Bowling: West Lothian IBC win championship again

Dec 24 2009 West Lothian Courier

CHRISTMAS time has come and the bells are merrily ringing out at the Inveralmond stadium in celebration of West Lothian IBC winning the Headwell Team Championship title for a record-extending ninth time.

West Lothian were held to a 4-4 share of the points by Bainfield in the final of the Team Championship event played at host club Headwell on Sunday but the title came to the Inveralmond stadium for an amazing ninth time thanks to a much superior shot margin.

Wins for the Under-35’s rink skipped by James Speirs and the Gents rink skipped by his brother Neil combined to more than compensate for the narrow defeat suffered by Wendy Purdie in the ladies rink and George Marshall in the Seniors rink.

The stars of the show were the Under-35 rink of James Greenock, Paul Lynas, Bryan Cooper and Speirs who produced a monumental performance to dwarf the Bainfield opposition rink of R Wilson, S Carruthers, C Wilson, and full cap Gavin Smith.

Speirs and Co rattled up a spectacular 45-8 victory that had many highlights including and early match run of 2, 3, 3, 1, 1, 7 to lead 19-1 after eight ends and a thrilling climax of 5, 1, 3, 5.

With the shot margin bank benefiting to the tune of 37 West Lothian added 19 more to that with the older of the Speirs brothers skipping Calum Logan, Des Hagart and Mark Allison to a 30-11 success.

The chief highlight in the strongly formed gents rinks came in the shape of a purple patch spell of 2, 1, 2, 6, 2, 2, that thrust them into a 17-6 lead over Graeme McIntosh Paul Millar Alan Trotter and Brian Stoddart.

A third win – for a straights victory on points – looked in the offing when Marshall skipped Alistair Lindsay Peter Ball and John Craig into a 10-5 lead over Les Nicholson, Charlie Adamson Bill Kerr and John Summers in the Seniors.

WL still had their nose in front at 15-14 and three to play but Bainfield carded a 2 and a 5 to cross 21-15 and won 21-18.

Bainfield managed a second success but it was very hard earned with Anna Anderson finishing 1, 1, 2 to skip Mary Gilby ann Matthew and Susan Allan to a 21-20 win over Jenifer Richardson Jean McPherson Lisa Barrett and Purdie.

BALBARDIE 4-bowl Pairs champions Sharon Leitch and Lorraine Malloy captured the national title back in 2005 and the female aristocrats – both internationalists – are on track for a 2010 repeat following the playdown action of this season’s championship last weekend.

The high-octane partnership powered to a 26-12 win over Margaret Murray and Helen Dougal of Portobello in the first round proper at Bainfield then really excelled with a 24-17 win over 1999 champions Sandra McLeish and Agnes Melrose of Midlothian.

The section final was against S Myles and M Morrison of Perth and it ended in a 22-12 triumph for the Balbardie champions who go on to face North section winners Kim Watt and Cath McIntosh of Stonehaven at Prestwick on March 27.

The other challengers for the title are Janice Dougal and Michelle Cooper of Ardrossan versus Julie Sword and Lynn Stein of East Fife.

Irene Taylor and Jennifer Sneddon carried the West Lothian IBC banner but they were 20-13 victims of Whiteinch in the first round action at Lanarkshire IBC.

The playdown action in the gents event saw West Lothian champions Cameron Greer and Calum Logan put up a bold challenge that only came to grief in the section final at Coatbridge.

The WL champions opened their campaign with a comfortable 19-11 win over Stirling in the prelim round then followed with a 21-16 success over East fife before pulling out the stops to beat Blantyre, 16-15, in an extra-end thriller.

The section final was against Auchinleck but they found David Wilson and Stewart Anderson in brilliant form and they crashed to a heavy 29-6 defeat.

Much was expected from Balbardie champions Diz Drysdale and Graeme Byrne who had their familiarity with the Inveralmond stadium in their favour but sadly they made a frustrating 19-18 exit to Alloa in the prelims.

Midlothian reached the final stages with former West Lothian star Jim Gibson (ex Harthill) leading to Willie Rankin and winning four games to set up a semi final clash with Graham and Robert Sloan of Dumbarton at Prestwick.

The other challengers for the title are Auchinleck versus Andrew Barker and Stuart Cruickshank of Elgin.