Kinross Hogmanay Pairs
Kinross Curling Rink, 17th December 2011

There are few times when teams from Edinburgh University Curling Club find themselves to be significantly older than their opposition.  Such was the situation facing Ted Edmunds and Michael Nicholson in this make-or-break match, with defeat for either team resulting in elimination from the competition.  Spain and Cormack (son of former club President, Julia Halliday), both secondary schoolchildren, came highly rated around the rink but the Edinburgh pair’s greater age and experience marked them with the equally unfamiliar tag of favourites.

A cagey first end saw a number of long guards thrown up by each side with just the one stone in the house, an Edinburgh counter in the top of the twelve-foot. A series of attempted draws fell short of the house, before a takeout by Spain only nudged the Edinburgh rock into the eight-foot.  Edmunds could not get through the wall of guards to add a second, taking just the single instead.

Edmunds took a further single in the second following another tight end.  A nice controlled draw-weight hit round a guard from Nicholson left his team lying two, both in the four-foot, with one of those well-guarded.  Things stayed like that until Spain’s last, when she threw a beautiful barrier weight takeout that removed one of the counters and very nearly both, before rolling out.

The youngsters pulled one back in a similar third end, with six long guards rendering aggressive play somewhat difficult.  Cormack snuck a stone into the back of the house which remained there, alone, until the completion of the end, with neither Spain nor Edmunds able to get near the house.

Another single followed in the fourth after a perfunctory hitting game gave way to a split house following a miss from Cormack and a nice draw by Nicholson.  A further miss heaped pressure on Spain as Edmunds drew in a third, but the cool-headed young skip drew in for the single.  Somewhat impatient to get away, Spain tried to begin a Draw Shot Challenge, before Nicholson pointed out that the bell had yet to go (and would not for another ten minutes).

The resultant final end was dominated completely by the Edinburgh duo, taking advantage of the hammer to play a defensive game with a mind towards a simple draw for one.  An error from Spain allowed the house to be split before the hitting continued, eventually giving Edmunds a two, and the win.

Michael Nicholson