Kinross Hogmanay Pairs
Kinross Curling Rink, 17th December 2011

Following David Jenkins’ struggle and Alistair Wallace’s impressive form in their first game, the duo decided to swap positions for their first B-road fixture against Kevin and Gordon Thomson.  That tactic proved to be a sound one, as they scored a 4 v 2 win after four ends to progress to the next round.

The Thomson cousins stole one in the first end as Wallace found himself unable to remove their well-guarded shot in the four-foot.  In the second, a guddle was established in the house with Edinburgh lying shot; however, Jenkins’ takeout attempt on a Thomson stone removed his own shot instead.  Thomson drew in, positioned directly on the pot-lid and covered by two Edinburgh rocks in the four-foot.  A later attempt to remove both these stones took only one, and sparked a hitting game, during which Wallace removed Thomson’s shot stones.  The opposition skip was first to blink, as his final takeout removed one of the Edinburgh four-foot stones, but rolled over to sit on the other.  Wallace successfully drew the four-foot to take two.

Another full house began to develop in the third end, before Jenkins cleared it out.  Thomson drew in, but couldn’t find the guarded line, and left an easy hit.  Jenkins nosed it, but Thomson’s own subsequent hit could not find the line for the roll behind cover, and the shooter instead rolled out.  Wallace and Thomson both struggled to find their weight, throwing a number of shots straight through the house, before Thomson managed to bite the back.  Wallace drew around the guard into the four-foot and, when Thomson hit wrecked on the guard, removing the cover, froze onto his own stone with his last.  Thomson, with few options, threw a peel weight takeout, removing the back Edinburgh stone and sending the other to the edge of the house.  The shooter stuck around to just take one point.

With parity restored, the Edinburgh duo pushed on.  After four stones each, Edinburgh lay shot, but with the opposition lying second and third.  Wallace removed the third stone and rolled out, and Thomson took out the Edinburgh guard.  A mistake from Wallace saw his draw fall short, but Thomson couldn’t capitalise, his own draw finding an impossible gap and sailing through the house.  Wallace threw up a guard in the 12 foot, which Thomson attempted to remove but instead took out his own.  Wallace, guaranteed two and the victory, barring accidents, attempted a draw for three but couldn’t find the weight.

Michael Nicholson