the jack to the ditch to hold what looked to be a match-winning shot.

Tough with two efforts and Hogg with his first failed to get close enough to make a difference, then the margin of error for Hogg's final delivery was cut even further when Oliver drew brilliantly to a few inches off the brink. Hogg then answered all the pressures with a spectacular chap and lie on Oliver's bowl to first nudge the non chalker into the ditch then stay perilously on the green to beat the chalker in the ditch by enough inches to make it a dramatic match-winner.

Queensberry made it a double for Edinburgh in the Fours with the District 11 champions cashing in on two mighty counts of 5 as Frank O'Reilly skipped Scott Walker, Jim McDougall and Brian Pollard to an 18-15 win over John Hume, David Winton, Steven Mitchell and Gary Robertson of Gilmerton.

The gents Singles is the main attraction and there was no second-round joy for Edinburgh as Andrew Sneddon of Tanfield failed to produce his best form in a 21-12 defeat to Alex Kelly of Eddlewood. Sneddon did show good battlling qualities to peel at 10 from 10-4 down but his late losses included three costly counts of 3.

The District 11 champion was joined on the sidelines by title favourite David Peacock of Danderhall, who was out of sorts against a strong opponent and was trailing 19-11 when the sight of his mother taking a bad turn in the crowd led to him conceding. It was a frightening situation for the 41-year-old but thankfully his mum made a welcome recovery. Peacock had been in the process of staging a fightback from 19-4 down having added 2, 1, 4 to 11 against Stuart Hogg of Denny.

West Lothian champion David McCormick remains in the Singles frame having beated Ross Reid of Westmain, 21-11.

Josh Spalding of Craigentinny impressed with a 21-13 win in the Junior Singles and is joined in the second round by Mark Yuill of Inveresk (21-15) and Steven Fleming of Buchan Park (21-11) but Ross Herriot of Stenhouse lost 21-15 to Andrew Thomson of Markinch.

The Parkside partnership of Alex Hurry and Paul Veitch marched on with a 24-8 win and Leith made it a double with Drew Dodds and John Ramsay defeating Baillieston, 17-12, while Darren Smith, Gary Nisbet and Andrew Caldwell of Craigentinny won 15-7 in the Triples.

Gorgie Mills (19-18) also progressed in the Triples while a similar 14-13 thriller saw Craigentinny through in the ladies Triples.