2023/24: Julia Barron, Mitch Brown, Joy Gillian, Les Mikowiec
BOTH first round losers bounced back in their second game to give themselves a chance of progressing to the final.
Julia Barron, Joy Gillian and Les Mikowiec, the defending champions, along with Chris Beaney, replacing Mitch Brown, made sure of victory with nine shots in the final two ends for a 26-12 win over Helen and Len Paterson, Roberta Waldeck and Danny Macfarlane.
Up until then Julia's team mainly had the upper hand, although Roberta's draw bowling prevented the opposition getting too far ahead.
The deciding game will feature skip Len going up against Elaine Weskin.
The same scenario applies in the other section as May O'Neill, Merv Davies, Charlie Dodson and Ellaine Jopling won the last eight ends to take the score from 9-9 on 11 to 21-9 against Vernoica Thysse, Lyn Sibson, Alex Galbraith and Brian Barron.
There was no hint of the ultimate ease of victory as Veronica gave an outstanding display of leading but somehow Merv, Charlie and Ellaine all found a way of getting the shot. The final nail in the coffin came on the 16th end when a count of five was on the cards only for Brian to pick up the kitty and trail it to the opposition.
Now Brian's four must beat Barry Whinfield to give all three a chance of going through.
JULIA BARRON, bidding for a third straight win in the Mixed Fours, will have to do it the hard way after suffering a first round defeat to a rink skipped by fast-improving Elaine Weskin.
Joy Gillian and Mitch Brown were forced to pull out and the revamped team of Chris Beaney, Soly Batka and Les Mikowiec played second fiddle to Edwina Foster, Brian Binney, Bill Kell and Elaine, 22-18 despite opening the match with a five on the first end.
Elaine hit back with fives of her own on four and ten, the second of which took them into the lead, which they never relinquished.
With two sections of three teams, the defending champions can still reach the final from this sectional format.
In the other section, Clive de Ridder, Lyn Ker, Maggie Edgar and Barry Whinfield put in a dominant performance, 21-11, against May O'Neill, Merv Davies, Charlie Dodson and Ellaine Jopling.