THERE was action aplenty on the local green scene last Saturday when 60 of the Borders finest converged at Gordon BC to battle it out in the 2016 Borders Bowling Association Finals Day.

Players from the Borders and Berwickshire leagues came together for this season finale which was played out in front of a large crowd who enjoyed glorious weather throughout.

Top shot in the Singles Championship was Kelso’s Stuart White who, following a 21-13 victory over Hawick’s Ayr qualifier Steve Richardson in the semi-finals, found the going tough against Ayton’s David Kerr.

“I didn’t enjoy that rink at all,” he commented following his 21-14 victory.

“It was very tricky, very tricky indeed.

“I was warned before I went on which helped. When that happens you just have to forget about your opponent and concentrate on the rink. If you can beat the rink, chances are you can go on to win and that’s what I had to do.”

A multiple Borders title winner, Stuart, was especially pleased to have won the Singles this year.

“My brother Alistair won it last time around so that gave me extra incentive,” he added.

Following two highly competitive semi-final sessions, before and after lunch, players got down to business in the finals with six sections in total being played out.

First winner of the day was Hawick Wilton’s Ryan Brady whose victory was all the sweeter as it was his last attempt in the competition as a Junior player.

After beating Greenlaw’s Philip Smith in a close fought semi-final the 21-year-old dug even deeper in the final to post a 21-8 score over Eyemouth’s Ajay Condy.

Ryan said: “I’m really chuffed to be picking up some silverware today.

“Before the final everyone was saying that I had drawn a tricky rink but I found I could play it quite well.

“It’s the first time I have qualified for the Borders Finals, and my last chance, so I gave it everything I had.”

The youngster from Hawick admitted that his path to Finals Day had not all been plain sailing however after almost falling at the first hurdle against an opponent from Ettrick Forest.

“My first tie was definitely the trickiest,” he added.

“I was playing on the Hawick green and was well in front but then lost my concentration a bit. I got through in the end but it was a bit of a relief.

“After that I seemed to settle a bit more each game and I was especially pleased about the way I played today.”

The Fours ties produced plenty of excitement with the Chirnside quartet of Calvert Allison, Joh Jackson, Dave Buglass and Gavin Douglas pushing Hawick’s John Darling, Campbell Anderson, Michael Hogg and Ewan McGregor to the wire. The Teries winning 14-12 following a last end shoot out.

Duns Park (Alan Short, Sandy Renton, Wullie Kerr and Gordon Scott) found themselves in a similar position against Newtown (Vince Bevan, Mick McCall, Sandy Milligan and Jock Paterson) before coming away 15-13 victors.

Abbotsford, who were represented in no less than five sections on the day, were rewarded with a convincing 18-8 win in the Triples for Alan Howlieson, Tommy Mann Jnr and Keith Campbell over Coldstream (Stef Holmes, Alan Brack and Ivor Clark).

Last to finish were the Pairs in which young Chirnside duo Joe Condy and Jamie Mitchell were made to fight hard against their more seasoned opposition, which came in the form of Colin Hancock and Gordon Bowers from Abbotsford, before pulling away at the end for a 21-12 victory.

Borders BA Finals Day results:

Semi-finals: Senior Fours – Newtown (Vince Bevan, Mick McCall, Sandy Milligan, Jock Paterson) 16-15 Wilton (Colin Rae, Bill Jaffray, Graham Brownlee, Alan Waugh), Abbotsford (Stuart Aitchison, Tommy Mann Snr, Tom Boyd, John Manczak) 12-16 Duns Park (Alan Short, Sandy Renton, Wullie Kerr, Gordon Scott); Fours – Chirnside (Calvert Anderson, John Jackson, Dave Buglass, Gavin Douglas) 21-15 Abbotsford (Phil Orr, John Thomson, Scott Thomson, Kenny Johnstone), Hawick (John Darling, Campbell Anderson, Michael Hogg, Ewan McGregor) 19-14 Kelso (Charliee Patterson, Gordon Laing, Gavin Brown, Bob Purdie); Triples – Coldstream (Stef Holmes, Alan Brack, Ivor Clark) 15-2 Ettrick Forest (Grant Rees, Colin Sandilands, Greg Sandilands), Jedburgh (Steven Fisher, David Lightbody, Doug Munro) 4-25 Abbotsford (Alan Howlieson, Tommy Mann Jnr, Keith Campbell); Pairs – Buccleuch (Jim Reilly, Colin Birchley) 6-25 Chirnside (Joe Condy, Jamie Mitchell), Earlston (Dave Benton, Bob Beattie) 10-20 Abbotsford (Colin Hancock, Gordon Bowers); Junior Singles – Gala (Sean Niven) 8-21 Eyemouth (Ajay Condy), Greenlaw (Philip Smith) 16-21 Wilton (Ryan Brady); Singles – Hawick (Steve Richardson) 13-21 Kelso (Stuart White), Abbotsford (Tommy Newall) 9-21 Ayton (David Kerr).

Finals:

Senior Fours – Duns Park 15-13 Newtown; Fours – Hawick 14-12 Chirnside; Triples – Abbotsford 18-8 Coldstream; Pairs – Chirnside 21-12 Abbotsford; Junior Singles – Wilton 21-6 Eyemouth; Singles – Kelso 21-14 Ayton.