Bowls Europe- 2024 European Championships- Day Six Report
A successful final day for the Scots at the European Championships saw a further five medals won by Team Scotland. After a resounding week, the team were also crowned the inaugural winners of the Andy Meekison Trophy, finishing as the best overall team (accumulated from results from our Gents, Ladies and Para Teams)
Session One
Gents Para Pairs
A nervy opening of the day for Danny Porter and Garry Brown saw them in a tight tussle with Wales in the first session. A slow start saw our gents para pair 8-3 behind at the halfway mark before they managed to pull themselves back into the game. Scoring in six of the remaining eight ends, Danny and Garry managed to string together nine shots to cross their Welsh adversaries and sit pretty at the top of the league table.
Para VI Mixed Pairs
Mary Stevenson and Robert Barr (with Jim Aitken and Sarah-Jane Ewing respectively) ran out victorious in their final group game yesterday, as they won 17-4 against Israel. They started fast, leading 6-0 after four ends, and from there they chipped away at their advantage. After nine ends, the score read 12-2 to the Scots, and in the final five ends that they played before the time limit expired, the two teams traded ends, ending with a 17-4 win.
Ladies Triples
Our Ladies Triple had to win their final group game to guarantee a place in the final four, and the chance of a medal. Knowing this, Emma McIntyre, Megan Grantham and Gail Notman flew from the traps, and after nine ends, they led by 13-3. The game was controlled from there out by the Scots who kept hold of the jack, leading 24-6 with three ends to play. The two sides shared the spoils in the last three ends, with three single shots won, two for the Israelis and one for the Scots, leading to a final score of 25-8 in favour of the Scots.
Session Two
Gents Para Pairs
Danny Porter and Garry Brown’s last game set them one goal, win for the gold medal. After a tight tussle with Ireland, they did just that. Porter and Brown started the quicker of the two sides and led 11-6 after ten ends, however the Irish were not to go down without a fight, and Danny and Garry were crossed with two ends to play, trailing 13-11. A pair in the penultimate end saw the two sides tied playing the final end, where the Scots produced the goods, claiming Scotland’s first, and only gold at the 2024 European Championships, as they became the inaugural gents para pairs European Champions!
Semi Finals
Gents Singles
Aaron Betts came up short against Jersey’s Ross Davis in the semi-finals of the gents singles. A close start saw the men tied at six shots each, before Davis started to pull away. Aaron struggled to get into his groove, as Davis chipped away at the scoreboard. Betts was behind 20-8, and was able to rattle off two singles, getting into double figures. He lay the shot to keep himself in the game, though with his last bowl, Ross Davis grabbed his victory, setting Aaron up for a third-place playoff.
Ladies Pairs
Carla Banks and Rachel Sinclair struggled to catch the rink in their semi-final clash with Ireland. The Irish ladies proved too strong for the Scots and pulled away early doors, leaving Banks and Sinclair chasing the game from the off. Many of the heads were tight, though it was Ireland who had the cutting edge on the day. The final scoreline read 21-2 in Ireland’s favour, after a tough game for Scotland.
Para Mixed VI Pairs
Mary Stevenson, Robert Barr, James Aitken and Sarah-Jane Ewing had another tussle with Israel in their semi-final match in the second session of the day, and it was there that the two Scots displayed their quality. Flying through the gears early doors, the Scots led 15-0 after five ends. Four shots in the next three ends saw them lead 19-0 after eight, and the Israelis finally got on the card in the ninth end, scoring a single, to trail 19-1, with six to play. A pair for the Scots in the tenth was enough for Israel to shake hands, sending the VI team into the final, with relative ease. The final scoreline read 21-1.
Ladies Triples
Emma McIntyre, Megan Grantham and Gail Notman got the better of the Irish ladies triple in their semi-final tie, claiming an 18-10 victory, with an end to spare. All three ladies were on fine form, as relentless leading from McIntyre saw the Scots pull away in the second half of the game. It was a close contest early doors, with the two only being separated by three shots after nine ends, though a massive four shots in the tenth saw Scotland go 12-5 In front. From there they secured a treble along with a single and double in three of the next five ends, to lead by ten shots with just two ends to play. Needing ten shots from two ends, the Irish chased the big count in the penultimate end, which never came, seeing the Scots progress into their gold medal match.
