Teams still in hunt for titles
The West Lothian banner was fully prominent going into the final day’s play in the Ladies Seniors’ Singles and the Ladies Seniors Fours of the Bowls Scotland National Championship being played at Ayr Northfield.
Glenmavis star Angela Uttley was in sparkling form to enter the semi-finals of the Seniors Singles having reeled off an impressive hat-trick of wins.
She defeated Fiona Kerr of Bellshill & Mossend , 21-19; Janet Heatlie of Lutton Place, 21-7, and Seona Black of Larbert, 21-12 to make her way into the final four of the competition.
The Whitburn Seniors Four of Anne Waterson, Diane Ashenhurst, Margaret Armstrong, and Jessie Halliday remain in the firing line for title glory after they picked up wins over over Cults, 17-15; Stranraer, 17-7; and Abbey, 15-13 to book their place in the semi-finals.
There was despair for Uphall Station who came ever so close to making it through to the last day of the Mixed Pairs with Sandra Steven and Richard Mark agonisingly denied by a last bowl draw at an extra end to lose a 12-11 nail-biter at the hands of brother and sister duo Gillian and Scott Mackintosh of London Road Foundry (Edinburgh).
It was a brilliant performance against the 2011 champions, but the West Lothian pair fell just short, although they can be proud of their efforts.
Meanwhile, Pumpherston’s Paige Mackie won her first round tie in the Junior Singles, 21-17, but that was as far as she would make it on the national stage as she made a 21-10 exit to Stacey Wylie of Darvel in the second round.
The Gents’representation failed to shine with first-round exits for Darren Pearce of Kirkliston in the Junior Singles and Robert Saunders of Whitburn in the Seniors’Singles.
The Seniors’Four from Kirkliston, which comprised of Robert Cowe, Harold Baker, Gus Henderson, and Gordon Logan, won 18-10 in their first-round but went down 22-13 to suffer a second round exit.
Play continues in other disciplines till Saturday.
Meanwhile, in the local scene, the final of the Jack High Insurance WLBA Junior Open for the Fred Meikle Trophy went right down to the wire in a 21-end thriller that saw 28-year-old Calum Logan of Kirkliston earning a double on the final end to clinch a hard-earned 21-17 victory over 26-year-old Grant Ramsay of East Calder.
Ramsay led 10-7 after 11 ends but was left with lots to do when Logan accelerated to 19-10 thanks to a run of 2,2, 3, 2, 3 over the next five ends to seemingly take the title.
However, the spirited Ramsay fought back and made sure it was all to play for at 19-17.
But Logan ensured a fourth capture of the coveted trophy with a fine double to take him over the line.