Bowling: Rinks selected to embark on defence of Scottish League Cup

Apr 30 2009 by Our Correspondent, West Lothian Courier

WEST Lothian’s under-25 brigade launches their defence of the Scottish League Cup title at Glenmavis this Sunday at 2pm, with Dumbartonshire providing the opposition.

The team formation has been announced and reads as follows: Rink One – Greg Baldry (East Calder) Jamie Aitken (Newbridge) Mark McCullagh (Buchan Park) and Kenny Black (East Calder).

Rink Two – Craig Heath (Broxburn) Alan Patterson (Broxburn) Ewan Wilson (Deans) and Adam Gilliland (Bankton Mains).

Rink Three – Lee Fairley (Deans) Gary Callaghan (Bankton Mains) Andrew Semple (Oakbank) and Cameron Greer (Whitburn).

Rink Four – Steven Fleming (Buchan Park) Barry Nicholson (Broxburn) James Bird (East Calder) Calum Logan (Broxburn).

Rink Five – Ryan Miller (Middleton Hall) Alan Ure (Kinneil) Gary Culbert (Kinneil) Stephen McCullagh (Buchan Park).

Rink Six – Kevin McConnell (Armadale) Craig Ramsay (East Calder) Ross Millar (East Calder) and Blair Mackie (Newbridge).

Scott McMaster (Broxburn) and Grant Ramsay (East Calder) are the two reserves in attendance.

Team Manager Colin Stein and his selectors have arranged a practice game at Glenmavis tonight (Thur) with the team and two reserves asked to report by 6.15pm

WEST Lothian hit the campaign trail for the Hamilton Trophy in the Scottish Counties Championship on Saturday, May 9, when they visit Midlothian at Gorebridge for their opening match in the East qualifying section.

Team Manager Colin Stein and his selection committee of Neil Grant (Queensferry), Denis Cavanagh (Uphall Station), and Frank Weir (Armadale) have settled on their line up for the opener and it reads as follows:

Rink One – Bryan Cooper (Bathgate), Gerry Duggan (Bathgate), Calum Logan (Broxburn), and John Aitken (Kirkliston).

Rink Two – Stewart McMaster (Broxburn), James Speirs (Newbridge), Alec Allan (Newbridge), and Graeme Archer (Uphall Station).

Rink Three – Iain Grant (Buchan Park), Kenny Miller (Buchan Park), Steven Fleming (Linlithgow), and Grant Logan (Kirkliston).

Rink Four – Ewan Shearer (Bo’ness), Barry Sword (Buchan Park), Andrew Dunnett (Queensferry), and Raymond Logan (Kirkliston).

Rink Five – Frazer Muirhead (Uphall Station), Walter McDougall (Glenmavis), Graeme Byrne (Linlithgow), and Thomas Mann (Newbridge).

Rink Six – Cameron Greer (Whitburn), Ian Robertson (Newbridge), Mark Allison (Broxburn), and Neil Speirs (Kirkliston).

Sandy McDougall (Glenmavis), and Blair Mackie (Newbridge), are named as travelling reserves.

The other squad members are Alan Atkinson (Queensferry), Kenny Black (East Calder), Steven Forrest (Kirkliston), Ian Laverie (Broxburn), Gary Orr (Linlithgow), Gary Smith (Linlithgow) and George Sneddon (Broxburn).

There are seven changes from the team that opened last season’s campaign with the missing faces being, Ricky Forrest (Kinneil), Gary Orr (Linlithgow), Steven Forrest (Kirkliston), Alan Atkinson (Queensferry), Gary Smith (Linlithgow), and George Sneddon (Broxburn).

They are replaced by Bryan Cooper (Bathgate), Gerry Duggan (Bathgate), James Speirs (Newbridge), Iain Grant (Buchan Park), Kenny Miller (BuchanPark), Cameron Greer (Whitburn), and Graeme Archer (Uphall Station).

Midlothian qualified from the East section in top place last season but have since lost their managerial inspiration with the sad passing of bowls legend Alex McIntosh, with the baton now handed to the experienced Frank Gray.

West Lothian have a practice game at Pumpherston on Thursday, May 7, with the players and two reserves asked to report no later than 6-15pm.

Newly crowned singles champion Calum Logan returned to the West Lothian IBC carpet at the Inveralmond stadium on Tuesday of last week and made a tough test look easy when he skipped Cameron Greer to a 20-7 victory over Joey Strickland and George Sneddon in the final of the Four-bowl Pairs.

Winning 12 of the 16 ends with a five-end run stretched their lead from 10-6 to 16-6.

The final of the Under-25 Singles resulted in victory for Kenny Black who stole a march from 8-8 to 16-8 then from 17-14 went on to hit 21 with a 1, 2, 1 finish against Blair Mackie.

Angie Uttley skipped Greg Baldry to a 26-7 win over Paul Barrett and Jenifer Richardson to capture the Mixed Pairs title.

THE bowls community is mourning the sad passing last week of Joe Knox, Armadale’s longest-serving member.

Joe was in his 80s and enjoyed a long career that included two Singles championship wins amongst a host of club honours – also gracing the Counties Championship scene with Linlithgowshire.