Scotland at the double

Scotland’s women at last recorded a win in the world junior curling championships here yesterday when they beat France 8-3 to make it a successful double for the nation.

Earlier, Inverness’s Ally

Fraser had led the Scottish men to their fourth victory of the week in a 6-3 win over China. It keeps them in joint top place alongside Canada, Norway and Switzerland.

The Scots men were always in control and had a first breakthrough when they stole a single in the fourth end for a 2-0 lead.

After this, they scored a game-turning three in the sixth end when the Chinese skip rolled out with his last hit instead of staying – leaving Fraser a simple draw for three and a 5-1 lead.

Eventually Fraser hit out a Chinese counter with his last stone of the 10th end to win.

The Scots men go in against Finland next and Fraser said: “We’re definitely getting better as the week goes on. We were a wee bit ropey in the first game, I think we were all a bit nervous.

“But we’ve settled down quite well now and the rest of the team is all playing well, so it’s coming together.”

Although the Scottish women’s performance and win was encouraging, it was too little too late. With five losses, they are effectively out of medal contention. The women had alternate Anna Sloan on playing fourth stones, with Lauren Gray still skipping, and they took control from the off, scoring two in the first end.

Eventually good play by all four left Sloan with a simple draw for a score of three in the seventh. When France’s last stone in the eighth was light, they gave up a steal to Scotland and conceded the game at 8-3.