Road bowling: Vintage Murphy secures Munster crown in over-60s final

Two big shots in succession up to and away from Lane’s gave Murphy an unassailable lead and the Munster crown.

Jerry Murphy is Munster Vintage (over-60) champion after a strong showing against Paul Butler and Tom O’Donovan in the overall final at Curraheen.

While each of his opponents managed to get a fore bowl, this was a score dominated by Murphy in terms of winning all but two tips and fashioning a comfortable victory. 

He won the first shots to light by 30m with O’Donovan second and Butler third. He was still in front after two more to light facing Ballinora Cross.

Butler played a super bowl from there that went almost to Ryan’s corner. O’Donovan missed that by 25m and Murphy’s bowl took an unkind hop left to miss it by 3m. Murphy nosed back in front in the shots past the bend.

O’Donovan then won his only lead with his next bowl down towards the bridge. Murphy’s reply failed to rub.

Once those leads were filed away, Murphy established his superiority. He regained the lead with his bowl down to the bridge. He then raised almost a bowl with his next one to the foot of the hill. He followed with a big shot up the hill, which gave him a full bowl on both O’Donovan and Butler.

They contested the bowl of odds past the riding school, with Butler getting the lead under a bowl and moving into second place. After the next exchange, Murphy had almost a bowl on Butler and two bowls on O’Donovan. From there it turned into a duel between Butler and Murphy.

Two big shots in succession up to and away from Lane’s gave Murphy an unassailable lead and the Munster crown.

Timmy Murphy came with a late rally to pip Bill McAuliffe in the last shot of the North-East Junior A final at Grenagh, with Éamon Bowen a shot behind in third.

Murphy won the opening shot, but McAuliffe took the second one. Bowen was already struggling and looked set to fall a bowl behind. McAuliffe and Murphy were still in control at the bends, with Bowen almost a bowl behind.

Bowen stormed back into it with two massive bowls towards the farm, now all three were tied. McAuliffe and Murphy edged clear again up to the big tree facing down to Boula lane. They failed to go down in two though. 

Bowen was unlucky not to make light and level the contest, but he was down far enough to loft. After his loft, his opponents were throwing odds over 30m.

In the shots towards the last bend, McAuliffe gained almost a bowl of odds on Murphy, with Bowen a full bowl down. McAuliffe lost most of his advantage when he made poor light with his next one. Murphy snatched the half-chance with a brilliant bowl to the pillars facing the line. McAuliffe missed that tip and lost the lead. 

Bowen’s last bowl missed the line, putting him firmly out of the equation. McAuliffe made a gallant bid for the title with a great bowl past the line. Murphy was faced with a stiff test, but he passed it with a terrific bowl.

John O’Donoghue beat Willie O’Donovan at Conna. O’Donovan’s huge opening throw had him almost a bowl clear to the green. He missed light with his next one, but he held the lead till O’Donoghue got a brilliant bowl to the silver pole. O’Donovan regained the lead, but O’Donoghue went back in front at the gas line and led to the end.

At Rosscarbery, Shane Shannon resisted a late rally by Michéal O’Sullivan to win by 50m. O’Sullivan gained the upper hand early to lead by almost a bowl at the priest’s house. He hit a bad patch from there, playing three poor shots in succession to hand a bowl of odds to Shannon before Barry’s boreen. Shannon held the bowl of odds to the no-play line, but O’Sullivan wiped most of it out towards the finish.

James McNulty hit the high notes in his bowl of odds win over James Hickey and Cornelius O’Mahony in the Charlie O’Donovan Cup semi-final at Kilcrohane. He opened with two huge bowls to gain almost a bowl of odds on both his opponents. Off that, he controlled the rest of the score and led to the line.

Luka Bowen and David O’Farrell beat Kieran O’Callaghan and Michael O’Reilly by a bowl in Schull. Bowen’s big first shot shaped the contest, with O’Callaghan raising a bowl with a huge bowl to the priest’s cross. They contested that lead to the line.