Opening victory boost for team

Oct 8 2009 by Our Correspondent, West Lothian Courier

WEST Lothian Indoor Bowling Club launched their campaign in section A of the Premier League with an 80-69 win over Lanarkshire at Wishaw for what was a great result against difficult opposition.

Wins for the rinks skipped by Joey Strickland and George Sneddon proved enough to secure the point’s as setbacks for Neil Speirs and Mark Allison were narrow margin defeats.

West Lothian lost the first 7- end phase 29-26, but Strickland was already prominent with a 12-5 contribution, then stepped up the pace to capture the second phase 33-22 and the third, 21-18.

Strickland and his rink of Richard Mark Raymond Logan and Des Hagart emerged the headline makers as they made a great start to lead John Simpson 16-5 after eight ends then answered pressure at 17-15 with a strong finish to win 27-16.

Sneddon dropped a five at the first and trailed 15-5 before getting into gear but he did to great effect as he skipped Cameron Greer David Wilson and Stuart Johnston to a 21-17 win over home icon Robert Grant.

Allison and his rink of James Greenock Ian Laverie and Calum Logan had much work to do at 9-3 down after seven ends to R Gordon but they hit back to cross 12-10 before slipping to a 17-15 defeat.

Speirs made an encouraging start to skip Ewan Wilson Paul Lynas and James Speirs into a 7-1 lead over John Meikle and they were still in control at 16-10 after 15 ends but were outgunned on the run in and lost 19-17.

West Lothian have home advantage over Midlothian this Saturday and make one change with Bryan Cooper brought in at lead for Mark Allison and James Greenock stood down to join Blair Mackie on the reserve bench.

Balbardie banked an away point from their 82-82 share with Stirling in the B section of Division 1 and step up their action with a home game at Bathgate against Whiteinch this Saturday.

The other opening results in the B section were, Whiteinch 71 Alloa 72; and Bainfield 84 Tweedbank 84.

The ladies of West Lothian IBC launched their competitive season with a convincing 91-70 victory over Teviotdale at the Inveralmond stadium in the C section of Division I of the League Cup.

Wins for the rinks skipped by Lily Sword and Wendy Purdie carried the day over a peel for Ann Clark and a defeat for Jennifer Sneddon.

Sword had the sharpest cutting edge as she skipped June Thorburn Creena Docherty and Jennifer Richardson into a 14-3 lead after eight ends then onto a 27-12 win over Irene Bennet.

Purdie was engaged in a battle royal with Julie Forrest and trailed 17-14 before finding a higher gear to skip Helen Meldrum Jean McPherson and Lisa Barrett to a 24-17 win.

Clark and her rink of Irene Taylor Isabel Lindsay and Margaret Oliver finished 2, 1, 1 to rescue a 16-16 peel with Betty Gibson while Lucy Noon Betty Tate Helen Tully and Sneddon conceded 1,2 on the run in to be piped 25-24 by Caroline Hogarth.

The other results in the section were, East Lothian 78 Portobello 95; and Tweedbank 77 Bainfield 75.

West Lothian visit Portobello this weekend.

Meanwhile Balbardie IBC opened in section D with an excellent 90-64 home win over Stirling and this weekend they travel to Whiteinch. The other results were, Fintry 94 Whiteinch 71; Cumbernauld 68 Allander 77.

The Seniors team picked to represent WLIBC against Tweedbank earlier this week reads as follows: Rink 1 – W Gorrie R McMahon J Craig and P Ball;

Rink 2 – A Lindsay G Clark J Murphy and T Turnbull;

Rink 3 – R Purdie J Beresford C Russell and R Martin;

Rink 4 – D Anderson J Davidson I Combe and G Rarity.