Greer and Logan prove too hot to handle in 4-Bowl pairs championships

Apr 21 2011 West Lothian Courier

JUNIOR caps Cameron Greer and Calum Logan combined their skills with great effect and proved too hot for Stewart McMaster and Jimmy Mallon to cope with in the final of the 4-Bowl Pairs championship at West Lothian IBC.

The Greer/Logan partnership captured 10 of the 16 ends played and en-route to a commanding 20-8 victory did their best work with a five end run of 3, 2, 1, 1, 1 that accelerated their score from 7-5 to 15-5.

Meanwhile the draw for the make up of next seasons Premier League sections has been made and West Lothian IBC will feature with Paisley, Prestwick, East Lothian, Blantyre and Alloa in the A section. The B section features current champions Midlothian and runners-up Lanarkshire along with Auchinleck, Aberdeen, Turriff, and Falkirk.

The final of the Scottish Cup was staged at the Inveralmond Stadium and the outcome in front of a large crowd saw East Lothian complete a successful defence of the title with a commanding 26 shot victory over Lanarkshire.

And no praise is high enough in extolling the merits of a magnificent performance that saw the East Lothian name engraved on the coveted silverware for a record equalling fifth time - sharing that honour with West Lothian.

Lanarkshire presented no mean opposition buoyed up pre-match by the news that world stage stars Alex Marshall MBE and Paul Foster were absentees from the East Lothian line up.

And also thirsting to seek compensation for just missing out on the Premier League title at the same venue - their achievement to reach both major finals being testament to the competitive skills and spirit of a highly talented team.

But East Lothian have had to cope with the absence of Marshall and Foster on several occasions and did so well enough to reach the final.

Wins for the rinks skipped by Graham Robertson, Derek Oliver, and Scott Kennedy plus a peel for Willie Wood MBE earned East Lothian a 94-68 victory.

East Lothian showed their ability to perform under pressure by never being headed after having picked up from a 24-21 advantage on the first 7-end phase by dominating the second, 38-24, and the third, 32-23.

Robertson’s 32-17 win was the best return of the final and the most significant as it came at the expense of opposition icon Robert Grant thereby knocking the wind out of the Lanarkshire sails.

Robertson did lose a four at the 17th end but was never in any danger of a collapse as he skipped Neil Pringle David Oliver and an excitingly effervescent Steven Morgan to a 15 shot triumph.

Oliver carded an opening 1, 2 and was never headed in a strong performance against Gary Neilson, skipping Colin Cook Dougie Berwick and Jamie Higgins to a 22-14 win that was made secure from 12-11 to 21-12 with counts of 2, 2, (1), 4, 1.

Kennedy skipped Les Middler John Stevenson and Andrew Jeffrey to a 23-20 win over Jim Meikle.

Wood became engaged in a real ding-dong battle with Robert Gordon and carded a single at the last to skip Mal Higgenbotham Stevie Thomson and Mark Johnston to a 17-17 peel.

Gilmerton BC is to resurrect the Open Pairs Tournament for The David Wales Trophy played in memory of their young rising star that lost his life in a tragic accident a number of years ago.

“David was a well known and popular figure in bowling circles and his two highlights were his dramatic 21-20 defeat on an umpires measure by Billy Mellors in the 1996 final of the Scottish Junior Singles, then being capped for Scotland Under 25’s the following year,” says Ramsay Blair of the Gilmerton Club.

“We have new sponsors in Heineken UK and the Wales family and the prize fund is in excess of £2000.”

Entry is £10 per pair and the dates are the weekend of May 7/8. Phone the club on 0131 664 3080 or e-mail: gilmertonbowlingclub@yahoo.co.uk to enter.