Bowls: Bainfield out to end 24-year dry spell

EDINBURGH club Bainfield set out to bridge a 24-year gap tomorrow in the indoor bowls Scottish Fours championship at Abbeyview, Dunfermline.

Their rink of Craig Paterson, Craig Moss, Robert Marshall and Paul O’Donnell are aiming to emulate the club’s 1989 championship success and face Alloa on the 9.30am session tomorrow. The winners will go to face Headwell or Lanarkshire in the first round proper at 2pm in a tough-looking section.

East Lothian figure in the same section and, for the second season running, field the strong rink of Mark Johnston, Stevie Thomson, Jamie Higgins and Derek Oliver. Their campaign begins tomorrow in the preliminary round against Coatbridge with the winner facing Midlothian or Perth. Midlothian field a quality line-up of Stephen Currie, Ian Brown, Ronnie Duncan and Colin Walker.

West Lothian play Bathgate club Balbardie in their preliminary-round clash with Bryan Cooper, James Speirs, Thomas Mann and Neil Speirs playing for West Lothian. Balbardie champions Peter Lynch, John Ellis, Ian Robertson, and Sandy McDougall oppose them.

Play transfers to East Fife IBC at Methil for the second and third rounds on Sunday.

Portobello have sidestepped the awesome make-up of the Abbeyview section but can’t dodge one of the sport’s most respected giants as their preliminary clash at the West of Scotland stadium is against six times winners Prestwick.

Scott Mackintosh is at the helm for Portobello and the 2009 finalist of the national outdoor singles skips Dennis Anderson, BJ Smith and Colin Hairs with the prospect of meeting Blantyre or Cumbernauld in the first round proper.

Portobello Ladies travel along the M8 to Rutherglen where the rink of Izzy Dixon, Margaret Murray, Irene Gray and Isobel Anderson have a bye into the first round of the woman’s championship and face Ayr on the 2pm session.

Bainfield Ladies – winners of the title in 1979 – cross the Forth to Methil where they field Chris Blacklaw, Barbara Winwick, Anne Watson and Janet Darling against Teviotdale in the preliminary round.

Midlothian face Balbardie, West Lothian tackle Alloa, and East Lothian do battle with Tweedbank all at Methil and all in the preliminary round.