Thomas Boyle scorched to the wall in four where he was two bowls clear of Johnny O’Driscoll. He reached Boula lane in two more to push his lead well over two bowls.

O’Driscoll knocked the second bowl with his next. He got a huge bowl to the top of the straight to cut the lead to an even bowl.

He followed with another big one to the farm, but Boyle just edged it.

O’Driscoll then beat the novice line. He went well past the Devil’s bend with his next, but Boyle beat both to hold his lead. Boyle ended the contest by winning the next exchange well.

Denis O’Driscoll secured the last semi-final place in the Bill Barrett Cup through a comprehensive win over Denis Murphy at Caheragh.

He opened with a great bowl to the lawn, which Murphy missed by 20m. Murphy’s next went left and only reached the top of the hill. O’Driscoll replied with a great bowl through Lisangle cross. Murphy just beat that tip to leave almost a bowl between them.

O’Driscoll’s placed his third shot too far left. That gave Murphy a chance to close the gap, but he went to the right and missed the tip. His next bowl hit the left dyke to leave him almost two bowls behind. O’Driscoll increased the pressure with a good bowl toward the bridge which raised the second bowl.

Murphy knocked it with his shot over the bridge and still had it under two bowls after his next to the new house. O’Driscoll got another big bowl from there to go two clear again.

Murphy knocked it with his next to the tunnel. O’Driscoll followed with another big one to stretch two clear and it was all over at the novice line. He joins Denis Wilmot, Tim Young and Jerry Gibbons in the semi-final.

Vincent Kiely beat Jerry Gibbons in the last shot at Jagoes Mills. Gibbons won the opening shot. They reached O’Brien’s corner in three more where Kiely had a 40m lead. Kiely gradually gained odds and was close to a bowl in front at the power station.

He played a poor shot at Ballinvard cross though and his lead fell to just one metre. Gibbons had edged ten metres fore after two more to Griffin’s. Kiely closed with a good bowl past the line. Gibbons was too far right with his reply and missed it well.

John Young beat Denis Wilmot in the last shot of a tight, exciting contest at Ballinacurra. Wilmot opened with a super shot to take the first tip by 100m. Young looked to be in trouble after his second, but Wilmot just beat it. Young grabbed this opening with a fine third shot to Brinny cross which gave him a five metre lead.

Young seemed to perform better on the rough surface. Wilmot put himself back in the frame with a big shot over the bridge, but Young beat it. For the last shot Young had a 20m lead. Wilmot got a good last bowl from his tip. Young played his tight on the left and it rose well towards the centre to give him a comfortable win.

Ulster’s Eugene Kiernan bowled well in his win over John Cahalane in the return. He raised a bowl with his first. He was at the end of the straight after his second. He reached the bridge in two more to push his lead to two bowls. He held that lead to the line.

Derek Murphy won the O’Sullivan-Coleman Shield final at Dunderrow while Trevor Deane got the better of Joe O’Brien in a very exciting O’Sullivan-Keating Cup tie at Caheragh. The annual Ból-Chumann na hÉireann convention will be at St Finbarr’s GAA club in Cork tonight.