Page 21 - Spring 2012

Top Team 2:Layout 1 15/05/2012 17:40 Page 1

structure (2 singles, 2 pairs, 2 21
triples and 2 fours). With 2
points available for each
game won and a point for a
drawn game.
Each team would also have to
play each other in a game of
6 rinks, with one point avail-
able for each game won and
6 points for the team with the
highest aggregate score.
After the first day The
Northern Zone had estab-
lished a good lead having PEMBROKESHIRE
PEMBROKESHIRE
completed their four individual
games beating Pembrokeshire twice and sharing the points with Cheshire over their two games.
On day 2 the competition had reached the climax of the weekend with Cheshire and
Northern Zone due to play each other in the Rinks event. Cheshire took a slight lead into the
final game, but with 12 points on offer either team could win. The games were all close and it
finally came down to the last game and
last end to decide the result. Cheshire
led overall by one shot in the match, with
five games completed and including the
score in the final game.
If the Northern zone could score
two or more then they would win, any-
thing less and the trophy would go to
Cheshire. With two bowls left Cheshire
were two down, they pushed a bowl out
and were just one down.
The Irish skip had to sit and rest
the Cheshire bowl to win. By now every-
one had gathered around the mat. The
bowl was delivered and grazed the Cheshire bowl but didn't move it. Cheshire had one in the
closest finish to the event in its history. A great game and a fantastic finale played in a great
spirit.
Cheshire became only the second non-Irish team to win the tournament, such has been
their dominance. The Cheshire team have subsequently achieved their sixth consecutive Inter
County Championship and will be
facing Mid-Ulster and Swansea in
December.
Finally, in a tribute to Cheshire,
the long-standing Captain/Manager
Keith Smith stepped down after the
latest County title. It is fitting to say
that he has now become the most
successful county Manager and took
that even further with the success of
the England Team this season. Well
done Keith and thank you.
Brandon Whittaker