Under-25 Inter-Club Double Rink

DORCHESTER 18 TORQUAY 39

TWO impressive wins against Moonfleet and Yeovil earned Dorchester a chance to take on the star-studded national champions from Torquay United Indoor Bowls Club in a last-16 tie at neutral Honiton.

The task was a test for the younger and less experienced Dorchester bowlers, but they gave a spirited performance and demonstrated to their illustrious opponents a far better attitude to the game.

Louise Woodrow, Jack Corbin, Ben White and skip Dean Curtis refused to be intimidated, giving a creditable display against the Torquay rink skipped by Somerset-based full international Louis Ridout.

Curtis came back from 8-3 down to narrow the gap to 8-7 before falling further behind once more at 14-8.

Showing great determination, the Dorchester rink battled away and the final losing score of 17-13 was a well-earned result.

For Jack Woodrow, Melissa Makepeace, Emma Follis and George Spracklen, it was a case of damage limitation against a rink led by international Sophie Tolchard and skipped by her under-25 and full international brother Sam Tolchard.

The superior firepower of the Torquay rink soon brought a mounting score for the national champions, who accumulated 14 shots before the Dorchester quartet posted their first single success followed by a second winning end.

Torquay went back on the offensive with three consecutive winning scores to lead 22-2 before Dorchester took the final two ends to finish 22-5 behind.