Gents Fours
Blair Davidson, Darren Gualtieri, Darren Weir and Dean Riva cruised into the final of the gents fours, after an 18-6 win over Israel, shaking hands with two ends to spare. A fast start saw them 8-1 in front after six ends, before they secured a four in the seventh to lead 12-1. In the middle of the game, Israel started creeping into the contest, though the quality of the Scottish four snuffed out any danger. In the twelfth end, the Scots did concede a cheap four, though it was for nought, as a pair in the thirteenth end was enough for Israel to concede the game, final score 18-6 after 13 ends, in Scotland’s favour.
Finals
Bronze Medal Playoffs
Gents Singles
Aaron Betts got the better of the Czech Republic’s Craig Hurry in a hard-fought game, as the young Scot claimed the bronze medal. A tight start saw Aaron 8-7 ahead early doors, before he put his foot on the gas. He flew up the card, to lead 19-13, before the two men traded singles over the next four ends, allowing Aaron to grab the bronze medal, capping off a great week for the 19-year-old.
Ladies Pairs
Carla Banks and Rachel Sinclair struggled again in their third-place playoff in the Ladies Pairs against Jersey. A slow start saw them trail 9-2 after five ends, and from there the game simply got away from the Scots. It was a valiant effort from the Scots who had to fight hard to even qualify from their section, facing tough teams such as Wales, Guernsey and eventually European Champions England. Sadly, it was not to be for Carla and Rachel, as they had to settle for fourth after a 23-10 defeat.
Gold Medal Playoffs
Para VI Mixed Pairs
Our Para VI Mixed Pairs of Mary Stevenson and Robert Barr (with Jim Aitken and Sarah-Jane Ewing) were locked up in a tight battle with Wales, in the first ever VI Mixed Pairs European Final. In the thirteen-end game, things looked bleak for the Scots from the off, as they trailed 8-4 at the halfway point. However, they persevered and managed to bring it back level before the last end. Lead Mary Stevenson’s bowl found itself right on top of the jack, however, it was displaced by the Welsh skip, and locked itself into a position too hidden for Robert Barr to reach. This in turn saw the Scots have to settle for silver.
Ladies Triples
Also facing Wales, were our ladies triple of Emma McIntyre, Megan Grantham and Gail Notman. A strong start saw the, lead 4-2 after five ends, before their Welsh opposition started to run away with the game. After fifteen ends, the ladies were 19-11 down, and despite picking up the shot in the sixteenth, it was not enough, and it was the Welsh who claimed gold, despite a valiant effort from the Scots.
Gents Fours
Blair Davidson, Darren Gualtieri, Darren Weir and Dean Riva were up against it when they played Ireland in the European Gents Fours final. The Irish four proved strong from the off, and Scotland had to fight hard to stay in the game. With four ends to play, the Scots were two behind, and could only trade singles, to stay two down with just two ends to go. However, they showed signs of life, picking up a two in the penultimate end. From there, lead Blair Davidson, stuck his first bowl just inches from the jack in the final end, causing the team to start playing positionally, to hold onto the shot. Irish third, and current Under 25s British Isles champion Jack Moffatt drew a front toucher, beating the Scotland shot, and securing gold for the Irish.
The Andy Meekison Trophy:
Scotland were crowned the inaugural recipients of the Andy Meekison Trophy, following a thoroughly successful week. Thanks to support from squad managers Sandy Wotherspoon, Wendy Purdie and Derek Lang, Team Scotland came away from the 2024 European Championships.
The award was based on not just medals but also placement in the Group Stages.
Scotland boasted six group winners, as well as three group runners up, to go alongside our eight medals from the week, which when given an accumulative score placed us on top of the tree, after success in our Gents, Ladies and Para Bowls events.
Report by Oliver Anderson