Lisa Barrett emerges as bowls talent

Nov 12 2009 by Our Correspondent, West Lothian Courier

LISA Barrett will carry the banner of West Lothian IBC into the semi-finals of the national championships being staged at West of Scotland IBC on November 28.

And the 18-year old rising star will be focused on winning the junior singles title.

Barrett – a junior cap with three series to her name – received a walkover in the first round of the playdown action at East Kilbride on Sunday then followed up with two excellent performances to book her place in the last four.

Emmy McIntyre of Dumbarton provided the opposition to Barrett in the second round and she was restricted to 12 shots as the West Lothian challenger swept into the quarter-final stage.

Barrett experienced a tougher time of it against Claire Walker of Blantyre but emerged a 21-18 winner and will next face Ailsa Robertson of Dundee for a place in the final.

Robertson is herself a prominent junior cap and showed fine form with a hat-trick of wins that culminated with a 21-11 win over full cap Mandy O’Donnell of Bainfield in the quarter-finals at Abbeyview.

The other semi-finalists are Michelle Cooper of Ardrossan who is hunting a title treble and clashes with Rebecca Campbell of Alloa who eliminated Gaynor Blair of Midlothian in the second round.

WEST Lothian IBC under-25 champion Kenny Black made a 21-14 exit to Andrew Snape of Nithsdale in the preliminary round of the national junior singles championship at East Kilbride last Saturday.

The Edinburgh and Lothian banner did prevail however with 24-year-old junior cap Paul O’Donnell of Bainfield rattling up a hat-trick of wins at Abbeyview to reach the last four.

He will next tackle Graeme Armour of Paisley while the other two still challenging for the title are big guns Stewart Anderson of Auchinleck and Steven Allan of Alloa.

THE announcement of the gents trial squad for the junior international series this week brought great news for Ewan Wilson of West Lothian IBC who is named in the 32-strong line up.

Wilson hasn’t enjoyed the best of breaks in his career to-date so deserves the opportunity he gets at Cumbernauld on Sunday, November 22 and will have many well-wishers hoping he takes this chance to further impress the Scottish selectors.

Cameron Greer continues to find favour and the young premier league star lines up at third to Brian Irvine of Blantyre while Wilson plays second to David Mitchell of Turriff.

West Lothian IBC host the ladies junior international trial at the Inveralmond stadium on Sunday, November 22 and the strong local interest is provided by Lisa Barrett who lines up at lead to Nicola Orr of Falkirk.

WEST Lothian entertain Auchinleck at the Inveralmond stadium in this Saturday’s premier league match and the home side will hope to resume winning ways after sustaining their campaign defeat at Prestwick.

David Wilson is unavailable and the team named reads: Rink 1 – Bryan Cooper, Ian Laverie, Calum Logan and Mark Allison.

Rink 2 – Paul Lynas, Des Hagart, Raymond Logan and Thomas Mann.

Rink 3 – Cameron Greer, Blair Mackie, Stuart Johnston and George Sneddon.

Rink 4 – Ewan Wilson, James Greenock, James Speirs and Neil Speirs.

Balbardie get the chance pick up the pieces from their narrow defeat at Bainfield with home carpet advantage at Bathgate against Alloa.

Balbardie ladies scored a commanding 108-75 home win over Cumbernauld last Saturday and share the top spot in the D section of Division 1 in the League Cup with Whiteinch.

Balbardie are away to Fintry this Saturday.

The ladies of West Lothian IBC suffered an 86-75 defeat from Tweedbank at the Inveralmond stadium last weekend so look to have it tough when they visit table-topping East Lothian this Saturday.