The league took time out to play knockout competitions last week with only one re–arranged league match played, writes Eric Dobbie.
After Scotter 1 had unusually thrashed visitors Melrose 10–0 (71 shots) a fortnight ago, normal service was resumed this week with a much closer contest.
Melrose SSC met Scotter 1 again in the Knockout Shield semi–final at Roses.
Although Scotter 1 were slightly in the lead for most of the match, it was only at the end that they extended their lead to 16 shots, and 13 of those were on one rink.
Even that one rink was close until the last 5 ends, the Melrose trio often held shot only for perfect weighted bowls to take out any Melrose bowls and leave only Scotter bowls.
Scotter 1 play Rose A in the final.
Melrose had the difficult task of visiting Beckingham in the Hazel Lawrence Trophy (singles, pairs, triples, fours).
Although the home side led at the start, they could not build up a decent lead and by halfway Melrose were 10 in front and stayed in front until the end.
Bill Bryan and Pete Cawthorne comfortably won the pairs 23–10 against Julian Cowan and Eric Dobbie but Alan Revill beat Beckingham’s Michael Taylor 25–12 to cancel that out and Melrose won 66–61.
In–form Marton GB took 39 steps towards the Hazel Lawrence semi–final with a splendid 79–40 win at Marshall Sports including an amazing 21–1 win in the fours by Fred Rushworth, Helen Lillie, Mike Larke, and Muzzi Chafik.
Marton also comfortably won the pairs and triples.
The other side of the coin of course is that the Sports will be feeling miserable after their form plumbed new depths.
Marton played visitors Rose A in a re–arranged league match which was fairly close on all rinks with 7 being the biggest winning margin. The teams finished with two rink wins each but Marton just won 6–4 (71–66).
North Wheatley had the unenviable task of hosting Scotter 1 in the Hazel Lawrence Trophy. For the home side Dennis Hogg, Dorothy Arthur, and John Arthur splendidly won 24–11 but Scotter 1 won the other three rinks by double figures to easily win 89–56.