Moss wins Bainfield title for third time

Craig MOSS is celebrating his third title success in the Singles championship at Bainfield Indoor Bowling Club, having whipped up a whirlwind late run to storm to a 21-15 victory over Paul Millar in the 24-end final played at the Hutchison Crossway stadium.

Millar was contesting his first final and the 43-year-old was 14-13 ahead before Moss escaped from the dreaded bowlers graveyard with a single to 14, then the 28-year-old full Scotland cap thrilled the watching banking with a spectacular count of 4 to bring Millar under pressure at 18-14.

Moss made it count to the maximum with a single to 19, then answered the loss of a single with a golden double to 21.

“Paul made me work hard to earn my victory and forced me to raise my game at the business end and the major bonus is that it gives me a crack at next season’s national title,” said Moss.

The final of the Ladies’ Singles also produced a treble winning celebration with 23-year-old Mandy O’Donnell defeating former international star Anne Watson, 21-13 in 19 ends. Peels were called at 13-13 after 15 entertaining ends but O’Donnell engaged a higher gear and accelerated to 21 with a run of 2, 1, 4, 1.

Graeme McIntosh has experienced the highs and lows of the sport having won the Edinburgh Open Singles title at Balgreen and skipping Tanfield to the National Triples title but also suffered a gut-wrenching last-bowl defeat in the final of the Scottish outdoor Pairs.

He is modest in victory and sportingly gracious in defeat but had to watch his two sons lose out in 21-20 thrillers on the same night.

Jamie McIntosh lined up against Neil Watson in the final of the Under-25 Junior Singles and managed to keep his dad on tenterhooks at 16-16 before adding 2, 2 to stand on the brink of the title at 20-16.

Both finalists are 19 but Watson has greater experience of big occasions and, in that nerve-wracking climax, it paid him a winning dividend as he conjured up a magic 2, 1, 2 to finish to win 21-20.

The spotlight was also on Mark McIntosh in the final of the Under-17 Youth Singles and the 15-year-old looked likely to deliver for his dad when building leads of 16-12 and 20-16 over 11-year-old Greg Walker.

But the night of McIntosh pain was to continue with Walker staging a spectacular fight back of 3, 1, 1 to win a 21-20 thriller in 26 ends.

The final of the Seniors Singles did bring some redemption for Clan McIntosh with Willie of that ilk – no relation – making a successful defence of the title when holding on from 20-12 to score a 21-15 victory over Les Nicholson.