Scotland's Graham Robertson and David Gourlay line up in the Hong Kong Classic pairs in Kowloon today chasing a record sixth win in the event, but without their hoped-for boost of a win in the classic singles played over the weekend at the Craigengower Cricket Club.
Robertson, the winner in 1990, and again in 1993, bowed out in Saturday evening's floodlit third round while Gourlay, the reigning Scottish champion, made a surprise quarter final exit yesterday morning against young England international Stuart Airey.
Robertson's campaign ended at the hands of New Zealand's Bruce McNish, who powered to a 25-14 victory while Gourlay after three convincing wins on Saturday failed to recapture that form yesterday as he went down 8-25 to the 26-year-old Cumbrian.
Airey's hopes of giving England a first win in the event ended in the semi-finals when Jersey's David Le Marquand battled to a 25-18 victory and that put the Channel Islander through to a clash with Australia's Adam Jeffrey who beat McNish 25-18 in an all Southern Hemisphere last four clash.
The final turned into a dour battle with the scores tied at 10-10 after 16 ends, but Jeffrey moved ahead for the first time on the 17th end with a maximum four and he gradually pulled away for a 25-17 win. Results:
Quarter-finals: B McNish (New Zealand) 25, G Baker (South Africa) 24; A Jeffrey (Australia) 25, N Kennedy (Hong Kong) 17; S Airey (England) 25, D Gourlay (Scotland) 8; D Le Marquand (Channel Isles) 25, M Jacobsen (Australia) 21.
Semi-finals: Jeffrey 25, McNish 18; Le Marquand 25, Airey 18.
Final: Jeffrey 25, Le Marquand 17
qEdinburgh's Richard Corsie and Willie Galloway stayed on course for the successful defence of their CIS Insurance national pairs title when they battled through from their Aberdeen area playdowns at the weekend.
Corsie and Galloway had to suffer more than a few anxious moments, though, before booking their semi-final spot at Paisley in January.
They take on the East Kilbride father-and-son duo Jackie and John Jackson after they battled through from Cumbernauld. Wins over Alloa, Dumbarton, and Newton Stewart culminated with a 17-15 quarter-final victory over Prestwick's Tommy Collins and Cliff Eade.
Completing the semi-final line-up are Balbardie's David Drysdale and Graeme Byrne, and Inverclyde's Sandy Wotherspoon and Brian McAlees. Both sides battled through from the preliminary round and in the quarter-final reckoning Balbardie accounted for Falkirk's Gary Rowan and Ian Todd 25-17 at Perth, and Inverclyde eased through 25-12 against John Rennix and Sandy Syme from Coatbridge. Results:
CIS Insurance National pairs championship preliminary round: Aberdeen 27, Teviotdale 16; Stonehaven 26, Portobello 14; Bon Accord 17, Deeside 12; Balbardie 24, East Lothian 19; Tweedbank 16, East Fife 14; Falkirk 27, Forfar 14; Midlothian 22, Arbroath 15; Edinburgh 22, Bainfield 21 (after an extra end); Perth 22, Garioch 19; Turriff 24, Dyce 19; Ayr 20, Fintry 16; Newton Stewart 23, Nithsdale 20; East Kilbride 17, Alloa 13; Dumbarton 20, Blantyre 16; Cumbernauld 22, Lanarkshire 11; Whiteinch 18, Allander 16; Cowal 24, Glasgow 14; Irvine 26, West of Scotland 9; Stirling 21, Galleon 16; Inverclyde 20, Clydebank 14.
First round: Aberdeen 18, Stonehaven 17 (after an extra end); Balbardie 24, Bon Accord 23 (after an extra end); Falkirk 28, Tweedbank 7; Headwell 24, Buchan 23; Edinburgh 22, Midlothian 16; Turriff 18, Perth 11; Fraserburgh 20, Elgin 8; West Lothian 22, Dundee 9; Newton Stewart 26, Ayr 24; East Kilbride 21, Dumbarton 14; Whiteinch 21, Cumbernauld 15; Prestwick 23, Auchinleck 12; Cowal 21, Irvine 20; Inverclyde 28, Stirling 15; Coatbridge 23, Lochwinnoch 15; Ardrossan 26, Paisley 15.
Second round: Balbardie 21, Aberdeen 15; Falkirk 22, Headwell 16; Edinburgh 18, Turriff 17; Fraserburgh 20, West Lothian 18; East Kilbride 22, Newton Stewart 15; Prestwick 17, Whiteinch 14; Inverclyde 24, Cowal 20; Coatbridge 28, Ardrossan 5.
Quarter-finals: Balbardie (D Drysdale/G Byrne) 25, Falkirk (G Rowan/I Todd) 17; Edinburgh (W Galloway/R Corsie) 20, Fraserburgh (H Young/G Watt) 16; East Kilbride (J&JG Jackson) 17, Prestwick (T Collins/C Eade) 15; Inverclyde (S Wotherspoon/B McAlees) 25, Coatbridge (J Rennix/S Syme) 12.
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