They don't give 'Curler of the Week' awards at the Scottish Junior Curling Championships, but if they did, Bob's award would go to Helen King, above. This curler from the Lanarkshire Ice Rink, Hamilton, who now trains in Stirling, a member of the Central Regional Academy, has just grown in confidence and stature this week. Yes, I know it's wrong to single out a player in a team game, but this has been 'Helen King week'.But I'm getting ahead of myself!
Half past eight on a Sunday morning at Curl Aberdeen.
And we're already at the fifth end break of the second tiebreaker. Here Coach Fiona Steele talks with the Helen King team: Helen King, Hazel Smith, Jen Paul and Eilidh Templeton.
Hannah Fleming's team had come through a tough game late last night, and this was another great battle. Helen had her draw weight perfectly in control, best illustrated in the eighth when two perfectly played stones gave her team two and a 6-4 lead.
Hannah with Becca Kesley, Alice Spence and Abi Brown took a single at the ninth, and needed to steal the tenth.
The King team had begun their campaign here at Curl Aberdeen on Tuesday by defeating Hannah's side in the first preliminary round. With a place in the semifinal at stake they were fired up this morning. Hannah could not get anything completely hidden in the tenth, and the King team picked everything out that went into the head.Helen's last stone was perfectly played through a port, ripping away the Fleming counter, missing the jam at the back. King's four were in the semifinal!
Now, what more excitement lies ahead for today?
Find all the results here.
Pics by Bob
