2025 Atlantic International Challenge - Day Five Report
Following their three wins from four matches on the final day of play, Scotland have been crowned champions of the 2025 Atlantic International Challenge.
Session 14A
Scotland began the day with a commanding 12-3 win against the USA in the men’s singles disciplines.
Ewan Shearer set the tone for the Scottish side with a blistering start, beating Corey Vose 12-1 in the opening set. The second set was a much tighter affair with the Scot managing to do enough to earn a 5-5 draw. Gary Prunty edged past Chris Dodd courtesy of a tie-break win. Dodd took the opening set 3-6, but Prunty stormed back to win the second 8-3 before clinching the tie-break.
USA’s only win came through Tom Richeson, who held his nerve in a great battle with James Hogg. Richeson took the first set 2-7, but Hogg responded brilliantly with a 9-6 win of his own. Sadly for Scotland, the American clinched the one end shootout.
Connor Milne produced the most dominant display of the session, overwhelming Daniel Gorelick in a 9-1 and 11-1 straight sets triumph.
Darren Gualtieri rounded off the session with a strong showing against Peter Ritchie. After winning the first set 9-1, Gualtieri dropped a tight second 7-8 but regrouped well to take the all-important tie-break.
Session 14A Scores:
- Men’s Singles – Ewan Shearer beat Corey Vose 1.5-0.5 (12-1 & 5-5)
- Men’s Singles – Gary Prunty beat Chris Dodd 2-1 (3-6, 8-3 & 1-0)
- Men’s Singles – James Hogg lost to Tom Richeson 1-2 (2-7, 9-6 & 0-1)
- Men’s Singles – Connor Milne beat Daniel Gorelick 2-0 (9-1 & 11-1)
- Men’s Singles – Darren Gualtieri beat Peter Ritchie 2-1 (9-1, 7-8 & 1-0)
SCOTLAND 12 – USA 3
Session 14B
Continuing Scotland’s strong start to the day, Scotland’s women recorded a clean sweep of victories over the USA in their five singles encounters.
Dee Hoggan opened the scoring for Scotland with a composed performance against Rachel Marcuson. A 10-6 win in the first set gave her the upper hand, and a tightly contested 6-6 draw in the second was enough to secure the points. Gail Notman was in complete control throughout her match with Janice Bell, cruising to wins of 8-4 and 9-2 respectively.
Lorna Cameron added to the scoreboard with a confident display, defeating Joanne Hedgespeth 6-3 and 10-4. Caroline Brown showed her class in a clinical win over the experienced Anne Nunes. A tight 5-4 victory in the opener was followed by a commanding 10-3 triumph in the second set.
In the final game of the session, Beth Riva was pushed all the way by Dee McSparran. Riva dominated the first set 10-1 before McSparran edged the second 5-6. With the match now entering a one end tie-break, Riva held her nerve to take the shot and seal the win.
Session 14B Scores:
- Women’s Singles – Dee Hoggan beat Rachel Marcuson 1.5-0.5 (10-6 & 6-6)
- Women’s Singles – Gail Notman beat Janice Bell 2-0 (8-4 & 9-2)
- Women’s Singles – Lorna Cameron beat Joanne Hedgespeth 2-0 (6-3 & 10-4)
- Women’s Singles – Caroline Brown beat Anne Nunes 2-0 (5-4 & 10-3)
- Women’s Singles – Beth Riva v Dee McSparran 2-1 (10-1, 5-6 & 1-0)
SCOTLAND 15 – USA 0
Session 15A
Next up for Scotland’s men was a battle with Ireland in the penultimate session of the event. The Scots fought hard but lost 6-9 to a strong performance from Ireland across the five singles fixtures.
The session opened with a tight battle between Grant Logan and Ryan McElroy. McElroy took the first set 5-7 before Logan responded emphatically with an 11-0 win to level the match. In the deciding one-end shootout, McElroy held his nerve to secure the win for Ireland. Connor Milne also suffered a defeat against an inspired performance from Mark Wilson. The Irishman’s consistency proved too much, winning both sets 2-8 and 5-11 against the Scot.
Scotland began their fight back through James Hogg. A tense opening set finished 7-7 against Mark Foster, before Hogg turned up the pressure in the second, dominating 12-2 to earn a vital win. Ewan Shearer continued his impressive form, putting in a polished display against Ian McClure. Shearer’s consistent drawing bowls helped him to a 7-3 and 10-3 victory respectively.
Needing a win to take the session, Darren Gualtieri faced a tough challenge in Shane Leonard. The Irishman sadly proved too strong, winning 4-7 and 4-12 to seal both the match and session victory for Ireland.
Session 15A Scores:
- Men’s Singles – Grant Logan lost to Ryan McElroy 1-2 (5-7, 11-0 & 0-1)
- Men’s Singles – Connor Milne lost to Mark Wilson 0-2 (2-8 & 5-11)
- Men’s Singles – James Hogg beat Mark Foster 1.5-0.5 (7-7 & 12-2)
- Men’s Singles – Ewan Shearer beat Ian McClure 2-0 (7-3 & 10-3)
- Men’s Singles – Darren Gualtieri lost to Shane Leonard 0-2 (4-7 & 4-12)
SCOTLAND 6 – IRELAND 9
Session 15B
Scotland’s women went into the final session of the 2025 Atlantic International Challenge knowing that a win would see them crowned champions, and that’s exactly what the team delivered. In a session where the momentum shifted multiple times, Scotland eventually prevailed victorious 9-6 across the five singles contests.
The opening match saw Caroline Brown narrowly lose out to Rachel Cochrane. Brown claimed the first set 7-5, but Cochrane hit back in a tight second set 6-8 before sealing the match in the tie-break.
Scotland quickly responded through Natalie McWilliams, who showed great control under pressure. A 4-4 draw in the first set was followed by a dominant 7-2 win in the second, giving McWilliams the victory.
Beth Riva fought back after a tough start against Chloe Wilson, who opened with a strong 2-9 set win. Riva showed resilience to take the second 7-3, but Wilson edged the final-end shootout to secure the points for Ireland.
Dee Hoggan reignited Scotland’s challenge with an outstanding win over Lara Reaney. The Scot dominated from the early stages and won the contest convincingly 10-3 and 11-2.
With all eyes on the final game, Lorna Cameron delivered when it mattered most. Although she dropped the first set 4-8 to the talented Sarah Kelly, Cameron came storming back to win the second 11-4. The Scot showcased great composure under pressure to clinch the one end tie-break and secure the title for the Scottish side.
Session 15B Scores:
- Women’s Singles – Caroline Brown lost to Rachel Cochrane 1-2 (7-5, 6-8 & 0-1)
- Women’s Singles – Natalie McWilliams beat Hannah Cochrane 1.5-0.5 (4-4 & 7-2)
- Women’s Singles – Beth Riva lost to Chloe Wilson 1-2 (2-9, 7-3 & 0-1)
- Women’s Singles – Dee Hoggan beat Lara Reaney 2-0 (10-3 & 11-2)
- Women’s Singles – Lorna Cameron beat Sarah Kelly 2-1 (4-8, 11-4 & 1-0)
SCOTLAND 9 – IRELAND 6
Congratulations to the full Scottish team, coaches and support staff on winning the 2025 Atlantic International Challenge. We would also like to thank Bowls Canada and Windsor Lawn Bowling Club for their hospitality and hosting an incredible international event.