Women's Trials Draw 3 Liveblog

Today we get the other Jones, Jennifer, (not the Howard Hughes one - hope this gets some Google hits) playing against Shannon Kleibrink. We're getting lots of ridiculous local colour on TSN introducing the matches - but to be honest, I am such a fan of Halifax that I find it hard to complain sincerely.

These teams are 1-1; it might be more interesting to see the 2-0 teams sort things out but I can watch Jennifer Jones quite happily. So let us see what happens.

First end:
Usual testing and stuff - guards and rocks in the house. At this point - initial third rocks, we have guards up front and two stones close together just off the button. Kleibrink rock is shot. Jones has the hammer. Kleibrink keeps tossing up guards, Jones peeling them. Kleibrink's last rock comes into the house and offers Jones the chance to knock it back and make her rock shot; as she does - 1-0 Jones.

Second end:
Not sure how we got here (TSN loves to wander about early in an end) but Kleibrink has frozen nicely to a Jones rock sort-of behind a corner guard at the edge of the 8-foot. Jones puts a rock beside it; there is another, open in the 8-foot. OK my mind had to wander and now there are is another Jones rock open at the edge of the 8-foot. Kleibrink has now replaced the Jones rock in the cluster mentioned initially by one of her own. Cathy Overton spreads the house - not great. Kleibrink now lies two in a messy house. Overton fails to sanitize again - Nixon's shot leaves Kleibrink with three rocks in the house! Jones is shooting into a mess now for her - she removes only one, and Kleibrink is lining up for 3 in this end. Linda Moore points out that this is a surprising outcome to what looked like an innocent end, at least until third rocks. Kleibrink puts her first rock just where she wanted to - no obvious doubles left for the three rocks in the house. Jones hits and leaves an easy hit for Kleibrink for three. Which she does perfectly. 3-1 Kleibrink. That may have been the decisive end.

Third end:
Centre-line Kleibrink guard, corner guard from Jones, each with a rock in the house, Kleibrink's behind the centre guard just above the button, a Jones rock frozen to it, and now Kleibrink puts another one in front of that. Jones clears the centre guard. Kleibrink puts another one in front in the 12-foot. Jones clears it and her rock slides off into the 12-foot, between centre-line and the corner guard. Kleibrink clears that - her rock stays there - Overton removes a centre Kleibrink rock and slides over to the open side. Kleibrink removes that one. Overton removes a Kleibrink rock - there are now two Jones rocks sitting in front of a Kleibrink one in the 4-foot, and they are as a group open. Kleibrink plans to double off the Jones rocks but simply removes the front one, losing the shooter. Jones will now bump her rock up and remove Kleibrink's - she does, and separates her rocks a bit, but it seems a double has some potential. Kleibrink hits and sticks and now Jones can score 2 - and does - 3-all.

Fourth end:
I wandered off and now that I am back there is a Jones centre-line guard, a corner guard from Kleibrink, and a Jones rock in the 8-foot open. OK change than now to a Kleibrink rock. Change it back to a Jones rock. Change it back to a Kleibrink rock. Now a Jones rock. Lots of hitting and no rolling behind cover. Now a Kleibrink rock. (If you think I am feeling this lacks for drama a la Ferbey-Martin, you are getting it.) Jones hits and is not even in the rings now. Kleibrink puts a rock nicely behind cover in the front of the button. Jones has a tough shot - major ice-reading skills needed here - wonderful sweeping, clearing the Kleibrink rock, and moving over behind cover. OK maybe things are getting more exciting. Kleibrink draws just barely for 1. 4-3 Kleibrink. The women's game does seem to lack some of the madness of the men's.

Fifth end:
Sorry - my cat and I were both thinking about lunch. We now have a very long Kleibrink centre-line guard and a Jones rock open just off the 4-foot. Which is now a Kleibrink rock in the 8-foot, still open. Now a Jones rock on the edge of the 12-foot. Finally a roll! Kleibrink has a rock in the 8-foot slightly behind cover. Overton puts a rock, almost behind that one, in the back of the 4-foot. OK it is gone now. Jones draws behind the remaining rock to the front of the 4-foot. Kleibrink clears. Jones draws for 1. 4-all.

Close match but no gasps of excitement.....

Meanwhile tha battle of the Sherrys is proving to be a farce. Middaugh has really taken over.

Sixth end:
Jones has a close centre-guard and a rock on the button - Kleibrink has a rock slightly behind those in the 8-foot. Kleibrink freezes to it, and Jones misses another freeze so we are building a mess. Kleibrink clears the Jones rock and now has a couple sitting in front of that Jones rock on the button. Sorry - mind wandered - now I am back and there is no guardbut a mess of rocks in the house around the button. Continuing interruptions - we now have pairs of rocks, vertically aligned, Jones in front of Kleibrink times two, all around the button. Jones puts a rock up in front of this mess, but not quite where she wanted. Kleibrink bashes some rocks about and now seems to lie 2 Neither of these teams has to worry about Kevin Martin shots - it is a bit sad. Jones' last shot is awful - leaves open an easy two from Kleibrink - who takes it by putting a rock on the button.

I am getting a bit disaffected - not sure I will be back for more given the current quality of play. Where are Ferbey and Martin?

Seventh end:
A whole bunch of crappy shots. Makes it hard to live-blog with enthusiasm. The house is full of Kleibrink rocks, but that is not what they want. Jones rock now nesting in the 4-foot with two Kleibrink rocks as backup. Plan fails - sorry - mind wandered. Two Jones rocks sitting on Kleibrink rocks in the house. Woohoo - Amy Nixon puts a rock on the button backed by a couple of others. Jones shot does nothing useful. Now Kleibrink has a bundle on the button. Jones has made it messy in the house. Kleibrink misses and Jones has a shot at 3 - Jones takes 2 with a draw. 6-all.

I really hope they play better so it makes sense to document this.

Eighth end:
Sorry - had many distractions. Kleibrink has an opportunity for a couple but at some risk. They are takin a timeout, knowing that this could be decisive. Whatever they strategized, her rock goes through the house. Jones clears the house and Kleibrink blanks.

Ninth end:
OK I am back - another mess - two Jones rocks out front, one behind those in the 8-foot, and some more action behind those (Kleibrink rocks too).
...more gaps ...sorry I have a life ....
now I am back and the house is a total mess - everyone has rocks and they are all over. Jones puts a rock in the 4-foot with backup. Very interesting. Kleibrink keeps her loss to 1. 7-6 Jones

Tenth end:
Sadly, I have a life.
So here is where we are.
Centreguard and two corner guards and a sort of lost rock as well out front. Jones rock just in front of the button. Wow - now an empty house is behind three Kleibrink guards - great shot.

Jones draws slowly behind the guards in the front of the house. Her rock is hit by Kleibrink's team. Jones clears one guard and rolls beautifully behind two of the guard rocks Kleibrink puts a rock right next to this intruder. Jones clears it an now has two stones up in the front of the house. Kleibrink fails toclear the house, leaving a Jones rock in the back 8. In the end Kleibrink gets 1 - 7-all.

Apologies - got dragged away.
Jones wins in an extra ens.