Bowling: West Lothian suffer shock defeat

Nov 26 2009 by Our Correspondent, West Lothian Courier

WEST Lothian IBC suffered a shock defeat on their home carpet and blew their chance to stay in the front rank of the qualifying race in section A of the indoor bowls Premier League.

The top-of-the-table clash at Inveralmond stadium with Lanarkshire gave the home side a chance to move ahead and stay upsides Prestwick.

However, the visitors prevailed over Neil Speirs’ rink of Joey Strickland, Mark Allison, and Thomas Mann by the nail-biting margin of three shots, with a final score of 75-72.

The only bright spot was a fine win by Thomas Mann.

West Lothian edged the first seven-end phase 35-27, and also managed to bag the last one, 21-17, but the damage was done on the second, when they were demolished 31-16.

Mann was immediately on the back foot to trail R Gordon 7-2 but he rallied the troops with a mighty five and by the 13th end had skipped Paul Lynas, Des Haggart, and Raymond Logan into an 18-12 lead. They were then pressured at 18-16 but answered with a strong finish, 2, 2, 2, 1, to win 25-16 but sadly not quite enough to win the war.

Allison and his rink of Bryan Cooper, Richard Mark, and Calum Logan opened with a magnificent seven but then bowled four blanks before counting a three to lead Robert Grant 10-5.

The home rink continued to look good at 14-7 up but lost their shine with a costly run of six blanks and in the end had to conjure up a 2, 1 finish to rescue a 17-17 peel.

Strickland bowled a super six at the third end to skip Cameron Greer, Blair Mackie, and Stuart Johnstone into an 8-1 lead over John Simpson.

It was battle on at 8-8 however, and the outcome remained in the balance at 14-14 before the visitors edged it 18-15 with the more determined finish.

Speirs was strangely ineffective as he slumped 24-15 to Jim Meiklem. That was after skipping Ewan Wilson, James Greenock, and James Speirs to finish 1, 1, 1, 3, 2, but which came to late.

West Lothian slipped to third place in the league some two points adrift of Lanarkshire, and Prestwick who triumphed 83-64 at Arbroath while Midlothian moved clear of the relegation zone with a 78-73 win at Auchinleck.

East Lothian’s 83-73 home win over Blantyre in the B section of the Premier League enabled the four-in-a-row champions to join their victims and Coatbridge as joint leaders in the race for a qualifying place.

Balbardie IBC kept themselves in the hunt for the promotion in the B section of Division One by crushing visitors Stirling 99-53.

Alloa beat foot-of-the-table Whiteinch 96-57 and continue to top the division by a point from Bainfield, Balbardie, and Tweedbank. Bainfield were impressive 97-60 away winners over Tweedbank.

The ladies of Balbardie IBC stayed top of Division 1D by travelling to crush Stirling 111-47.

Their West Lothian counterparts in C Division suffered a narrow 79-75 defeat at Teviotdale in a bottom-of-the-table clash.

The West Lothian IBC and Balbardie banners will both be in evidence at the joint national championship finals being played at the West of Scotland stadium (Shawfield) this weekend.

Balbardie duo Andrew Chapman and Ewan Shearer launch their Two-Bowl Pairs title bid against Steven Twynholm and David Gourlay of Glasgow in the semi finals (Sat 11-30am).

Colin McBride and Stewart Anderson of Auchinleck contest the other semi final against David McGill and Andrew Furye of Arbroath.

Lorraine Malloy bids to add the blue ribbon indoor singles crown to her outdoor title, with the Balbardie star opening against holder and three-times champion Julie Forrest of Teviotdale on Saturday at 4pm.

Caroline Brown of Blantyre and Kathy Houston of Paisley are the other challengers.

Junior Cap Lisa Barrett carries the West Lothian banner in the Under-25 Singles and opens against Ailsa Robertson of Dundee at 9.30am while Rebecca Campbell of Alloa and Michelle Cooper of Ardrossan are the other semi finalists.

Wendy Purdie skips teenager Jennifer Richardson in the Two-Bowl Pairs and the West Lothian partnership open against Margaret Craig and Rhona Jarvis of Garioch at 2pm.

The other challengers are Janice Dougal and Michelle Cooper of Ardrossan, and Karen Dawson and Ceri Ann Davies of Falkirk.

Bainfield star Paul O’Donnell lines up against Graeme Armour of Paisley at 4pm on Saturday in the semi final of the Junior Singles. Stewart Anderson of Auchinleck and Steven Allan of Alloa complete the line up.