Bowling: Young ones set their sights on a national title

Jun 18 2009 by Our Correspondent, West Lothian Courier

WHITBURN play host to the finals of the WLBA County Championships tonight (6.30pm).

The top of the bill action is the Singles for The Baillie Trophy featuring Adam Gilliland of Bankton Mains and Stuart Blakelock of Winchburgh.

Bathgate go for a hat trick of title wins in the Pairs for The Tam Dalyell Shield and defend against Broxburn while the Triples is a head to head between Stoneyburn and Kirkliston for the MacLardy Trophy.

Kirkliston will defend the Hopetoun Cup with their rink facing a challenge from Bellsburn.

The semi final action at Bo’ness saw Blakelock spring a 21-14 surprise on Scotland cap Gary of Linlithgow having made a break from 7-7 to 12-7 with a run of 1, 2, 2 then answering pressure at 15-14 with a 1, 2, 1, 2 reply to 21.

Broxburn got off to a flyer in the Pairs with Stewart McMaster and Jimmy Mallon zipping into an 8-0 lead then extending that to 14-3 over Derrick Meikle and John Aitken of Kirkliston. Broxburn duly won 17-12.

Kirkliston gained compensation in the Triples with Raymond Logan skipping Andi Gray and Neil Speirs to a 19-5 win over Oakbank while the Bellsburn rink of Scott Middlemiss Stewart Mackay Ronnie McIntyre and Eddie Caulfield beat Winchburgh 18-8 in the Fours.

The semi final action at Buchan Park saw Adam Gilliland hold the aces to trump Colin Russell of Deans 21-14 in the Singles; Bathgate dealt a 19-11 exit to Queensferry in the Pairs, and a convincing win for Stoneyburn saw them beat Whitburn 15-7 in the Triples.

Kirkliston were hard pushed by Pumpherston in the Fours but the holders survived with two shots to spare, winning 17-15.

Teenager Greg Baldry of East Calder is a budding star on the bagpipes and his bowling image received a great boost on Monday night when he called the tune at the 21-6 expense of No.2 seed Thomas Mann in the semi final of the West Lothian Junior Open.

Mann (Newbridge) has yet to etch his name on The Fred Meikle Trophy but was favourite to do so this year however the Scotland Cap found himself 8-0 down at Armadale and Baldry kept him subdued with a series of brilliant deliveries.

Steven Forrest the No. seed from Kirkliston finished the stronger from 14-14 to beat No.5 seed Cameron Greer of Bathgate, 21-17 in the other semi final.

The final forms part of tonight’s climax to the County Championships at Whitburn.

The final of the Rosebery Cup takes place at Bellsburn on Sunday (2pm) and will feature Bathgate or Kirkliston against Glenmavis or holders Broxburn with both semi finals last night.

It was three cheers and loads of congratulations at the weekend for Deans teenagers Jodie Nicol, Calum Mellors, and Cameron Nicol who won the District title in the Scottish Young Bowlers Association Triples and now have the national crown in their sight’s at Ayr Northfield.

The East section challenge is done and dusted for West Lothian with one game still to play and so easing the pressure for this Saturday’s challenge from Border at Newbridge .

West Lothian’s fifth win in six games and their accrual of a massive shot margin bank of 186 makes them uncatchable in securing their qualifying place in the Cities and Counties Championship for the Hamilton Trophy.

The section leaders notched up their latest success at the 143-108 expense of West Fife at Deans and they now hold a two point advantage over East Lothian and Edinburgh and Leith as well as a respective plus of 155 and 183 shots.

Wins for the rinks skipped by Grant Logan, Graeme Archer, John Aitken, and Thomas Mann made it a dawdle for a West Lothian team that did however suffer setbacks on the rinks skipped by Neil Speirs and George Sneddon.

Broxburn stage the final of the Kelso Cup tomorrow night (Friday) with Linlithgow and Newbridge doing battle for the prestigious two-rink title.

The semi final action saw Linlithgow crush Ratho 37- 16 whileNewbridge dealt a blow to Broxburn hopes in an epic battle that went down to extra end drama, edged 2-0 by singles for Newbridge on each rink to take the tie.