NZ Curling

The Inaugural Mixed doubles championship of the Auckland Curling Club was held at Paradice Skating rink, Avondale this evening. The event, a straight knockout with Plate competition, was closely contested.

Eventual winners Haymon Keeler and Linda Geary started the evening with a match vs Craig Parr-Whalley and Pauline Farra. Keeler took a single on the first end and then Parr-Whalley replied with 4 on the second. Keeler then scored a deuce on the 3rd and Parr-Whalley replied with another single to be 5-3 up. On the 5th end Keeler took another deuce to be all tied with time run out. That necessitated a draw to the button between nominated players. Geary threw for Keeler to bite the back of the button. Parr-Whalley came down a little heavy so Keeler took the game 6-5.

They then went on to play Warren and Verily Jackson who had disposed of Ian Ford and Liz Matthews in round 1, 8–3. Keeler took a deuce on the first end and Jackson replied with a single. This was the order of the game – final score after 6 ends 6-3. In the final they met up with club president Peter Taylor and his wife Glenys who had disposed of Len McSaveney and Cathy Fenton 5-3 in the first round and then Aaron and Ruth Jackson 4-3 in the second round. Keeler and Geary kept up the pressure and came out winners 7-4 – the score not really being indicative of the game which came down to the last stone. Taylor had the tying stone in the house with his final last stone to come. Unfortunately he came down a bit heavy removing his stone to allow the win to Keeler. In the plate competition Phillip and Ruth Morris defeated Ian Ford and Liz Matthews in the final 5-3.

Mixed Doubles is a new game on the international calendar – the inaugural World Mixed Doubles championships will be held in Vierumaki, Finland in March 2008 alongside the World Senior Curling championships. Keeler and Geary plan to contest the National Mixed doubles title in October in Naseby, Central Otago.