It was a frustrating afternoon, with the EMCC results website (here) not responding. However, Leslie Ingram-Brown, who is in Taarnby, got in touch to say that Team Scotland won 8-7 at the last stone in their match against Romania. This means that David Edwards, Kerry Barr, Scott Macleod and Louise Edwards qualify for the quarterfinals from the Red section.Leslie has the story now, "It may not have been pretty, in fact it was very nerve racking for those supporters watching, but in the end David Edwards, Kerry Barr, Scott Macleod and Louise Edwards kept alive their hopes of defending the title won last year at Greenacres.
To be totally fair, the Romanian skip Allen Coliban is relishing playing on the good ice conditions and has progressively got better even although his lowly points total fails to reveal this fact. Romania opened the game with a three after David's last stone draw virtually turned square in the house and lay open for a tapback. In the second end, Edwards came back with a pair which should have been three shots but his final stone draw came up inches short. Third end and Coliban drew shot against three but in the fourth, when he hit and went against three, Edwards jumped on the chance to draw for a three and a 5-4 lead into the break.
A measure in the fifth made it Romania 5-5. Sixth and again Edwards lay two going to play his last stone draw, and the Scots collected three shots. The Scots then forced Romania to draw for one before keeping it clear in the final end. The Scottish skip had an open hit to win the game 8-7.
Afterwards Edwards was full of praise for the Romanian team and said of the skip, "His drawing game was exceptional given the length of time he has been curling. This was their final in playing Scotland and he has really learnt from the experience." "
Now, the problem in the past for organisers of competitions like the EMCC has been how to get quarterfinalists from just three sections. Taking the top two teams from each gives us six, and this year an innovative 'Post Round Robin Challenge' will be held to get two more from the three teams which finished in third place in each section.
There's no point in going to look in the WCF Rulebook. This rule is not there, yet. Simply, each player in the third placed teams in each of the sections throws two draws. This all takes place on adjacent sheets at the same time, all controlled by an umpire. The total distance for each team is then calculated. The winner becomes the seventh team for the quarterfinal draw, the second becomes the eighth, and the third placed team is out.
In the past there would have to have been two rounds of qualifying games, so this benefits the organisation of the event and keeping things to a fixed schedule, which suits organisers, umpires and fans.
The results are on the image below, and saw the Netherlands eliminated. The quarterfinal draw matches Finland v Germany, Switzerland v Scotland, Austria v Czech Republic and Denmark v Italy. These games are taking place as I write this on Friday evening.
Wales was eliminated having lost their round robin game to the Netherlands. England finished on four wins in their group along with France who they will be ranked above due to the round robin result, and Ireland were seventh in the green section.
Top: Louise and Kerry working hard.Above: The results of the PRRC.
Photos © Leslie Ingram-Brown
