Bowls: Blantyre spring surprise in east

There’s still no movement at the top of both sections of the Premier Division of the Jack High Insurance National League, and with only two rounds of matches remaining, West Lothian and Falkirk remain top with two and three- point cushions respectively.

In Section A, a hard-fought 84-78 away win at Paisley kept West Lothian in the driving seat. A surprise 81-74 away win for Blantyre against East Lothian saw them take vital points that keep them two behind the leaders and maintain their title dreams. Meanwhile East Lothian dropped to third, four points behind the pacesetters.

In Section B, it’s a two-horse race between leaders Falkirk and defending champions Midlothian. The Camelon team eased past Auchinleck 79-52 while Midlothian secured a last-gasp victory against Lanarkshire, with Graeme Archer scoring a double on the last end of the match against Sandy Syme to give the Dalkeith outfit a 74-72 victory, leaving them with an outside chance of retaining the title.

In Division 1, Perth are the new leaders in Section A, two points ahead of Dundee. They beat Dundee in their squaring section match on Friday night 97-57 and then in their eighth round match, won 68-63 against Garioch while Dundee beat Abbeyview 89-61. Bainfield are four points clear in Section B while in Section C, Coatbridge and West of Scotland are tied at the top on 12 points.

Thre’s no change in Division 2 with Arbroath, Whiteinch and Ayr all still seeking promotion to Division 1 next season.