The Stewartry County Finals took place on Sunday 1st September at Kirkcudbright.  While the day was breezy and cool the rain stayed away and a good day’s bowling ensued.  Castle Douglas were well represented with competitors in each of the seven finals.

First on was the fours final where the Kirkcudbright team of Tam Aitken, Tommy Docherty, Steven Johnstone and George Brown played David Green, Robin Hogg, William Brydson and Will Green from Castle Douglas.  CD led 5 - 4 after five ends but Kirkcudbright scored four of the next five ends to lead 8 - 6.  The sides scored 5 shots each over the next five ends to leave Kirkcudbright leading 13 - 11 with two to play.  CD scored singles on the last two ends and took the match to an extra end.  CD got the edge in the extra end, scoring a single, and taking the first title of the day.

The singles, pairs and triples went on at 12.30pm and in the singles George Brown and Will Green met up again.  The game was nip and tuck all the way with George initially leading 6 -2,  9 -7 and 11 - 10 only to be overtaken by Will 14 - 11, 15 - 14 an 16 - 15.  George fought back and regained the lead at 17 - 16.  Counts of 2, 1, 1 and 2 saw George take the title 21 - 16.

In the pairs David and Allan Green of Castle Douglas met Oliver Clingan and Keith Shuttleworth of New Abbey.  New Abbey got the better of the early exchanges and led 7 - 3 at five ends and 11 - 6 at ten ends.  Despite the best efforts of the CD pair they couldn’t manage to reduce the deficit and the New Abbey team won the game 15 - 9.

The triples was a close affair between Tam Maxwell, Scott Davies and Graeme Maxwell of CD and Billy McMinn, Joe Porter and Stevie McMinn of Dalbeattie.Dalbeattie led 5 - 4 at five ends and went further ahead 11 - 4 at nine ends.  The CD boys fought back, scoring 7 shots for the loss of 1 over the next four ends to narrow the gap to 12 - 11 with two ends to go.  CD lay 1 on the second last end but Dalbeattie’s skip Stevie drew shot with his last bowl to go into the last end 2 up.  Dalbeattie lead Billy McMinn drew on top of the jack with his last bowl and despite CD attacking the head they couldn’t turn the end around and Dalbeattie took the match.

The last three finals went on at 3pm.  In the junior singles Ronan Crossan of CD played Jack Cobban of Dalbeattie.  Ronan led 7 - 3 but Jack came back to tie it 9 - 9, and they boys were still tied at 12 - 12.  Jack went ahead 18 - 12 with scores of 2, 1, 2, 1.  Jack still led 19 - 14 but Ronan fought back with scores of 2, 4 and a single on the last end to take teh trophy 21 - 19.

The Senior Fours saw CDs Tom Caven, Tom Maxwell, Will Green and Allan Green meet Kirkcudbright’s Tommy Docherty, Brian McClune, Davide Gourlay and William True.  CD led 7 - 2 at five ends and maintained their lead 13 - 6 at ten.  They scored 5 shots to 1 over thenext three ends and lead 18 - 7 playing the second last end.  The Kirkcudbright team couldn’t make an impact and so CD won their third title of the day.

The final game on the green was the mixed pairs with Trudi and Scott McCubbin of Auchencairn playing Debbie Cochrane and Scott Davies of CD.  Auchencairn got off to a flyer leading 9 - 0 after four ends and extended the lead to 17 - 2 at nine ends.  However CD did not lie down and fought back by scoring 15 shots to 1 over the next 7 ends, which included a no-shot, to go into the last trailing 18-17.  CD lay shot with two bowls each to come, but Scott McCubbin trailed the jack with his second last bowl and lay beside it.  Scott of CD played a running bowl but just missed and Scott and Trudi took the title.

Stewartry President Murray Cairnie and sponsor Ian Bendall of Bendall Funeral Directors presented the trophies and prizes to the winners.  Murray thanked everyone at Kirkcudbright for making the day a success, and Ian Bendall for his continuing support of Stewartry bowling.

Murray Cairnie presented the Stewartry League shield to Scott Davies of Castle Douglas and the Stewartry Seniors League salver to Tom Caven of Castle Douglas.