Belmaduthy at the double as curling tourney comes to a head
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TWO Belmaduthy rinks charged into the last four of the President’s Cup competition and will fortunately avoid each other in the semifinals.
Holder’s Invergordon joined Belmaduthy’s first rink skipped by Iain Chisholm in the last four to become his opponents in Monday nights first semifinal tie.
Chisholm with Peter Fraser, Scott Fraser and Laura Fraser alongside him beat a beleaguered Killearnan rink skipped by Duncan Clark by a twelve shot margin,Killearnan without skip Neil Gillies, on duty in his own President’s select rink, had the line-up of Hugh Logan, Allan MacDonald, Roy Watson and Duncan Clark.
Gillies, the province president, was on the end of a hiding from an impressive Avoch Line up which again featured "Wheelie Curler" Louise Dodds taking lead stones and Ronnie MacDonald’s two daughters, younger sibling Claire the former Scottish Junior champion skipping, and her elder sister Nicola at third. The MacDonald’s were in command throughout leaving Caberfeidh’s Hugh Mackay with just a closing double as the President’s Select went down 2-8.
Invergordon went through without their skip Allan MacLennan and Nigel Murray was in the house. His brother-in law Richard Mackenzie took third stones with a front end of Brian Batchen and Alister Fraser. With a safe 6-2 lead over Richard MacWilliam’s Muir of Ord the gap was narrowed by Muir of Ord to just one shot with a single and triple count in ends five and six before Invergordon maintained their hold of the trophy for entry into the semi finals with a final end single.
League Champion elect Iain Fraser and the other Belmaduthy rink overran Iain Mackay’s Caberfeidh/Dornoch curlers by ten shots and they provide the opposition for MacDonald’s Avoch in the other semifinal.
In the annual Tamnavoulin Challenge Match played in the Perth Ice Rink between members of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club and clubs rinks drawn from Area 10, the rink from Tain’s Locheye Club registered the only winning result for Area 10.
The Locheye curlers were Bill Watson, Christine Mackenzie, Ian McNeish, a Locheye member from Stirling, and Skip Richard Mackenzie. Area 10 went down by 27 shots to 56 shots with Locheye beating the RCCC President Bill Duncan 10-8.
President’s Cup Results
Quarter finals — N Gillies (President) 2, C MacDonald (Avoch) 8; I Mackay (Dor/Caber) 4, I Fraser (Belmaduthy) 14; I Chisholm (Belmaduthy) 13, D Clark (Killearnan) 1; N Murray (Invergordon) 7 R MacWilliam( Muir of Ord) 5.
