Stewart Meikle’s Bowls

Aug 12 2010 by Mairon Laird, West Lothian Courier

GLENMAVIS Bowling Club played host to the final day of play in the West Lothian Council Trophy last Sunday.

Councillors Isabel Hutton and Martyn Day represented the sponsors and watched Stoneyburn, Ratho, East Calder and Kinneil compete in the final Round Robin stage.

Stoneyburn had celebrated winning the title honours in 1989 and 1995 and their rink of Chris Divers, Bobby Colquhoun, Eddie Russell, and Darren Russell completed the treble.

Russell and company etched the Stoneyburn name on the trophy for a third time having pipped Ratho by a single shot in an exciting climax.

The Ratho rink to run them close comprised Stan Lumsden, John Morier, Alan Campbell, and Martin Campbell.

Greg Baldry skipped his young East Calder rink of Craig Ramsay, John Bird, and Grant Ramsay into third place while Bobby Aitken, Sandy McKie, Hugh McKenna, and Allan Ure of Kinneil finished fourth.

Sixteen club rinks qualified for the final days play making Glenmavis a busy place and an excellent day climaxed with the presentation of the trophy by Councillor Hutton.

THE third round action of the WLBA Top Five Singles Championship sponsored by the BARBQ clubs – Bankton Mains, Armadale, Ratho, Broxburn, Queensferry – takes place tonight (Thursday) with defending champions Kirkliston playing at home to Armadale.

Blackburn entertain Philpstoun, Newbridge host Whitburn, and Springgrove welcome Deans.

KIRKLISTON’S Top Ten of Raymond Logan (S), Steven Forrest Neil Speirs (P), Andy Suddon Dave Masterton Grant Logan (Tr), Derrick Meikle Gordon Logan Calum Logan Greg Logan (F) have moved through to this weeks semi final stage of the White Knights sponsored WLBA championship.

They shared the points in an away game thriller against Bathgate in last weeks third round but tipped the scales with a 12 shot advantage. Newbridge also shared the points at Armadale but edged through by three shots.

Buchan Park stepped up their defence of the title with an excellent 6-2 home win over local rivals Broxburn while a great away win for Linlithgow saw them punish Uphall Station 8-0.

THE Seniors team of the WLBA ended a disappointing campaign in the Matt Purdie Inter County League Cup on a losing note going down to section winners West Fife by 10 shots.

Gordon Logan did his bit by skipping Willie Pollock, Charlie Houston and Hugh Marshall to a 23-4 win but Mike Forde Jimmy Johnstone Ronnie Martin and Ritchie Templeton crashed to a 28-7 defeat.

Robert McIvor and his rink of Lawson Trotter Raymond McMahon and Kenny Ferguson were edged out 13-12 by Robert Downie but Brian Holloran Dennis Crowe Jim Arthur and Jim Davidson lost 13-6.

NATIONAL Championships Flashback – Defending champion Lorraine Malloy of Deans put up a bold show to try and retain her Singles title and so win it for a third time but came to grief in the semi finals.

Malloy – whose two title wins were achieved under the banner of Springgrove – opened at Ayr Northfield with a confident 21-13 win over Margaret Durward then beat Angela Boyle of Kingswood, 21-15.

The holder than faced the threat of defeat in the third round but coped admirably with the pressures to clinch a 21-19 win over Helen McLean of Oban but was always against the collar to make a 21-16 exit to Joyce Kennedy of the Peter Boyle club in Ayr.

Lorna Smith of Linlithgow lost 21-12 in the first round to Caroline Brown of Bellshill & Mossend who went to capture the title in impressive style.

Jenifer Richardson carried the Deans banner in the Junior Singles but after an opening victory made her exit to Mandy O’Donnell of Bainfield who carried on to bring the title back to Edinburgh.

The 2008 Pairs champions Sandra Steven and Kirsteen McLelland of Uphall Station made good progress to round three with clear cut wins over Rutherglen and Annbank but made an 18-12 exit to Longside

Longside went on to win the title while at the other end of the scale there was frustration for Angela Currie and Julie Greig who made a 20-19 exit to Milngavie in the first round.

Linlithgow trio Louise Orr Paula Kilgallon and Lorna Smith put up a great show to reach the semi finals of the Triples but became innocent victims of a massive organisational error to lose by a single shot after 15-ends, but the rule book said it should have been 18-ends.

JG Fleming were the Triples to benefit and ironically they were down after 15 ends of the final of finished strongly over the now extended 18 and beat Colinton for the title.

Blackburn trio Delia Flannigan Cathy Machnik and Angela Uttley made a first round exit to local club Newton Park in the first round.

Blackburn also suffered a first round exit in the Fours with Cathy Lawrie Yvonne Russell Carole Clarkson and Phylis Sproul (sub) losing to Colinton however Mora Beecroft Margaret Mclintock Eliza Miller and Ellen Carr of Kinneil carried the WL banner forward.

Kinneil reached the semis but made a 29-6 exit to Strathmiglo who then lost out to Castle Kennedy in the final.

Sadie McKenzie and her Bankton Mains rink of Irene Gilroy Geraldine Rynard and Helen Meldrum made a first round exit to Kilmarnock Portland in the Senior Fours but Kinneil were again prominent.

Christine Smillie skipping Margaret Muir Mary Murray and Iris Harvey through to the 3rd round before making an agonising 13-12 exit to eventual title winners Chryston & District.