Hubbard leaves it late at Lyre
Mackle won the first two tips, following a great opening bowl to the soccer pitch. Hubbard played a great third bowl to the forestry entrance. Mackle took two throws to beat that, playing both shots too far right. Hubbard lost a chance to push further in front when he played a poor fourth shot. He made up for this with his fifth over the hump, which took advantage of a poor shot from Mackle.
He edged close to a bowl of odds with his next shot to Crowley’s farm. They both took two more to make light at the first bend and Hubbard raised the bowl after three more to McCarthy’s bend. Mackle knocked the bowl with his next shot past McCarthy’s wall as Hubbard hit the start of the wall with his bowl.
Neither player took control in the next few exchanges, but Hubbard held a solid lead of close to 70m. He lost his grip though when he missed the line with his second last. Mackle then beat the line and left Hubbard with a 90m target. Hubbard’s bowl lacked conviction and missed the tip, but it was called. He had much more resolve in his second effort which beat Mackle’s tip.
James O’Donovan qualified to meet Hubbard in the Bill Barrett Cup final at Caheragh as a result of his comprehensive win over Brian Wilmot in the semi-final.
He opened with a great bowl to the churchyard, which Wilmot missed by just ten metres. He increased his odds to 40m following a nice rub at the lawn and he held that through Lisangle cross. He was 100m clear after his next shot onto the flat and held that lead with his following bowl to the soccer pitch.
Wilmot fought back with a good bowl to the bridge. O’Donovan responded with a brilliant shot over the bridge and pushed his lead close to a bowl of odds. He raised the bowl with his next. Wilmot rallied with a spectacular bowl to the tunnel. O’Donovan missed that by 100m and only beat it by 50m with his next throw.
Wilmot’s rally faltered when he played his next bowl to the left and O’Donovan hit back with a great bowl to raise the bowl again. He held that to the novice line and increased his odds to the finish.
John O’Donoghue had a double over Johnny Murphy at Cobh. He was close to a bowl in front at McCarthy’s cross. Murphy levelled in the shots down to the clash and up towards Foran’s. At the last bend Murphy had poor light, while O’Donoghue was well out. Murphy’s next was too tight on the left and O’Donoghue sealed it with a great bowl towards the line.
Murphy looked set for victory in the return, till O’Donoghue played a great last bowl to the second cross to snatch it at the death.
John O’Rourke beat Mark Burke at Ballyclough. They both made light at Ballygiblin gates in two. O’Rourke got two good bowls from there to the top of the wood to go almost a bowl in front. He held that lead till Burke made a mistake with his bowl at Ballyhass lakes and fell a bowl behind.
O’Rourke increased his odds to the school. Burke then got a sensational bowl to light at the double bends to knock the bowl. O’Rourke cancelled most of those gains with a great bowl towards the line.
Wayne Calnan led all the way to a two bowls of odds win over Andrew O’Leary at Templemartin. He had a good lead after three shots to the cottage, but it was his amazing fourth shot well past Slyne’s corner that essentially decided the score. After that throw he had well over a bowl, he had almost two at the schoolhouse cross. He made Buttimer’s lane in three more and was just short of the line in 16.
Michael Bohane beat Johnny O’Driscoll by three bowls at the Marsh Road. He had a bowl after four to the council yard and was two clear after six to the silvery gate. He had three bowls at Ballyhilty. In the return Brendan O’Neill stormed home to deny Tim Young in the last shot. He took his first lead with the decisive bowl past the quarry gate.
Stephen Desmond beat Denis Wilmot by almost two bowls in the opening round of the Champy Deasy Cup at Grange. He led for the first time after four shots to Hodnett’s farm and raised a bowl with his next to O’Sullivan’s. They contested that lead to Holland’s wall. When Wilmot missed light from there the lead was closer to two bowls.
Gary Daly made an impressive start at Shannonvale where he led Gavin Twohig by a bowl after six shots to Desmond’s cross. Twohig fought back to force a last shot, but Daly easily took the last exchange.
Cathal Toal had an impressive double at the Moy Road where he beat Brian O’Reilly and Martin Toal.
Derrinasafa has been confirmed as the venue for the first All-Ireland series of 2011 on the weekend of July 9 and 10. The Dunmanway venue is one of the most historically important bowling roads in Ireland.
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