Three out of four CI bowls titles for teenager

Three out of four CI bowls titles for teenager

The teenager claimed the triples and fours titles on Saturday before rounding off an excellent day with a 21-14 victory in the men’s under-25 singles against Guernsey’s Gary Collins.

MacDonald said: ‘Personally I played really well on Saturday and so, too, did my team mates.

But Sunday was a different story in the men’s singles, my judgment was all over the place.

‘I’m delighted to be going to the British Isles Championships for the second time; it’s an excellent championship and the standard will be extremely high.’ MacDonald, who only recently moved up to the senior ranks, partnered Thomas Greechan and John Lowery for a thumping 31-3 success in the triples against Terry Dowinton, Don Batiste and Phil Schofield.

The Jersey trio were joined by Alan Shaw to win the fours title, 20-17 against Paul, Ian and Mick Merrien and Terry Boreham.

The winners clawed their way back from 9-3 behind after seven ends with a four on the eleventh end to go 12-8 ahead.

The Sarnians replied immediately with a four of their own, only for the scores to be tied at 14-all after 13 ends.

Four ends later the teams were still inseparable at 17 apiece before a two and then a one clinched Jersey the title.

Greechan turned in excellent performances in both triples and fours successes.

Jersey took a fourth men’s title as Gus Hodgetts and Cyril Renouf won the pairs title, defeating Kris and Shaun Bichard 25-15.

The Jersey duo raced to a 12-1 advantage after four ends and although the Bichards fought back to within four points the gap was increased to ten points again with just two ends remaining.

Jersey’s ladies collected just one of the five titles.

Lindsey Greechan, who is expecting her second child in the next few weeks, regained the under-25 title, after defeating Lianna Bichard 21-19.

Greechan appeared to be heading for a comfortable win leading 19-7 after 15 ends.

But Bichard took the match to an extra end after scores of one, four, two, four and one before the Jersey bowler registered a two on the first extra end.

Gaynor Thomas was beaten by Guernsey’s Alison Merrien, back to fine form on her home rinks at Hougue du Pommier, in the ladies singles final.

Merrien ran out a 21-7 winner and in a moment of excellence she moved from 8-5 to 12-5 with a full house of bowls all within two inches of the jack.

Thomas rarely had an answer to such pinpoint accuracy and when she did get into good positions, such as the three-shot situation on an early end, she could only stand back and watch Merrien kill the end with a deadly drive.

Jersey went extremely close to winning the pairs title, Sue Dingle and Jean Jones going down 17-15 to Mavis Richards and Lianna Bichard.

The scores were level after 20 ends when Guernsey picked up a two after a Bichard conversion shot changed one down to two up with her last bowl! Trailing 7-0 after three ends, Jersey’s fours team of Rachel MacDonald, Chris Grimes, Sue Noel and Lindsey Greechan recovered to lead 16-13 after 15 ends, but they eventually lost a tight match 18-16.

Young Rachel MacDonald, Grimes and Noel suffered defeat in a high-scoring triples final, 27-20 against Lianna Bichard, Mavis Richards and Gwen de la Mare.

CI winners will represent the region in the British Isles Championships, the men in Wales next month and the ladies in Newcastle in April.

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