Stewart Meikle’s Bowls

Aug 26 2010 by Mairon Laird, West Lothian Courier

RATHO is the venue for tonight’s (Thursday) final of the WLBA Top Five Singles championship sponsored by the BARBQ clubs and the battle for the title promises to be a classic confrontation between Kirkliston and Newbridge.

Kirkliston defend the title and bid to become the first club to complete a hat-trick of wins since the introduction of the Top Five format to the bowling calendar in 1977 while the record 10 times winners also target landing the late summer double having just recently captured the Top Ten title.

Newbridge have celebrated title wins on five occasions and this year’s final is a re-run of 2009 with four of their players still to the fore in the shape of Thomas Mann, Alec Allan, Blair Mackie, and Paul Sweeney.

The fifth member of the Newbridge assault squad is stalwart figure Drew Paterson who took the recent WL Masters by storm by reaching the final. Ian Robertson is the missing figure.

Kirkliston come into the final with a new look from last year with Calum Logan and his cousin Greg Logan lining up in place of Steven Forrest and John Aitken.

The draw has been made and reads as follows, Blair Mackie v Greg Logan, Paul Sweeney v Calum Logan, Drew Paterson v Neil Speirs, Alec Allan v Grant Logan, and Thomas Mann v Raymond Logan.

The start time is 6pm and the sponsoring clubs are, Bankton Mains, Armadale, Ratho, Broxburn, and Queensferry.

The semi-final action saw Newbridge in tip-top form to crush Springgrove 5-0 while Kirkliston progressed at the 4-1 expense of Blackburn.

THE Champion of Champions is the end of season highlight of the WLBA and the Matt Purdie and Sons sponsored event takes place at Blackburn over this weekend with 34 clubs represented.

Three of this year’s champion crop stand out as presently competing at the sharp end of the sport and they are Ewan Shearer of Bo’ness, Fraser Muirhead of Uphall Station, and Walter McDougall of Glenmavis.

David McCormick though is a hero of the past and the Bathgate champion along with Richard Mark of Deans and Gary Orr of Linlithgow and many others of note are well capable of making life hot for the leading lights.

Newbridge and Queensferry still had to declare their banner carriers at the time of going to press. The full draw reads: Friday, Prelims 6pm Deans (R Mark) v East Calder (D Millar); Glenmavis (W McDougall) v Stoneyburn (R Blake).

Saturday, Round 1 – 10am. Deans/East Calder v Glenmavis/Stoneyburn; Middleton Hall (K Miller) v Blackburn (R Hilson Sen); Ratho (A Campbell) v Letham (R Agnew); Springgrove (T McCron) v Bridgeness (A Wilson); Uphall Station (F Muirhead) v Kirkliston (G Robinson); Polbeth (D Nimmo) v Oakbank (G Borland).

Noon – Mid Calder (B Wardropper) v Queensferry); Kinneil (R Aitken) v Philpstoun (T Hamilton); Buchan Park (D Ledgerwood) v Bo’ness (E Shearer); Bathgate (D McCormick) v Seafield (R Golder); Armadale (W Gardner) v Bankton Mains (A Gilliland); Harrysmuir (A Bathgate) v Broxburn (J Cruickshanks).

2pm – Linlithgow (G Orr) v Pumpherston (D Wardrop), Whitburn (P Brant), v West Calder (B Guest); Watson Memorial (E Miller) v Winchburgh (A Walker); Newbridge v Harthill (M McCartney.

There is a second round session at 4pm then the final day’s play on Sunday takes place at 11am, 1.30pm with the final at 4pm.

THE Inter County round robin challenge for the Calder Cup takes place at Sighthill on Sunday with the team to represent West Lothian announced as follows: Rink 1 – K McConnell (Armadale), D McLaughlin (Uphall Station), G Baldry (East Calder), and K Black (East Calder).

Rink 2 – L Fairley (Deans), G Callaghan (Bankton Mains), J Bird (East Calder), and C Greer (Bathgate).

Rink 3 – G Ramsay (East Calder), S Bremner (Newbridge), A Ure (Kinneil), and M McCullagh (Uphall Station).

Rink 4 – S Tough (East Calder), M Campbell (Ratho), E Wilson (Deans), and B Mackie (Newbridge).

Rink 5 – A Irvine (West Calder), C Ramsay (East Calder), A Suddon (Kirkliston), and R Millar (East Calder).

Rink 6 – C Black (East Calder), G Borland (Oakbank), D Russell (Stoneyburn), and A Semple (Oakbank).

Other squad members to attend are S McMaster (Broxburn) and C Paterson (Uphall Station).