Bowls round-up: Sighthill face Goldenacre in Edinburgh Top Ten defence

The 2018 field challenging for the Edinburgh Top Ten Title sponsored by Virgin Trains is 41 clubs-strong and, having missed the prelim round, reigning champions Sighthill launch their defence of the coveted crown against Goldenacre.

Willie Wood and Lessel Middler, won the Senior National Pairs title

Carrick Knowe – the reigning national champions – also enter the action in the first round and line up against Dudley on Tuesday, July 3 and wins for the two silverware merchants would see them clash in the second round.

The prelim-round action on Tuesday, June 26 is spiced up by the presence of Capital city giants Craigentinny, who are drawn against Leith, while twice national champions Slateford are pitched against Maitland.

• Currie were to hot to handle for the rest of the field in last year’s Edinburgh Plate, but it is a second bite of the cherry for runners-up West End as the 2018 first-round clash is rerun of the 2017 final.

There is huge sense of sadness that one time EBL giants Pilrig have opted to pplay in The Plate and not The Edinburgh Cup, in which they were the inaugural winners (1998). However, their presence adds extra glamour to the lesser event.

Pilrig open in the first round against Dean, while former Water of Leith giants Gorgie Mills face Goldenacre.

• The ambitious aims of The West Lothian Bowling Association to introduce the groundbreaking Generations Game into their 2018 calendar of events will be further explored by a meeting with the 34 member clubs at Buchan Park (Broxburn) on Wednesday, April 18.

The format of The Generations Game embraces a first-ever coalition of the male and female branches of the sport in a team of 13 picked from the under 18s, under 30s, over 60s, mainstream ladies and mainstream meen.

• Jamie Macnab has etched his name on the Championship Board at Midlothian IBC after edging a 21-19 thriller against Ronnie Duncan in the final of the Singles.

Sandra Mcleish reached two finals, but lost the Singles proper against Stacey McDougall and to Shona Johnstone in the seniors version. Ellie Borthwick beat Megan Grantham in the ladies’ Junior Singles.

• Bowls Legend Willie Wood MBE is celebrating his first national seniors triumph after capturing the Pairs crown in company with his East Lothian colleague Lessel Middler in the final of the Scottish Seniors Championships staged at Midlothian IBC.

Wood skipped his lead to an 18-10 win over Buchan in the semi-finals, then came from 11-9 down in the final to beat Eddie Mellon and Robert Pye of West of Scotland, 18-12.

Prospects of a Garden County double were dashed by a defeat in the semi-finals of the Triples, with Billy Higgins, Alastair Russell and Tommy Young losing to eventual champions Perth.

Balbardie IBC took the ladies’ Pairs, with Helen Wilson and Margo Duff including a magnificent count of 7 in their 25-10 semi-final win over West of Scotland before going on to beat Ayr 21-11 in the final.

• East Lothian men progressed to the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup after winning a dramatic extra end 4-2 to beat defending champions Falkirk at Headwell. They now play Premier league champions Blantyre at Falkirk this weekend. The ladies of East Lothian have been in great form this season and are on cloud nine after crushing their higher profile neighbours Midlothian 10-0 at Falkirk to reach this weekend’s quarter-finals, where they play East Fife at Headwell.

• East Lothian’s bid to lift the Seniors Scottish Cup ended in disappointment in yesterday’s final, losing 6-4 to Lanarkshire at Headwell.