At Béal na Marbh, Buckley and Collins were level in the first three to sight. Buckley followed with two good shots past McCarthy’s to raise a bowl.

Collins then got a great shot, while neither of Buckley’s next two ran well and the lead was back to 40m.

Collins lost her gains in the next two. Buckley then lost odds to Hubbard’s but recovered immediately with a big shot and raised a second bowl.

They battled over that lead in the next few shots, with Collins knocking it with a big bowl only for Buckley to restore it immediately.

Collins got a long shot to the last bend that cut the odds to just over a bowl. Buckley pressed on though with a big last throw, which pushed her lead close to two bowls again.

Dutch player Hammink put in a sensational finish in the Top 10 Qualifier. This was under European championship rules, the winner being the player to go furthest in 10 throws.

She was at the top of the short straight in a modest five, but followed with five exceptional shots. With the last throw of the day she dislodged Carmel Ryan from top spot.

A brilliant sixth, tight left, down the short straight to sight at the big corner set her up for victory. She then scorched past Leahy’s and with her eighth she went well onto the long straight.

She made O’Riordan’s with her next and was now just metres short of Ryan. She closed with another big one to book her place in Friday’s semi-final.

Ryan was best of the Irish, with Meghan Collins just a few metres back in third, followed by Bernadette Murphy.

Frank Kiely and Alan Keane bowled well to lift the Tadhg O’Driscoll Cup at the expense of Seán O’Riordan and David O’Brien at Ballydehob.

Both pairs were at the bottom of the hill in three. The winners gained big odds to The Eagles. O’Brien threw a great bowl to Sammy’s to level it again. There was nothing in it in the next three to the cottage and O’Brien gave his side a first lead with his next.

Kiely turned the score with a huge bowl to the bottom of the height, which gave them almost a bowl of odds. They went on to win by a bowl.

Jerome O’Mahony and Pat O’Sullivan (SV) qualified for the semi-finals of the Munster Vintage (over-60) B championship.

O’Sullivan beat DD Carroll at Ballinacarriga. Carroll started well and led by a bowl after two good throws past the the forge cross. O’Sullivan clipped that lead with a great bowl past Sweeney’s gate.

He bowled strongly past the ‘four crosses’ where he led. He extended his lead to a bowl at Hehir’s. He scorched to the end of the creamery kerbs in two more. He made sight at the bridge in another three to go two bowls clear.

O’Mahony beat Jerry O’Driscoll at Jagoes Mills. He made full sight at Lordan’s corner in three, while O’Driscoll was just shy. After O’Driscoll’s fourth it was almost a bowl. O’Mahony raised a bowl with his fourth to O’Brien’s cross and had a second at O’Brien’s bend. He made Nyhan’s footpath in just seven throws.

Raymond Ryan enjoyed a big win over Donal Riordan in the Flor Crowley Cup at Castletownkenneigh. He led by almost a bowl after three poor opening shots from Riordan. Riordan levelled with a brilliant fourth to the bridge, but he needed two more to reach the Round Tower pub.

Ryan took his lead to a full bowl with his next to Pyne’s corner. Riordan got two poor shots from there which left him two bowls adrift.

James Nagle beat Brendan O’Neill in the Marshall Clarke Cup at Derrinasafa. Nagle had almost a bowl after three past Daly’s gate. He raised it at Healy’s and held it in five to Ross’.

He took four more to make the Darkwood turn, where he led by just 30m. He burst clear again with a brilliant shot to Dwyer’s to raise a bowl. He added a second with his next to Walsh’s lane and he put it out of reach with another to the novice line.

Davey Fitzgerald had a big double. He led all the way to beat John Shorten by two bowls at Ballinacurra and he beat Peter Nagle by a bowl at the Bog Road. He had a bowl on Shorten after four good bowls to Foley’s and raised a second past Perrott’s.

At Reenascreena, Connie Connolly finished well to lead Michéal O’Sullivan by 20m for the last shot. O’Sullivan played a brilliant last bowl, which Connolly beat by just three metres.