In the second Club Challenge of the season, on 22nd February, the ‘dream team’ of Margaret, Liz, Jean and Pam successfully retained the Challenge Crook after winning against a team of ‘young pretenders’ with Craig as Skip, supported by Kirsty, Karen and Stuart.

The first end was a tense affair with each side trying to gauge the speed and draw of the ice, but with Craig lying 3 shots and last stones to play, Margaret played a brilliant wick and curl in to win the end by 1. Liz drew to the button in the second, leaving her stone well hidden and unreachable by Craig’s rink in an end which finished with 12 stones in play. Ladies now +2.

Craig’s rink took the initiative in the third and were 3 up in a crowded house, before Margaret played a double stone tap back against her own rink’s well placed early stones to win again by 1. With huge swings at the start of the fourth end, play was rather one-sided with ever widening draws requested. Craig’s rink was left with a definite advantage before an uncharacteristic error in knocking out his own stones gave the surprised ladies a further 2 to lead 5-0. This was exciting stuff and the game was beginning to draw comment from adjoining rinks.

The curse of the fifth end rang true for the ladies, and with Craig’s team building a number of stones in the house, and the ladies’ only option to try to cut the score down, the challengers ended up winning by 4 stones. After consistent play by his leading players in the 6th end Craig took the win by 1, leaving the scores all square at 5 each.

Both teams settled down for the deciding end with renewed focus. Opening play resulted in an amazing series of draws right onto the centre line by both team’s players ever nearing the button. With only 2 final stones to be played, the holders were lying shot and with a wick and curl as the only option, Craig’s final stone was unsuccessful leaving the jubilant holders to shake hands. Final score 6 – 5 to the ladies.

As always, this challenge was played in the best of competitive spirits, with some friendly banter exchanged over drinks upstairs after the match.

Once safely esconced in their transport for the journey home, the ladies enjoyed their own ‘Del Boy and Rodney’ moment with shrieks of glee and laughter heard from the car. They were hardly going to be millionaires but who would now dare say that the ladies were one-hit wonders.

Report by Jean Noble