Garioch bowlers look to the year ahead
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What now for the Garioch Indoor Club for the remainder of the season?
That is the question posed by Mike Barron - Can Garioch go one better than last year in the Scottish Top ten (Team championship).
They finished runner up last year, and hope to go one better this year.
The first fixture is on Sunday (January 8) at home against Arbroath, with the winner playing Dundee or Turriff at Stonehaven the following weekend.
Jason Banks features in the World Bowls Championship this month, and unfortunately has to play a Preliminary match.
Only four bowlers have to play this round.
Jason, like most top Scottish bowlers, unless World ranked, had to qualify for the World Championship at Potters in Suffolk.
Alan Rough, Colin and Carla Banks all tried to qualify.
Alan Rough lost out in the semi-final at Stanley.
Colin was so unfortunate in that he came through a 48 player competition to play in the final and just lost out at an extra end.
He earlier in East Kilbride came unstuck in the quarter final.
Carla reached the semi-final last year but still had to qualify this year.
She lost in the second round.
The Banks family have been in both the under 25 and full International events for years, and they have been regular winners in Singles, Pairs and Mixed Scottish titles, yet looking at playdowns 2022/23 this has not been a good season for them.
Only Jason has been selected for the full Scottish team, being too old for the under 25s.
The surprise is that Carla has been selected for neither the under 25s nor the full International team.
I have just heard, if accurate, the questionable reasons being given is that she dropped out last year because of illness on the day of the under 25s event, and she also had pulled out of the full team days later.
She has obviously been penalised. as well, for going to Australia for a world quality event with 19 nations and missed the under 25s trials.
She does not feature in the Scottish team, and is listed as a reserve for the under 25s.
Jason, Carla, Colin and Angela have not won any titles this year so far, but despite this Garioch lie 12th on 28 points at end of December in the
Scottish Club League.
There are 40 entries in this competition.
This is 5 places down on last year.
Blantyre are leading with 48pts with Elgin second on 39.
Looking ahead to fixtures ahead for the three Garioch league teams, Garioch Gents team are having a great season, and lead the league by 2 points over Fraserburgh.
Garioch have beaten all five teams.
They next play Forfar at home this weekend, followed by Arbroath, Buchan, Stonehaven and finally Fraserburgh away.
This match could decide the league if both keep their current form. Garioch have four well balanced rinks and excellent skips who know how to get the best from the players.
The Senior Gents team, on paper have a good side, but often at least one, sometimes two rinks fail to win.
It was very disappointing to lose to Inverness at home by1 shot and by 2 against Elgin.
Their only win was against Turriff at home. Consistency is missing somehow and the selectors have a tough job to get a winning team.
The 2 narrow defeats, if they had one would have seen them in the top half of the league.
No further fixtures are listed.
The Garioch/Turriff Ladies league team are struggling in the Scottish North Premier League, and three of the four teams are struggling with but 2 points (one win) from three matches, and Garioch must now fight not to be relegated.
They first play Fraserburgh who are top, having won all their games (this coming weekend).
This coming weekend is a key match.
Their one hope is that they play at Inverurie.
Failing a win, they must then beat Arbroath, and then Elgin at home.
