East meets West as Scottish Cup enters second round

Alex Marshall will dash up from Blackpool to represent East Lothian this weekend

Both teams have a great record in the cup with East Lothian bidding to capture the trophy for a record-extending eighth occasion while the West Lothian name is etched on the silverware six times.

The most recent tussle between the two teams was in the B section of the Premier League with West Lothian winning 85-67 at home. However, it was EL who reached the play-off final which will be played at opponents Blantyre’s home rink on Sunday, March 18.

East Lothian are confident inspirational icon figure Alex Marshall MBE’s other commitments will allow him to line up this weekend. Marshall is competing down in Blackpool for the International Open Title, an event which reaches its climax on Friday evening. It is a massive boost to East Lothian that the record six-times world singles champion is aiming to dash up the road in time to be part of the EL challenge on Saturday.

The absence of Marshall’s Commonwealth Games colleague Derek Oliver is a downside but EL are well covered at skip with ‘Tattie’ joined by fellow caps Billy Mellors and Scott Kennedy plus former World Under-25 champion Joe Mower.

West Lothian are yet to decide on their team line-up.

• It took some of their players an exhausting seven-hour car journey to get back home but spirits were nonetheless high in the Seniors camp of East Lothian IBC as they had defeated neighbour rivals Midlothian 6-4 in their quarter-final of the Scottish Cup played at Livingston.

Wins on the rinks skipped by Dougie Berwick (+14) and Alastair Russell (+2) more than compensated for the narrow defeat of Tommy Young (-3), and Willie Wood MBE (-2).

Their semi-final opposition on March 14 at Whiteinch in Glasgow comes in the shape of Ardrossan or Inverclyde.

• Stacey McDougall (Midlothian) and Lorraine Craig (Balbardie) are joined by East Lothian trio Emma Logan, Yvonne Veitch and Dee Hoggan in the Scotland team competing in the Home International Series at Paisley this weekend.

• Tomorrow night is the annual Big Night Out For the highly-successful Edinburgh Bowling League with a sell-out crowd set to celebrate their Sportsmen’s Dinner at Bainfield BC.

Headlined by footballer Steve Daley and comic Gary Marshall, the evening will feature the draw for the Specsavers Edinburgh Cup and the Penplaid Edinburgh Plate. President Kenny Watling has chosen “Richmond’s Hope” – which supports Bereaved Families – as his Charity of the Year.