Title double not enough to earn fifth consecutive team success

Scotland won two of the five titles, the pairs and triples, as the individual British Isles Championships were decided at Leamington Spa last night,

The West Barns duo of Alistair Kennedy and Billy Mellors romped to victory in the pairs with a 25-16 defeat of Ireland’s Martin McHugh and Barry Browne. They dominated the first half of the match, running up a 17-2 lead and, although Ireland recovered to 20-13 and 22-16, the Scots put the result beyond doubt with an end to spare.

Wayne Hogg skipped his Markinch club-mates Tom Pettigrew and Ryan Crawford to the triples title with a 21-14 win over Paul Taylor’s Welsh team. From the sixth end they dropped only one of the next eight to lead 18-8 and then held off a late challenge to secure the title.

Earlier in the day, Alex Kennedy, Keith Campbell, Dan Whyte and David Beattie from Upper Cowal were pipped over the last three ends by Jersey in the senior fours semi-finals. Jersey lost the final against Wales, who also took the fours title against Ireland.

Scottish hopes of a fifth successive NatWest Trophy triumph as overall team winners ended when Dave Kingdon won the singles for Wales, seeing off Martin McHugh, Ireland’s Commonwealth Games singles player, 21-13.

Wales finished on 14 points, with Ireland and Scotland their nearest rivals on eight.

Garry Kelly, who edged out Scotland’s Gary Robertson 21-18 in the semi-finals, won the junior singles for Ireland with a 21-15 defeat of Jersey’s Greg Davis. nScotland’s Commonwealth Games team members will not participate in the men’s Home International Series at Royal Leamington Spa today.

Seven changes have been made from the team that finished with the wooden spoon in Dublin last year. Bonnyrigg’s Ronnie Duncan and Billy Mellors from West Barns have been recalled while Calum Logan (Broxburn), Steven Forrest (Kirkliston), Scott Kennedy (West Barns), David McGill (Carnoustie West End) and Steven Baxter (Law) will make their debuts.

Kirkliston’s Grant Logan will captain the team and is the only skip remaining from last year’s line-up.

The other berths are filled by Lesmahagow’s Jim Meikle, Iain McLean from Blackwood Victoria, Pathhead’s Colin Walker, Tommy Mann from Newbridge and Derek Oliver of Cockenzie & Port Seton.

McLean, Mann and Meikle have full rinks of seasoned campaigners, while Walker, Logan and Oliver will all bleed new caps. Walker will have Duncan at lead, Kennedy at second and Mellors as his third. Logan will have McGill as lead and Logan as second while Forrest and Baxter will play at the front for Oliver.

The Scots face Wales and defending champions England today, followed by Ireland tomorrow.