Forres bowler is crowned Moray Ladies Singles champion after winning thrilling final
Alana Coutts has won the Moray Ladies' Singles at Forres Bowling Club after a closely fought final against The Elgin's Lindsey Petrie.
As expected from a final, neither player was able to put too much daylight between herself and her opponent.
With eight ends played, Coutts held a 7-4 advantage, but that was wiped out over the following three ends as Petrie went 10-7 up.
With 16 ends played, the score was tied at 12-12. Coutts then won four ends out of five to go 17-13 in front. Petrie got the score back to 16-18 before Coutts got her required three shots.
Coutts also put in a battling performance in her rescheduled Scottish District 2 Ladies' Singles Final against Sandra Dean of Moray at The Elgin.
Although low-scoring ends, it was Sandra who started the tie the better by far to take a 9-2 advantage. Things looked bleak for Coutts a couple of ends later when Sandra scored a three to take a commanding 12-3 lead.
Far from beaten, Coutts won the following five ends, including scoring a maximum, and miraculously levelled the scores at 12-12. This spurred Dean back into action, and she won five ends out of six to lead 18-13. Once again, the youngster never gave up, and two threes in succession had Coutts 19-18 ahead. Dean was 20-19 ahead when Coutts pushed her bowl in for the winner.
Elsewhere, Forres won both legs of there first match in the Dow League against Hopeman. John Matthews, Henry Davidson, Alex Porter and Dean Dobbs won their initial four ends of the home leg to earn a 9-0 advantage over Jim Pirie's men. Thereafter, the game was pretty evenly matched but Hopeman were unable to reel Forres who won 21-13.
Moray defeated Lossiemouth 35-31 in the other game played in Forres' section.
The Men's Championship tie between Malcolm Swinswood and Tom McNaughton was closely fought throughout. Although McNaughton scored two threes in the opening three ends, it was Swinswood who held the upper hand after eight ends (11-7).McNaughton won six of the next seven ends to go 14-13 up. Swinswood edged in front again, only to trail 18-15 after the eighteenth end. Three ends later the tie was all-square at 20-20 with it all to play for at one end. Swinswood put his third bowl onto the jack to seal his passage to the second round.
Swinson will face Robbie Fraser in the second round after he beat Steve Whittlestone 21-16.
In the second round, Jason Cameron won his first tie to earn himself the right to play the 2023 Champion, Gary Mackie. David Foss will face Henry Davidson,
In the Over 55s B League, Forres suffered a 4-2 defeat for the third week in a row when they travelled to Keith.
