Bowling: Queensberry feel the pain as champs turn on the style

Craigentinny bounced back to form in last night’s Division 1 action of the Alpha Trophies-sponsored Edinburgh Bowling League, with the defending champions thrashing third-placed Queensberry 9-0.

“Queensberry are no mugs so, given the fact we had several of our regulars on holiday, this is a tremendous result for us” said spokesman Kevin Hunter. “Our wins on all four rinks were decisive and banking all nine points has pushed us back to the top of the table, albeit as joint leaders with Parkside,” he added.

Parkside recorded a 7-2 victory over Pilrig. The other results in Division 1 included six-times champions Tanfield edging a 5-4 away win in their relegation battle against Wardie – the scales being tipped by a last-bowl winner from Robert White. Foot-of-the-table Hillside boosted their hopes of avoiding relegation with a 9-0 slaughter of Northern.

The rink scores from Craigentinny were: Gordon Bold 19 Frank O’Reilly 9; Andy Jeffrey 19 Alan Watson 9; Willie McDonald 24 Scott Walker 16; Andy Caldwell 16 Brian Pollard 12. And from Parkside, Darren Smith 21 Euan Craig 11; Paul Veitch 20 Darren McKenny 16; Robert Donaldson 20 Gavin Smith 17; Alex Hurry 14 Scott Noble 19.

• Last night’s finals of the West Lothian BA Championships sponsored by Jack High Insurance went ahead after officials moved swiftly to transfer play from a waterlogged Queensferry venue to Linlithgow.

The headline event featured international star Ewan Shearer of Bo’ness against Andrew Semple of Oakbank in the Singles and a thrilling 20-end encounter saw Shearer win 21-16. Shearer is a former WL Master and Champion of Champions making him a prolific winner of titles in the area, however the 39-year-old was delighted to capture the County crown for the first time.

Semple, a rising star who has shone in the Under-25 ranks, opened the final with a single but Shearer roared into action with a run of 2, 2, 4, 1 to 9 then led 13-5 before his Oakbank challenger battled back impressively to 15-15. Shearer answered that pressure with a 2, 1 reply to 18 then, having lost a single to 16, faced two corkers against him before killing both with a brilliant flick, fold and run onto the top of the jack, and had the temerity to add a second for a two to 20. “I guess that was the moment that tipped it in my favour as I followed up at the next end by topping the jack with my first bowl and it survived on to the card for me to reach 21,” said Shearer.

Kirkliston celebrated a 25-13 success in the Pairs with Andrew Suddon and 33-year-old Scotland star Neil Speirs stepping on the accelerator at 12-12 to add a finishing run of 4, 4, 1, 4 against Colin Fraser and Scott Lambie of Whitburn.

Newbridge won the Triples title with 50-year-old Alec Allan skipping Joe Arthurs and Ian Robertson into a 10-5 lead then answering a growing menace at 13-12 with a run of 2, 3, 1, 3 against George Rarity, Brian Halloran and Barclay McConaghy of Pumpherston. The 22-12 triumph added another title to the CV of former Scottish and British Isles Pairs Champions, Robertson and Allan.

The Fours title always looked destined for the Deans when Calum MacIver skipped Paul Barratt, Malcolm Houghton and Brian Gilmour into a 9-0 then 15-4 lead but their Uphall Station challengers closed to 15-14.

Frazer Muirhead and his rink of Mark McCulloch, Keith Taylor and James Greenock then laid 5 shots at the next but MacIver was the Deans hero as he sealed an 18-14 victory.