Edinburgh and Leith look to maintain 100 per cent start

Joint-team managers Duncan McLaren and Ricky Rutherford bring back Scott Rogers at the expense of Gordon Bold at second to Robert Marshall while Neil Watson continues at lead to James Hogg having subbed for Ross Noble last weekend.

Lewis Betts replaces the unavailable Craig Mackintosh and plays lead to team captain Paul Veitch.

E&L’s latest win over Border at Melrose was by nine shots (122-113) and was highlighted by a spectacular escape when Veitch and his rink of Craig Mackintosh, Gordon Ramsay and Alan Brown scored 20 shots for the loss of one on the run-in to contribute a colossal 33-9 victory over Stuart White.

Support came in the shape of a 22-11 win for Andrew Ramsay over Jamie Mitchell while John Ramsay finished peels. However, setbacks were suffered by Robert Marshall (-6), John McDermott (-10), and James Hogg (-10).

Two shock results saw Midlothian – last season’s national runners-up – suffer a 132-100 defeat away to West Fife and East Lothian stunned by a 121-116 loss at home to Stirling County East. West Lothian beat Fife County 123-93 at Kirkliston.

Today’s other fixtures are: Fife v East Lothian at Strathmiglo; Stirling East v West Lothian at Bonnybridge; Midlothian v Borders at Rosslyn.

• CARRICK KNOWE continue to struggle for top form in Division 2 of the Alpha Trophies-sponsored Edinburgh Bowling League.

This week’s 5-4 win at home to Colinton leaves them in joint fourth place with their beaten rivals and Willowbrae.

They sit just four points above West End in the relegation zone but only 5 points behind table-toppers Postal and, with nine games to play, there is time for the promotion favourites to zoom their way into Division 1.

Even icon figure Colin Mitchell was unable to deliver the goods against Colinton with the former Scotland captain and his strong front-three of Kevin Tennant, Bob Mitchell and Stephen Pringle only counting at 6 of the 17 ends during a 16-11 defeat from David Fisher.

Richard Tough also lost, going down 19-14 to Ross Byers. However, wins for James Hogg (22-7) and Paul O’Donnell (20-11) combined to dominate the aggregate (66-53) and so capture the bonus point.

Other Division 2 results: Pilrig 2, Postal 5; Hillside 4, West End 5; Wardie 3, Willowbrae 6.

Craigentinny, the defending champions in Division 1, passed their first major test with flying colours, the record nine-times winners defeating chief rivals Parkside 7-2 at home.

Andrew Jeffrey carded a knife-edge single at the last to secure a 17-16 win over Paul Veitch while Andy Caldwell finished 1, 5, (1), 2, 2, 2, 7 to crush Brian Salvona 30-7. Willie McDonald hammered Neil Watson 23-4.

Robert Donaldson, skipping Robert Maywood, David Moran and Colin Hairs, spared Parkside blushes with an 18-9 win over Daniel Gormley.

Other results: Northern 5, Queensberry 4; Maitland 7, Tanfield 2; Summerside 7, Brunstane 2.

Bainfield’s 7-2 win away at Corstorphine saw them jump to the top of Division 3 ahead of Goldenacre, who lost 6-3 at home to Leith. Sighthill clobbered Whitehouse & Grange away 8-1, while Mayfield beat Dudley 6-3.

Slateford moved into third place in Division 4 with a 7-2 win at home to pre-match table-toppers Currie while Dean took over with a 7-2 win at Blackhall; Gorgie Mills crushed LRF 9-0 and Seafield beat Merchiston 7-2.

• GILMERTON ace Steven Currie survived a marathon singles clash against John Weighand of Arniston in the Midlothian quarter-finals of the National Championships, carding a single on end 30 to clinch an epic 21-20 thriller.

Andy Wilton of Kirkhill – first-round conqueror of recent Commonwealth Games gold medal hero Ronnie Duncan – looked good at 19-16 up on Stuart Fleming of Inveresk but had no answers to a 2, 1, 1, 1 finish. Daniel McDougall (Buccleuch) and Ricky Delaney (Newcraighall) also reached next week’s semi-finals.

Favourites Peter Kerr and David Peacock made a 17-15 exit in the Pairs to Craig Hodge and Craig Adamson of Loanhead MW.

• LAST YEAR’S winners Kirkliston, and finalists Linlithgow, survived the first-round play of The Rosebery Cup, defeating Glenmavis (74-45) and Bathgate (60-54) respectively.

• LUKE CORBETT of Sighthill has captured the Edinburgh & Leith Under-16s Singles crown for the coveted Willie Wood Trophy, defeating Arron Betts of Craigentinny 13-11 in the semi-inals then Robbie Beath of Carrick Knowe 21-16 in the final.

• LIAM McKAY of Tanfield, the Tait Trophy Holder, has reached the District 14 semi-finals of both the national Singles and Junior Singles and will play opponent Aaron Betts of Craigentinny in the latter at Wardie on Monday night.

McKay will be back at Wardie on Tuesday night to face Craig Ramsay of Leith in the Singles proper while David Brown of Craigentinny tackles former colleague David Torrance, now of Willowbrae.

The second semi-final of the Under 25s features Josh Spalding of Craigentinny and Jordan Davidson of Queensberry.