Bowling Report - Week ending 06th April

O'REGAN FAST START IN PADDY MURRAY CUP

Noel O’Regan got the new Paddy Murray Cup under way with a victory over Johnny O’Driscoll at Ballygurteen. Playing for a total stake of €4,100. O’Regan took his first lead with a good third shot out the first bend, O’Driscoll then hit the front after two more past Dullea’s new house. O’Driscoll held a minimal lead at the women’s lane and on to O’Mahony’s avenue. By now both players were not playing to their capability. At O’Mahony’s bungalow O’Driscoll was still just ahead if only by twenty meters. Both missed up to O’Donovan’s bend in three more but O’Regan was back in front again. A poor bowl here from O’Driscoll gave O’Regan a chance but he did not punish it as he only beat the mark by thirty five meters. O’Regan held this odds to Burke’s entrance. A super bowl here from O’Driscoll won him back the lead for the last shot by five meters. O’Regan unleashed a great last bowl with speed and it got a nice touch off the brow, O’Driscoll missed this, his bowl fell left well short of the mark. Three further scores took place Eoin McCarthy beat Jimmy O’Brien for €3,200 a-side and Jim Coffey got the better of Johnny O’Driscoll twice for €1,500 and €2,000 a-side.

AILBHIE O'SHEA GETS THE BETTER OF ELLEN SEXTON AT DRINAGH.

On Friday evening at Drinagh, a ladies intermediate score was played between Ellen Sexton, Timoleague and Ailbhie O’Shea for a total stake of €640. There were shots of the highest order in this score. O’Shea was out to the barking dogs in two big bowls, Sexton enjoyed a massive third that won her, her first lead. Two more to the church where Sexton made a bad mistake. O’Shea was back in front here and would relinquish the lead no more, and took control with bowling of the highest order. She made the rectory gate and up to Shandrum cross in three bowls where she had a bowl of odds. Sexton knocked the bowl with a massive shot to the black sticks it could have levelled the score but O’Shea followed it. O’Shea rose further odds up the hill and into the pond to win by a big bowl of odds.

JUNIOR A AND B CHAMPIONSHIPS PROGRESS WITH SEVERAL SCORES TAKING PLACE ACROSS THE WEEKEND.

At Templemichael in a Junior A championship score Patrick O’Driscoll made the trip from London to play Paddy Stokes for a stake of €1,400 a-side. Stokes proved to be the stronger player on the day and won in the end by two bowls. In a return score Tom Cronin beat Christy Stokes for €500 a-side.

Another junior a score took place at Clondrohid between Sean Murphy, Brinny and David Hubbard Beal Na Marbh for €1,800 a-side. A poor start here from Hubbard meant he was almost a bowl down after two shots. Murphy rose further odds on the shots up to Tier Beg cross and held a bowl and thirty meters at the black house. Hubbard got an average bowl from here to the graveyard wall and Murphy took advantage with a super bowl to the Bell Inn that Hubbard missed, it meant Murphy went two bowls up here. Both over Kelly Hill in two more and on for Geoff’s Lane, Hubbard could not reel in the odds and Murphy progresses on to the next round.

O'MAHONY SETS HER SIGHTS ON SENIOR TITLE

Senior Ladies Triona Kidney and Veronica O’Mahony played off in Ballyclough, this was a trap to line victory for O’Mahony playing up against one of the top senior of the noughties. O’Mahony was ahead by seventy meters after two shots, Kidney opened the bend but O’Mahony followed this to hold her lead. There was almost a bowl in after four more. As the road got a bit rougher and it was O’Mahony who handled it better, Kidney dropping bowls. Kidney played some good bowls towards the end but O’Mahony followed and beat them to win out in the end by a bowl of odds.

At Bauravilla in a junior B championship score Michael O’Sullivan played Denis O’Sullivan for a stake of €650 a-side. The Caheragh man Denis the favourite here. Michael reached the netting in five great bowls where he had almost a bowl and rose it with his next to Decker’s, Denis replied with two great bowls to the Rock that knocked the odds to sixty meters. At the bridge Michael had the bowl almost up again. He made the novice line in thirteen and three more to the finish line to win by a bowl.

Colin O’Donovan Dunmanway but now based in London made the trip to Bantry to play Skibbereen man Donie Harnedy in the junior A championship, playing for a total stake of €3,600, Harnedy dominated the first half of this score mainly due to a poor start from O’Donovan. Harnedy had a nice lead at Cronin’s Bend but O’Donovan had it level at the crush, and from here O’Donovan finished very well to win out in the end by a bowl.

With very little on last Sunday afternoon, Grange drew the crowd for a senior challenge score between Brian Wilmot and Wayne Parkes playing for a stake of €3,520 a-side. Parkes took the first shot of the score but alas it was to be his only lead. Wilmot only to the middle of the wall with his first got an unbelievable second shot just short of the Stud Farm that catapulted him in to a bowl of odds lead so early in this score. Wilmott followed with three more super bowls past De Barra’s and then two more to the Green where he double his odds to two bowls. Parkes could make no inroads into this lead, heading up the hill for John Bill’s and onto Noelie’s bungalow Wilmott held nice odds with the two bowls of odds. Parkes finished with three good bowls but Wilmot followed and beat them to win by two bowls. In a return score here Eoin McCarthy & Thomas Maloney beat Jim Coffey and Deckie O’Mahony for €1,500 a-side.

The Ladies committee of Bol Chumann held the last of their ladies and under-age morning @ Paddoes until later in the year. All regions have now hosted these mornings so it will be back to Mid Cork in September