The 2016-17 Knockout final was contested by Teams Anderson and Ramsay on Monday evening. The outcome was a 6-4 victory for the Anderson team. So congratulations to Dave, Reg Dunbar, Pam Ramsay, and Elaine Lambie on lifting the first silverware of the season.
Category Archives: Competition
Winning Start to King George IV
Penicuik got off to a flying start in this knockout cup with an 11-1 victory over a warm and friendly Musselburgh side. Our rink – Murray Hope, John Jacobs, Robert Beaton and Ronnie Hope – were first to find consistent weight and took an early lead. Each player had a very strong, consistent game; controlled weight and great shot making ensured that we maintained pressure at every end.
The next round on 3rd February will see us face stiff opposition in either 37 Club or Edinburgh Accies.
Murray Hope
Knockout Semi-finals
The semi-finals of the Knockout competition were played in the late shift on Thursday evening. Team Ramsay had a comfortable victory over Team Brown (12-2), and Team Anderson ran out as winners over Team Alexander (6-5).
So Team Ramsay will meet Team Anderson in the final on Monday 5 December (7.30pm).
Swan Trophy Defeat
Penicuik met Haddington in the first round of the Swan double rink knock-out competition on Thursday afternoon. The Penicuik rinks were Jim Ramsay, Ken Hunter, Liz Anderson, and Ronnie Hope; and Dave Anderson, Andrew Lambie, Jean Lennie, and John Glidden.
Both Penicuik rinks lost the opening end of their respective games and struggled thereafter to gain a foothold against opponents who were playing well. Both games concluded in 8-3 defeats. So it only remained to enjoy a refreshment with our opponents and to wish them well in the next round.
Pate Trophy
At around 11:30 Tom Alexander, Jim Cowper, Ronnie Hope and John Jacobs set off for Kelso to play against the Borders Province in the Pate Trophy. Heading up Lowries Den and onto the bypass comments from the back of the car came thick and fast. Where are ye goin Tom, this isnae how you get tae Kelso. We duly pressed on and after some slight confusion due to a broken road sign on the A697 we pulled into the car park at Kelso just after 12:30 where Jim Cowper sheepishly conceded perhaps this was the best way to get to Kelso after all.
We found we would be playing the Borders Province President’s select which would be skipped by the Vice President as the President was on holiday, and after some welcome nourishment we ambled on to the ice at 1:30. At the first end on very dour ice we miraculously took the end to be 1 up. As the ice keened up it became nip and tuck and after 7 ends the Borders were leading 7-6, but there were still a few seconds to the bell and an 8th end was played. Unfortunately this didn’t go well and we gave up 3 shots to end the game 6-10. As is always the case in these games it was played with friendly banter throughout. Overall after this first session Borders Province were leading Midlothian Province by 8 shots.
We then retired to the bar where the banter continued and the usual tales were flowing. As we prepared to leave around 5:00 it didn’t look too promising for Midlothian Province but there was still time to turn it around. After a very enjoyable, albeit unsuccessful day we finally rolled back into Penicuik around 6:00
Tom Alexander
Borders Province 66 Midlothian Province 54
Knock-out Update
In the remaining quarter final games Team Alexander enjoyed a comfortable win (10-1) over Team Hope, and Team Anderson overcame Team Hunter in the last end (7-6). The two winning teams will play each other in the semi-finals on 10 November (see Knockout page).
Knockout Challenge Trophy
The 2016-17 Knockout Competition got underway on Monday evening, with Team Lambie meeting Team Ramsay. The game was a fairly tight affair with the teams level at four all after 6 ends. Team Ramsay took a single in the final end to clinch a victory that sees them face Team Brown in the next round.
Kettle League
The outcome of the long campaign to gain the Kettle was resolved last night (8 Mar). Team Hope met Team Hunter with the latter only requiring one point to take the Kettle. Team Hope faired better in the early jousting, taking a two in the first end and leaving their opponents struggling somewhat in the second end; only a last stone hit and wick to the four foot saved the day for Team Hunter who took a two. Team Hunter then stole a two, before Team Hope responded with two singles in the next two ends to tie the game at 4 – 4 after five ends. Team Hunter took two singles in the last two ends to run out winner by six shots to 4.
