Balbardie's Scottish Cup hopes ended by Aberdeen

Balbardie IBC ladies saw their indoor bowls Scottish Cup dreams snuffed out by a 7-3 points defeat at the hands of Aberdeen in their semi-final at the East Fife stadium in Methil.

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The 15-end snapshot had showed Balbardie leading by nine shots on one rink and five on another albeit deficits of nine and three on the other two rinks reflected an encounter on a knife-edge. The scoring system of two points for a win and one for a peel embraced the aggregate-shot count of the match and, at the 15-end stage, the master scoreboard signalled it was 59-57 in favour of Balbardie. Had the match finished at that point, Balbardie were into the final with a 6-4 victory. However, the final straight saw Balbardie suffer damaging setbacks.

Margo Duff had skipped Sarajane Wright, 13-year-old Erin Fraser and late substitute Morven Shearer into a 16-9 lead over Mary Legge. However, a barren spell cost Duff and Co the loss of nine shots and brought the rink under serious pressure at 18-16 down with two ends to play. Their 1, 1 revival to rescue an 18-18 peel was a spirited one but a win was needed.

Scotland star Lorraine Craig and her front-three of Margaret Armstrong, Nan Mitchell and Helen Wilson trailed 15-6 after 12 ends but got back to 12-15. But the next six ends saw a single the only answer to losses of 1, 1, (1), 3, 6, 1 and an eventual 27-13 defeat from Lorraine Mearns.

The damage was double-edged as the 12-1 setback had a major influence on the shot-aggregate outcome that finished 84-77 in favour of Aberdeen.

Angie Uttley skipped Lynn McDougall, Irene Horsburgh, and Delia Flannigan into a 26-15 victory over Ann Gauld. Sharon Leitch and her rink of Catherine Lochran, Helen Keys and Kim Ross fell 24-20 to Margaret Durward.

Aberdeen will meet Coatbridge in the final at Perth this Saturday.