Bowls Europe- 2024 European Championships- Day Three Report
Another successful day of bowling for Team Scotland seen the Scots scoop up three medals yesterday, with our Gents Pairs claiming bronze, and our Gents Triples and Ladies Fours coming away with a silver.
Session One
Our ladies four of Emma McIntyre, Carla Banks, Megan Grantham and Gail Notman started their day continuing their form so far this week, winning their final group game 23-6 against Israel, guaranteeing that they topped their group.
A tight start saw the Scots hold a narrow 7-5 lead in the early proceedings before they started flying through the gears. The squad flew through six ends, scoring fourteen shots in rapid succession, putting the game out of reach. The squad dropped a shot in the penultimate end, before grabbing a pair in the last, securing victory.
Semi-Finals
A mixed bag of results at the semi-final stage saw two out of three teams progress into gold medal matches.
Gents Pairs
Up first was Aaron Betts and Darren Weir, who faced Ireland in a particularly close game. Starting slowly, Aaron and Darren found themselves 8-3 behind after six ends of bowls, struggling to build momentum on a tricky rink. Eventually, they found their rhythm, and started to slowly, but surely, chip away at the Irish advantage. They found themselves just one shot behind with two to play, piling the pressure onto the Irish pair. Alas, it was not to be, and Ireland held firm to land a place in the final.
Gents Triples
Blair Davidson, Darren Gualtieri and Dean Riva managed to hold off a strong Israeli triple, as they successfully navigated their semi-final tie. They also started off the pace, as Riva stood on the mat in the first end with four shots against him. This never put the current Scottish Under 25 singles champion off however, and he produced a world class bowl to get the Scots an early advantage. They cracked on from there and managed to secure a crucial four in the seventh end to lead by eight shots to two. The sides then began to trade shots, until the Scots secured a precious three with just a couple of ends to play. Leading 16-7 with two ends to play, the boys used their knowledge of the game well, to lose just the one shot, and win the game with an end to spare.
Ladies Fours
A bumper game against a strong English team saw Scottish four Emma, Carla, Megan and Gail have to work for their place in the final. Early doors you could see the quality on display, as skip Gail Notman played a cracking running bowl, to go from two shots down, to claim a three, and lead by 5-2. Despite looking comfortable, the ladies lost a slack six, going from 7-5 in front, to 11-7 behind. They then had to dig their heels in, and responded well over the following three ends, to cross the English at 12-11, after ten ends. The rink skipped by Harriet Stevens were not for slowing up however, and continued to pressure the Scots, with the scoreline reading 14-12 in favour of the English with just three ends to play. As the saying goes however, ‘pressure makes diamonds’, and it did just that, as the four ladies all chipped in during the final three ends, managing to flip the score on its head, running out 17-14 winners, securing a place in the gold medal match in the process.
Finals
Bronze Medal Playoff
Gents Pairs
The Pair of Aaron Betts and Darren Weir came up against Dutch opposition for the second time in three days, this time with a place on the podium at stake. Last time out, the young Scottish duo ran out 21-15 winners, however they did not have it all their own way. The contest this afternoon was of a similar vein. Starting at a lightening pace, the Scots raced into a 12-2 lead, looking comfortable and composed in the game. However, the match started slowly slipping away from them, with the Netherlands eventually clawing it back to within two, at 12 shots to 10. Perseverance prevailed however, and the Scots finally got the jack back, and kept a hold of it, rattling through seven shots in the late stages of the game to secure a 19-10 victory and grab the bronze medal.
Gold Medal Playoff
Gents Triples
Blair Davidson, Darren Gualtieri and Dean Riva came up just short against a strong English triple in the final of the competition. The final score read 17-10 in favour of the English, though Scotland had their chances to compete in the game. A close start saw the sides all square at five-a-piece after six ends, before the English managed to hold onto the jack for five ends. With the score at 14-6 against the Scots, skip Dean Riva produced the goods, with an imperative bowl to get Team Scotland back into the tie. They lost a single in the fifteenth, though replied with a treble in the sixteenth, to trail by five shots, with two to play. Everything seemed to click for the Scots in the penultimate end, as they lay a potential four shots before the English skip played his last bowl. Unfortunately, a stroke of fortune saw him claim maximum result when drawing into the head, as the jack trickled just too far back for Scotland, handing the English two shots and a win, despite their valiant effort.
Ladies Fours
Emma McIntyre, Carla Banks, Megan Grantham and Gail Notman faced Ireland for the second time as a four, this time with the gold medal on the line. The last time the sides met in the Group Stages, the Scots ran out 14-9 winners, and it looked it be more of the same for Scotland, as they started like a whippet, leading by 9-2 after just six ends. However, the Scots seemed to fall away, as the Irish team grew into the contest, claiming back-to-back trebles, followed by a single, to tie the teams up after ten ends. It was Ireland who were firmly in the ascendency from there on out, leading by six shots with three to go, following another flurry. The Scots traded shots with the Irish in the last three ends, seeing the game finish at 17-11 in favour of the Irish, despite a valiant effort by Team Scotland.
Report by Oliver Anderson.