Moray Province curling finale sees Ali Fraser claim Nicol Quaich with victory over Aberlour skip Andy Cameron at Inverness Ice Centre
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Ali Fraser’s Ardclach rink retained their top dog status in Moray Province with a 7-2 victory over Aberlour’s Andy Cameron at Inverness Ice Centre this week.
The Nicol Quaich is contested by the winning teams from the East and West of the Province respectively and West winner Fraser capped a terrific season in a game that was a lot closer than the final score would suggest.
The Ardclach team had the hammer at the first end and had to take a single shot with a hit and roll against two Aberlour counters as both teams quickly got to grips with ice that was pretty straight especially playing towards the bar end.
In the second end, Aberlour lead John Sharpe drew his first stone to the top of the eight foot and then froze his second to his own shot to set Cameron up for a count of two after Andy’s final stone chapped back an Ardclach shot for his deuce.
The Nairnshire front end of Grant Fraser and Dean Clark drew a couple of beauties round short stones at the third end but Aberlour third player Gavin Cameron played the shot of the night, an angled raised takeout and freeze on an Ardclach counter to force Fraser to hit and roll to count another single shot.
Tied 2-2 and with John Sharpe and Lillia Clarke drawing well for the Aberlour rink, that score marked the high point for the Cameron combo.
Andy’s last stone draw at the fourth end to a hidden Ardclach counter just slid past on the straight ice to give up a single steal, and another single steal at the next end saw the Ardclach outfit just start to pull away from their Speyside opposition.
With Neil MacArthur, the Ardclach third - arguably the player of the match - in great form, Fraser’s team now effectively closed the door as Aberlour skip Cameron found himself forced to try a series of near impossible shots against well-guarded Ardclach counters and handshakes were exchanged at 7-2 after a high class game that was hard fought almost all the way.
The Moray Province Pairs played for the magnificent Grant Salvers was won at Moray Leisure Centre last week by Steve and Fraser Rankin with two wins and a total of 18 shots up, just pipping the juniors pair of Owen Watson and Gwyn Edwards.
