Aberdeen & Kincardine take on Angus for a place in knock out quarter finals of the Scottish League
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Pitmedden Bowling Club will play host on Saturday to the decider for second place in the North Section of the Scottish League, following
Aberdeen & Kincardine being well beaten by Bon Accord (Aberdeen) 99-140 shots last weekend, writes corespondent Mike Barron.
Angus claimed two points that day beating Dundee 120-111.
Both sit on eight points from six games, with A & K having a better shot advantage of plus 73 against 16, which is irrelevant.
Whoever wins at Pitmedden will go through to the quarter final of the Scottish inter league knock out.
All four Scottish sections will be decided on Saturday.
There is, however, a financial penalty getting to the semi-final.
Yet again the Scottish Bowling Association are penalising the north, and north-east, as whoever makes the semi final are expected to start in Ayr at 10am on the final Saturday of the month with the final in the afternoon and appeals have been ignored.
With a team of 24 plus reserves travelling, Bon Accord are believed to have been quoted at £1600 for a coach travelling on Friday, and with accommodation overnight required just short of £3000 could be the total bill.
SBA pays nothing toward the costs.
Returning to Saturday’s match against Bon Accord all six rinks lost.
It looked promising after a quarter of the match with A & K just ahead on 29 shots with Bon Accord 27.
The green played well, the sun shone, but a blustery wind at Rothienorman made consistent drawing very difficult.
The end of the second quarter saw Bon Accord putting pressure on.
James Harper, on his home green, was 13-6 down and only Mark McIntosh (Tarves) was up 12-8.
The city team were 56-46 up after 52 ends, and with 67 played their lead was 67-54.
From then they continued to control the match.
They won convincingly by 41 shots.
Bon Accord 140 A & K 99.
Final Rink Scores :- Kevin Pirie 26 Steven Fraser (Pitmedden) 21, Alan McKay 22 James Harper (Rothienorman) 17, Roy Henry 23 Andy Duncan (Tarves) 11, Andy Thomson 23 Colin Banks (Inverurie) 19, Eric Gallan 21 Mark Campbell (Rothienorman) 13, Kevin Harper 25 Mark McIntosh (Tarves) 18.
No rink won!
Mark McIntosh (Tarves) as skip, substituting for Jason Banks (Inverurie), can hold his head up high.
At half way stage his rink was the only one up and this by 12-8.
It was only in the latter stages did Kevin Harper (Bon Accord) pull away scoring well winning by 7 shots
Even missing Jason Banks, who was on international duty, in a round robin event at Leamington Spa, which hosts the Commonwealth Games
in July, his presence would have made little difference to the final score.
The Scottish team is the same group of five players who will represent Scotland at the European Championship.
Selectors for the final match have reinstated Jason Banks as skip, with Mark McIntosh playing third to his Tarves team mate Andy Duncan.
The team selection is as follows:-
Alistair McIntosh (Bervie), Michael Collister (Pitmedden), David Keith (Bervie), Colin Banks (Inverurie), Ian Jaffray (Harlaw), Graeme Penny (Stonehaven), Fergus Muat (Harlaw), Mark Campbell (Rothienorman), Liam Thom (Kemnay), Tom Dow (Kincardine O’Neil), Michael Mennie (Pitmedden), Steven Fraser (Pitmedden), John Simpson (Laurencekirk), Geoff Allan (Pitmedden), Marshall Presly (Tarves), Jason Banks (Inverurie), Eddie Hay (Kincardine O’Neil), Derek Watson (Belhelvie), Mark McIntosh (Tarves), Andy Duncan (Tarves); Ian Ligertwood (Methlick), Gary MacDonald (Inverurie), Alan Rough (Harlaw) and James Harper (Rothienorman).
Reserves: Steve McGillivary (Laurencekirk), Keith Rose (Harlaw), Kenny Gray (Tarves).
Spectators are in for a treat at Pitmedden for this crunch match.
