Dee Hoggan follows up Scottish title to become Women's British Isles Singles champion

Dee Hoggan. Photo by East Lothian Camera Shop

Hoggan – niece of John McCrorie, the 2000 Scottish Singles Champion deprived of his opportunity to become The Best of British by the politics of the sport at the time – played brilliantly on a long-jack tactic to lead 20-14 and kept her nerve as she came under pressure, to a thrilling triumph across 25 ends.

“I am thrilled to bits at adding to the great legend of bowls in the garden county,” said Hoggan.

n Edinburgh & Leith beat Midlothian by 12 shots at Carrick Knowe in the Cities and Counties Championship and enter today’s final East section matches two points adrift of leaders West Lothian.

Both face tough away matches today, with WL vulnerable against West Fife at Lumphinnans and E&L doing battle against Stirling East at Stenhousemuir.

• Wins on the rinks skipped by Andy Jeffrey (23-13), Willie McDonald (27-10) and Andy Caldwell (15-12), plus a peel for Josh Spalding (14-14), saw leaders Craigentinny crush  top-of-the-table rivals Queensberry 8-1 in Division 1 of the Alpha Trophies Edinburgh Bowling League.

• The climax of the East Lothian district finals of the national championships saw 43-year-old Billy Mellors of Haddington produce a typically strong performance to beat budding star Dean Riva of Gifford 21-12 in the Singles and the 2006 Scottish Champion makes a quick return to Ayr Northfield and the scene of his defeat in the 2017 final.

Haddington suffered a setback in the Junior Singles with their defending national champion Joe Mower on the wrong end of an epic 24-end battle, edged out 21-19 by Sean Mackie of EL-Coop.

Mackie’s team celebrated a second success with the victory salute triggered in the Seniors Four by Derek Stein, Jim Bonner, Dougie Berwick and Willie Auld, who romped to a 19-7 win over Peter Fallen (skip) of Elphinstone.

Three cheers from a jubilant EL-Coop camp signalled an impressive victory for Megan Kivlin at the expense of Caitlin Thorburn of Haddington in the ladies’ Junior singles.

The Dunbar partnership of Steven Anderson and Kern Gallagher slipped from 14-9 up to 17-15 down in the Men’s ©Pairs but escaped to a nail-biting victory with a 2, 1 finish against Andy Burt and Stewart Thomson of Haddington.

Haddington suffered more grief with their Four of Derek Logan, Jamie Blair, Joe Mower and Alister Kennedy blowing a 17-11 lead in a shock 19-18 defeat from Keith Hamilton, Calum Blair, Keith Fender and Grant Fender of East Linton.

Last-bowl heroics from Billy Cormack of Macmerry in the Triples saw him skip Paul Mair and Kenny Donaldson to a 12-10 win over Raymond Frame, Kieran Frame and James Burnett of Castlepark.

Cormack was also in the frame to land the Seniors Singles but came off second best after a cracking 21-18 encounter with Billy Dunleavey of Aberlady.

• Experienced figure Richard Mark of Uphall Station captured the early District headlines in West Lothian with his 21-11 win over iconic star Raymond of Logan of Kirkliston in the Seniors Singles final.

Kirkliston suffered more disappointment in the Seniors Fours with Gordon Logan (skip) losing 17-6 to Alec Allan of Newbridge.