Spring League Showdown!

Good Evening Drar Reader.
I’m trying something different tonight, I know you are not reading this in real time but as this is the Spring League Showdoen I’m going to blog from the comfort of the bar area, in real time. So here goes.
Rink 3 is Jim versus Steve Mc
Rink 4 is Joe versus Steve G in for David.

Joe is looking good in the first end, possibly a big score coming but Steve delivered two great stones and winkled Joe out the house, leaving with a single score.
Jim is building a good head too. Not many gaps for Steve to exploit. But Steve only needs one, he’s found it and sneaks in with a single as well.

There is no way into the house for Steve, he’s got one on the four foot but Joe has him surrounded and I don’t think it’s counting. He needs to promote a yellow if he’s going to cut Joe. Just not enough weight on that one. Two to Joe.

Nip and tick on Rink 3. Jim is guarding his two and Steve is helping him too. Not this time Steve, no way in, nearly a tap n roll. But it’s two fir the reds.

Third end. Guddle, guddle, Joe’s in trouble! Steve has this house sorted if he can promote a stone or two. Joe can’t seem to find away around the four front of house. More porridge Steve! That one was short and light. Steve takes a single.

Can’t quite see from up here but I looks like Jim is taking control. Only until Steve fils the gaps, knocks Jim out the house, slides in himself and that’s a two for Steve.

Right on the button Steve. Nice guards from Joe. That’ll please Steve no end. And so it proved. Joe couldn’t shift it. Steve couldn’t add to it. One red. 3-2 to Joe after four ends.

And for good measure, it’s very similar on Rink 3. With one on the button for Steve Mc. Jim just nibbles away, a wick here, a roll there and with the last stone, taps Steve out to take a one. It can’t be closer 3-3.

End four and I don’t think a stone has crossed the T line yet. Another guddle and from thus distance I can’t see whose doing what this end. Must be close, could be a measure? No, the stones are being moved and it’s anither single for Steve.

Quite the opposite on the other Rink. I can hardly see the rings for red stones. Looks like a big score coming Jim’s way. Although Steve has the hammer and there is a gap........and he found a way through. Just nicked his stone on the wrong side. It’s a two for Jim.

Can you get two stones on the button? Well you can but only one is going to count. As guards go up and gaps reduce its getting harder for Joe to dislodge that pesky red stone. It won’t take much but joe can’t nabsge it. Another single to Steve.

Jim is making Steve work if he wants to win. He’s kind of split the house and Steve is looking to reduce the score, maybe nick a one......another end where the last stone is crucial. You won’t believe it, halfway down the ice the stone stopped dead! That could be the killer blow for Steve’s title hopes. It’s another two for Jim and I think this is the last end.

Looks like Joe is taking control in the seventh. He’s sitting three and Steve is blocked out. Steve has shifted him but still looks like he’s lying two. He took a three. It goes into the eighth end and joe is leading!

Steve is building a good head too, he needs to! Could be lying three at the moment. But this is his last end, he’s run out of time. Jim is eating into this head. It’s very tight. And they are shaking hands! Who scored what? It’s a one to him. 8-3 to Jim.
That’s Steve’s chances all but gone. Hold on, what’s going on over in rink 4?

Steve is lying three. Now he’s lying one! Joe taps over and lies one. Steve shifted the stones at his first attempt but Joe is still lying. He’s guarded it well with his last stone. Steve has played with weight m, clipped his guard on the wrong side but it has knocked an an outside guard right into the mix! One to Steve!!!
A peel is enough for Joe to take the title. Congratulations to Joe and his team. It’s been a close battle all league long and fitting it should come down to the last stone of the last end. That was a great night if curling 🥌🏆🥌🏆😮🏆🥌

The Night of the Spouses

It’s getting exciting as the penultimate matches of the league could have a huge influence on the outcome. Would one team make have a great night and the luck of the ice? Could there be an upset? Read on............

Certainly there could be some latitude for players being upset as there were three couples on the ice and all opposing their better halves. So it is possible some were going home happier than others. But I’m sure they all kissed and made up before Horlicks and bed.

Normally at this point I give a brief resume of how the matches unfolded but his week, for a couple of reasons I’m just going to tell you about how the matches have affected the league ( don’t look or you’ll spoil the surprise!)

I think everyone who has played in the Spring league will agree the matches have thrown up some unusual situations, from both matches being high scoring to both matches being peeled. Joe and Steve are slugging it out for the title, each hoping to get an edge going into the last match, a cushion to give them a but if comfort.

Well you could not have scripted last nights results any better.
Joe and Steve won. Job done.
However they matched each other with the same margin of points difference and ends won, meaning the league is unchanged going into the final match.

All or nothing next week. Come on Dave and Jim, time to step up and cause an upset!

By the way, does anyone know what was on at the cinema last night? Apparently a couple of the players wanted to know 😉