Mick Murphy takes Munster vintage road bowling honours
The final perfectly confirmed the ranking with the A winner beating the B champion, Kevin Ruby, by a bowl and the C champion, Teddy Murphy, by three. Ruby opened the score, but played his bowl left. Mick Murphy put down an immediate marker by reaching the point of the bend with his first one. Teddy Murphy slotted in between the two with good shot.
Ruby cut the odds significantly with a good second. Teddy Murphy came close to snatching the lead when he beat that tip well with a brilliant bowl. Mick Murphy edged it by just a metre with his second. Ruby snatched second spot with a good third, which Teddy Murphy missed. Mick Murphy’s third was perfect and kept him in a 40m lead.
Teddy Murphy got a poor fourth which left him almost a bowl behind Mick Murphy and he never got back in contention. Ruby and Mick Murphy were left with their next throws, but Murphy increased his lead to 60m. Ruby got a great sixth shot to challenge Murphy, but he fended it off.
A chink of light came for Ruby when Murphy’s eighth broke to the right. He didn’t take advantage though as his bowl went right too just 20m fore to leave him almost a bowl down. Mick Murphy then got a great bowl to the creamery cross, which Ruby missed to fall a full bowl behind. Teddy Murphy was two down at that point.
Mick Murphy controlled the rest of the score. Ruby continued to challenge and brought the lead under a bowl after two shots from the cross. Any late challenge was immediately denied as Mick Murphy played a brilliant 12th towards the finish line, which ended the contest.
Killian Kingston beat John Creedon by two bowls in the Mother Hegarty Cup at Lyre. Creedon won all the early shots. He was 25m fore after two towards the forestry entrance and had 50m odds after his fourth towards the tunnel. After two more to Crowley’s farm Kingston led for the first time, by just a metre. Creedon then missed sight at Crowley’s bend and Kingston just made it.
Creedon slipped out of contention when he misplayed his eighth and ninth shots. This left Kingston almost two bowls clear after his eighth towards McCarthy’s. He missed sight with his next, but Creedon just beat that by five metres to fall closer to two bowls of odds behind. It was still under two in the next exchange to McCarthy’s wall. Kingston then played a massive 11th bowl to raise the second bowl and finish the score.
The last round of road trials for the 2016 European Championships in the Netherlands were completed at Castletownkenneigh on Sunday. The Irish panels will be announced after the final Dutch Moors and German Lofting trials, which are scheduled for November 29.
The games will open at Ootmarsum on May 5. The schedule should help Ireland as the first day is on the road, with German lofting on day two and Dutch Moors on Sunday May 8. Ireland will pin its hopes on good performances on the road and moors. With less at stake in the lofting some key players could be rested on the middle day. The scheduling will suit the Dutch too as they will share Ireland’s strategy.
Michael Murphy beat David Hubbard in the last shot at Gortroe. Hubbard started strongly to raise a bowl after just two throws. He lost that momentum though and conceded the lead almost as quickly. The score was close from there, with both parties missing chances to push clear. Murphy was hind for the last shot. He beat the line with his last throw, it seemed to be well within Hubbard’s reach but he missed the tip.
Darren Shannon beat Diarmuid Cronin in the last shot of an O’Sullivan-Keating Cup tie at Caheragh. He had a clear lead after six shots to the bridge. Cronin fought back and was rewarded with the lead after a great bowl to Sheily’s. Shannon kept his focus and took the verdict in the last throw.
Pat O’Donovan beat Kevin O’Donovan by a bowl at Jagoes Mills. They were locked together all the way to the power station. Pat O’Donovan got a massive shot from there to put him a bowl clear and he held that to the finish.
James O’Driscoll beat Colm Dromey by two bowls in the Lyre D final. Dromey won the opener, but O’Driscoll took the second towards the bend. Dromey kept in close contention over the mason’s hill. O’Driscoll then got a great bowl to O’Donovan’s pillars which put him almost a bowl in front.He raised a bowl with his next. He quickly added to that lead and was two clear at the school. He gave Dromey no opening to close the gap from there.
