Day One of the BIWBC 2018 at Belmont Bowls Club in Belfast gave Jersey the long sought after breakthrough in the International Series they’d been looking for – unfortunately at the expense of our dear friends Ireland.
Jersey picked up a score of 1 on all 6 rinks on the first end, and never relinquished the lead. Storming into a 20+ shot lead, it was clear Ireland would fight back and so they did, eventually drawing Jersey to an agonisingly close 2 shot lead. Jersey held their nerve and pressed back on, quickly re-establishing a 10 shot lead and managing to cling on to what has been a long sought after victory in a match on this stage – and a moment the girls could quite rightly be proud of.
Team Manager Greg Davis commented on the win, “it was pleasure to watch the girls raise their game this morning and to make a real statement about Jersey’s right to be in the Tournament. 1 win in x years won’t turn away the doubters, but it’s a massive step forwards from where we have been. The girls played with such passion and enthusiasm, it was a joy to watch them in their work across all rinks – a solid team performance.”
Sunday Afternoon saw Jersey face Scotland, and whilst the overall score was disappointing, we were soundly beaten by the better team. Scotland were another class and relentless in their pursuit of shots and turning heads over. Only one Jersey rink found a winning position but Scotland skip Lorna Smith thwarted what was to be and sealed a resounding Scottish triumph. Whilst all the girls agreed the margin was incredibly disappointing, nothing could be taken away from a Scottish team who roared out the blocks and played conversion shots for fun.
Regardless of the results against Wales and England to come, Jersey will be bringing Home at least one win. This is progress. It’s baby steps towards building a compatible team who want the best for each other. The compliments received from members of all nations, particularly after this mornings win, prove we are slowly making the right decisions and we must continue to build on the more solid platform we’ve created.
Onwards, and upward! Wales in the morning 🙂
