Week commencing 28/11

It was the turn of Divisions 2 and 3 to open their curling accounts in Moray Province East this week.
Sandy Howie certainly knows one end of a haddock from the other and was in the sort of form that won Division 4 last season .The Spey Fishing correspondent and his Buckie team decisively defeated Bob Stewart by a 5 shot margin.The Elgin rink took a 3 at the second end to edge ahead but a deuce at the third and 2 subsequent steals of 4 and 2 gave Howie a convincing 10-5 opening night victory.
Darnaway’s Alan Douglas also got off to a flyer, leading Julie Stewart 7-0 after three ends. A single shot and a consolation count of 3 at the sixth end was not enough for the Ladies to scare Douglas and he ran out a 9-4 winner.
Helen Downey and Steve Field contested the night’s tightest game as the Elgin team nosed ahead 3-2 after 4 ends. A 2 shot steal at the fifth proved to be the difference between two well matched teams as Field and co could only count a single and then a single steal to just come up agonisingly short in an exciting 5-4 loss.
In Division 4, Gateway Club Supremo John Key was up against the Juniors of Cameron Turnidge. Cameron is perhaps the youngest and keenest curler in the Province and picked up a commendable count of 2 shots at the last end in reply to the Gateway rink’s 9-0 domination of the opening 5 ends. Despite their relative inexperience,Key’s Gateway team have real skill,not least in third player Gerhald Winkler whose exotic hairdo clearly exhibits considerably less Brylcreem than that of his American cousin The Fonz.
Fellow Junior Ruthie Harris and her team gave Rod Christie a real run for his money.
A 3 shot count at the third end was the difference between the teams and a final end deuce saw the Buckie team breathe a sigh of relief on a 7-4 win.
In the West, in a rearranged Division 2 game, Mike McInnes raced to a 5-0 lead against John Smart. 2 Dalcross singles were not really enough to worry the Nairn rink and a big count of 6 saw the teams shake hands on an 11-2 McInnes victory.