Balbardie Bowling Club enter Festiv break leading from the front

Dec 17 2009 West Lothian Courier

BALBARDIE gents enter the festive season break in a frontline challenging position for the promotion honours in Division 1B of the national leagues and they will have home advantage when tackling joint leaders Bainfield in the New Year.

Both clubs have amassed 11 points from their eight matches played to date but Bainfield have a shot margin advantage of 37 so with just two fixtures to fulfil it looks like being a close-run thing.

Balbardie notched up their fifth win of the campaign with an impressive 25-shot victory (87-62) over Scottish Cup holders Tweedbank at Bathgate last weekend while Bainfield scored a 78-62 away win over foot of the table Whiteinch.

Excellent double-figure wins for the rinks skipped by Ewan Shearer and Graeme Byrne paved the way for the Balbardie success with Walter McDougall held to a peel and brother Sandy suffering a narrow defeat.

Balbardie opened up a 12-shot lead (32-20) on the first 7-end phase of the match then stumbled a bit lose the second 28-26 before reasserting their authority to capture the third, 29-14.

Shearer made his strongest mark early doors with a run of 4, 3, 1, 1, 1, 2, 3 to skip Gary Orr Kenny Martin and Andy Forrest into a 15-3 lead and the rink went to clinch a 27-12 win over Rob Crawford.

Byrne also warmed up the home support with a strong start to skip Jim Speirs, Davie Ross and Diz Drysdale into a 13-1 lead after eight ends, then they answered growing pressure at 14-10 to beat Kenny Johnstone, 26-13.

Walter McDougall also looked set for a good day when skipping Ian Drysdale Hugh Marshall and Gerry Duggan into an 11-2 lead after eight ends but they were crossed 14-11 and had to battle to rescue a 17-17 peel with Stuart White.

Sandy McDougall closed to 11-12 when skipping Lawson Trotter, Mark Bonnar and David Lawrie to a super six at the 12th end but after leading 17-15 they slipped to a 20-17 defeat from Ian Crawford.

West Lothian IBC also go into the break as serious challengers for the qualifying honours in the A section of the Premier League although they are two points adrift of leaders Lanarkshire.

Lanarkshire are at home to Midlothian and away to Prestwick when play resumes in the New Year while WL are at home to Prestwick and away to Auchinleck.

WL followed up their great away win over Midlothian with an expected 108-60 trouncing of bottom club Arbroath who arrived at Livingston last weekend without a point over their seven games.

Meanwhile Prestwick arrived at Midlothian as joint leaders but the Dalkeith side did WL a massive favour by battling to an 82-75 win that not only toppled their Ayrshire visitors but left them 79 shots adrift of the Livingston-based team.

WL produced a good team performance against Arbroath with the rinks skipped by Thomas Mann, Mark Allison, Neil Speirs, and George Sneddon, all winning.

Mann was again a tower of strength as he skipped Paul Lynas, Des Hagart and Raymond Logan into a 17-2 lead after 11-ends, and the rink went on to triumph 28-9 over A Furye.

Allison made a tremendous start with counts of 5, 3, 3 5 to skip Bryan Cooper, Richard Mark and Calum Logan into a 16-0 lead then they traded on the cushion to score a 29-14 win over S Sibley.

Speirs was having a lean time of it to trail 16-9 after 16 ends but he then produced a phenomenal run of 4, 4, 4, 7 to skip Cameron Greer, James Greenock and James Speirs to a 28-19 win over D McGill.

Sneddon carded a magnificent seven at the second end and proceeded to skip David Wilson, Blair Mackie and Stuart Johnston into a 16-4 lead after nine ends but late slippage saw them settle for a 23-18 success over M Andrews.

East Lothian and Blantyre continue to be locked at the top of the B section of the Premier League with the four-in-a-row champions scoring an 85-5 home win over Aberdeen and the challengers from the West thrashing Dundee 112-53.

Meanwhile, Scotland regulars George Sneddon, Neil Speirs and Thomas Mann are set to continue their international career with the trio of West Lothian stars being named in the team to tackle the Home Championship series at Perth in March.

Sneddon will play second to Alex Marshall MBE and Mann will serve Paul Foster in the same position while Speirs continues his association with Willie Wood MBE at third.

East Lothian have Scott Kennedy, Derek Oliver and Graham Robertson joining Marshall, Wood, and Foster while Ronnie Duncan, Colin Walker and Graeme Archer represent the Midlothian banner.

Gavin Smith is a lone figure for Bainfield while Balbardie and Portobello have zero representation.

Balbardie do have a profile in the ladies international team for their series at Perth with Lorraine Malloy named at third to Josephine Williamson of Auchinleck while Sharon Leitch will be a reserve in attendance.

West Lothian IBC have two in the team with Wendy Purdie and Angela Uttley selected to play third to Margaret Letham (Blantyre MW) and Agnes Melrose (Midlothian), respectively.

The main focus this weekend is the playdown action of the Scottish 4-Bowl Pairs with the West Lothian IBC hosting a section of the Gents action on Saturday then the play switching to Bainfield on the Sunday.