Congratulations to Liz Anderson, Robert Beaton, and Elaine Lambie.
Pairs Competition
The Pairs competition was played on Sunday (6 Mar). The early stages of the competition were beset by unexpected transport issues which left some players gridlocked in Baberton Estate and regrettably arriving late. As we play four ends of three stones per player, the lost ground was made up in the course of the event.
Games were played on sheets 6 & 7. Sheet 6 had a big swing on one side but was quite consistent. Sheet 7 was a lot trickier, with a slight fall back near the centre going to the bar, and largely straight or negative ice on the wall side going both ways. Unfortunately both finals ended up being played on this sheet.
In the first round matches, Morris & Carr just pipped Hope & Gillespie, and together with Alexander & Lambie, Hunter & Carr, and Lambie & Scott, progressed to the High Road. In the Low Road semi-finals Hope & Gillespie went through against Jacobs and partner, and the Ramsays enjoyed a good victory over Dunbar & Ballantyne. In the High Road semi-finals Morris & Carr ovecame Alexander & Lambie in the final end, and Hunter & Carr carried the day against Lambie & Scott.
The Ramsays dominated the game in the Low Road final, making life very difficult for opponents Ronnie and David, who got close on a number of occasions but just failed to gain any advantage. The Ramsays ran out winners by eight shots to nil. Congratulations to Jim and Pam.
In the High Road final, Morris & Carr were fast out of the blocks taking a three in the first end. They added to their opponents problems in the second end when a measure between two stones cutting the four foot went their way. Hunter & Carr came back in the third end with a two, and then stole another two in the fourth end to tie the game at four all. In the fifth end, Keith was left with a draw against three opposition counters (all in the outer circle), and with excellent sweeping by Margaret just managed to take shot at the front of the house by the narrowest of margins. Margaret’s first stone in the sixth and final end picked up and skewed short well to the right hand side of the house. The front of the house was then dominated with short stones. Ken attempted to remove the nearest of these, the only opposition stone, but played too heavily and the stone fell out to just nick the target stone and move it right across the house to count in the outer circle near the tee line. Margaret’s first stone that had picked up was covering a direct out-turn strike option. Morris and Carr decided to place a shorter stone on the straight side. Hunter & Carr attempted an in-turn tap back from the centre on the singleton opposition counter, but too much ice, too fast, whichever, it caught a front stone. Keith then played to cover that side of the house but went deep ending inside and slightly behind his original counter, widening the potential target. With his final stone, Ken played an in-turn, back ring, tap back to take shot and tie the match at five all. So onto the sudden death of drawing the house. Hunter & Carr played first, and a killer shot to the pot lid left Morris & Carr with the difficult task of having to cover the centre hole on the pot lid to force a second round of shots. Their draw shot did not achieve this, so after a very close match Ken Hunter & Dave Carr carried the day.
Waldie Griffith
Midlothian met West of Fife Province at Kirkcaldy on Wednesday afternoon in the inter-province Waldie Griffith match. Penicuik was one of four teams representing Midlothian; the other teams were Carrington, DAFS, and Midcalder. The outcome of the match is determined by the aggregate shots up of the participating provinces, so it is important to maintain a view of the overall match rather than just your own game. Andrew Lambie skipped the Penicuik rink, with Ken Hunter, Jim Ramsay, and John Glidden. Penicuik were drawn against Borland CC.
The ice at Kirkcaldy has a reputation for being quite tricky at times, and so it proved with fall backs in places and very slippery conditions underfoot. Penicuik lost a two at the first end, but came back with singles and a two to go 4-2 up. Regrettably we then conceded a four and eventually went into the final end 8-5 down. Skip Lambie set up a winning position with four counting shots but the opposition Skip, with the final shot of the game, wicked in off an outside stone to cut us back to a single; final score 8-6 down.
DAFS faired better and gained a six shot victory against Dunfermline to end as the top scoring team on the day. Overall Midlothian managed to win the match, which is a good achievement at Kirkcaldy.
