Bowls: Midlothian shock might of Ayrshire

MIDLOTHIAN'S great adventure in the Cities & Counties bowls championship continues to excite with mighty Ayrshire their latest victims, and by the commanding margin of 21 shots.

The semi-final action at Glasgow venue Crookston BC yesterday pitched Midlothian against an opposition that is steeped in the legend of the event having won it a record 13 times and reached the final on ten other occasions.

Midlothian's last title success dates back to 1975 with a previous celebration in 1972 so the East section challengers are certainly driven by hunger but backed up by a team spirit that is tremendous and a talent that has blossomed under team manager Frank Gray.

"I see the winner of this weekend's Open at St Andrews was a 250-1 outsider at the outset and I guess Midlothian would have been quoted in that bracket to etch our name on the Hamilton Trophy so I guess we are surprising more than a few," said Gray. Ayrshire are not known as a team that takes its foot off the accelerator as they don't do compassion so it is greatly to the credit of Midlothian that the challengers from the East wiped out a daunting 20 shot deficit to win 131-110.

The match got off to a rip-roaring start with the early exchanges including a super 6 for David Peacock on his first end and an incredible full house 8 for Colin Walker at end six, however that was in reply to him losing a 7 at end two.

Skip Ramsay Blair proved himself to be a wise investment from 1-3 to 21-4 and the final dividend saw him skip Eddie Adams, John Tod and Stuart Roseburgh to a 25-10 win over Graeme Campbell.

Jimmy Gibson added 5, 2, 3, 3 to lead 18-7 then he skipped Robert Trench, Andrew Kelly and Craig Adamson to a 27-12 win over Ian Galloway.

Peacock carded a second 6 at end 14 to lead 22-14 then he skipped Tom Moffat, Jim Farquhar and Scott Briggs to a 30-17 win over Gary Johnstone.

Walker skipped Ronnie Duncan, Jamie Mitchell and Lindsay Plenderleith into an 18-9 lead then on to a 28-17 win over Sandy Graham.

Yuill kept battling stoutly on from 22-7 down before succumbing 24-16 to Jim Hopkins while a heavy 30-5 defeat for Stevenson can be put down to the brilliance of opposing skip Gary Hood.