Last Tuesday, the National Pairs took centre stage for bowls followers as the Western Zone region held its competition. With a large entry, there were plenty of tight games and also a lot of excellent bowls played.

In the first section semi-final, the experienced St Michael's pair Jude Morris and James McCaffrey came up against the Devenish duo of Gordon Ferguson and William Harpur. After squeezing through their previous game on a tied-end, the St Michael's pair upped their game and quickly went into a 5-0 lead after two ends. Ferguson hit back with a double of his own, but this was to be his last, as Morris went on to claim all of the remaining ends, running out comfortable winners by ten shots to two.

In the other semi, Tommy Cathcart and Alan Browne came up against Michael McGrade and Niall Cox. From the very start, the experienced Cathcart took control of the game with some fine bowling. After an impressive run of wins throughout the night, he kept up winning ways by out bowling his younger competitors. Ably assisted by Browne, they coasted into a comfortable lead and never gave it up as they finished up winning by ten shots to two.

In the second section, the two semi-finals proved to be much tighter contests.

The first semi matched Christchurch pair Rodney Kelly and Trevor Stubbs with Lakeland's Wilfie and Doreen Crawford. Both pairs had been displaying fine form all night and didn't disappoint in the final game of the night.

After three ends, Crawford had got himself into a fine position and led 7-1, but Kelly and Stubbs responded with six shots in three ends to level the game after six ends. But Crawford did his best to stop the fight-back by getting himself back into a two shot lead with only one end remaining.

But the contest wasn't done and dusted just yet, lying two shots with one bowl left, Kelly had a great chance to draw to win the game and he wasn't found wanting. A great game of bowls, which neither pair deserved to lose, but it was Kelly and Stubbs who marched on to the final.

In the second semi, William Coulter and Eric Doogan played Bob Brown and Basil Stubbs from Christchurch. Another tight game was played out, with all four players on top of their game. But it was the Christchurch pair who came through on a scoreline of nine shots to seven to book their place in the final.

Now the scene is set for what should be two very tight finals. In the first section, the game between Jude Morris and Tommy Cathcart should be a close contest. Both are experienced bowlers and have two very good leads in James McCaffrey and Alan Browne respectively, so this could be a tight affair.

The second final is an all Christchurch contest. There will be added rivalry due to the family divide between Basil and Trevor Stubbs who will be on opposing sides. But this is also a tight game and the winner will need to be at the top of their game to progress all the way to Ballymoney.

Both of these games take place in the Ulster Unionist Hall, Enniskillen on 22nd November (tonight) at 8.00pm.