THE Border Bowling Association's Top Ten semi finals and final was contested on Saturday on the Stow, Gala and Abbotsford greens with both matches being played in heavy drizzle at the beginning.

The four combinations are single-hand, pairs, triples and rinks, two points are awarded for each winning result and shots come into consideration if the games are tied at two wins each.

The semi final on the Stow green was won by Chirnside, who defeated Earlston 5-3.

Robert Paterson (Chirnside) defeated Martin Goodfellow 21-8; Martin Wood and Graeme Turner drew 16-16 with Barry Johnston and Peter Scott, skip (Earlston); Joe Condy, Leslie Mitchell and Jamie Mitchell, skip won 17-10 against Callum Donaldson, Steven Greer and Alexander Moffat, skip (Earlston) 17-10. In the fours George Douglas, Brian Turner, Pat McNally and George Cessford, Skip (Earlston) won by 18 shots to 11 against, Dave Luggett, Dave Buglass, Gavin Douglas and Graeme Forsyth, skip (Chirnside).

In the semi final on the Gala green Langholm New took on Melrose and won by 6 points to 2.

The winner of the single hand was Scott Morrison (Langholm New) who defeated Ross Nichol 21-4. Duncan Ritchie and Ian Scott, skip recorded a win by 17 shots to 16 against Lee Haldane and Ian Crawford, skip (Melrose). The triples tie was won by the Langholm combination of Malcolm Johnstone, Alan Aitken and Paul Warwick, skip who defeated Ben McGregor, Billy Swanston and Neil McNally, skip 12-7. The only winning Melrose squad was Ian Renton, Michael Paterson, Billy Swanston and Kenny Johnstone, skip who defeated Eric Beattie, Jock Corrie, Alan Warwick and Roddy Innes, skip by 19 shots to 16.

All players and officials then transferred to the Abbotsford green in Gala for a bite of lunch before contesting the final at 2pm.

Scott Morrison started well against Robert Paterson and led by 8 shots to 7 after 10 ends and increased his advantage to 18-14 after 21 ends, however, the next three ‘heads’ was won by the Chirnside man who scored 1, 3, 3 to win by 21 shots to 18. After 6 of the 17 end pairs final Wood and Turner and Ritchie and Scott were tied at 5 all, by the finish of the 15th end the Chirnside pair had gained a commanding 16-8 lead, and by the end of the match won by 16 shots to 9.

The Chirnside combination of Condy, Mitchell and Mitchell led by 17 shots to 3 and eventually won by 21-6 against Johnstone, Aitken and Warwick (Langholm New). In the fours Luggett, Buglass, Douglas and Forsyth, skip (Chirnside) were winning by 14 shots to 8 against Beattie, Corrie, Warwick and Innes, skip after 13 ends, the Langholm men then won the next three ends with scores of 1, 1, 1 to close the deficit to 14-11, however the Forsyth led quartet won the next end to record a 17 shots to 11 victory.

Border Association President Clark Chalmers gave the vote of thanks and handed over the winning lapel badges to the Chirnside side.