Bowls: Scottish Fours is the prize

Headwell in Dunfermline is the section venue this weekend for Bainfield ladies who will launch their play-down campaign for a Scottish Fours title.

Mandy O’Donnell skips her mother Heather Stoddart, with Kate McVey and Anna Anderson in a rink that opens with a mighty challenge against Midlothian in the prelim round.

Midlothian have won this event on six occasions, the first time in 1993 and the most recent in 2014.

And it is the star studded 2014 champions that are back seeking the limelight in the shape of Kelly McDougall, Alison Plenderleith, Gaynor Duncan and Stacey McDougall.

The East Lothian name is yet to inscribed on the coveted Fours silver and the rink bidding to put that right is Dee Hoggan, Mags Thomson, Yvonne Veitch and Janet Fairnie. They have a bye into the first round proper where they face Abbeyview.

West Lothian won this competition in 2009 under Wendy Purdie and this weekend’s challenge lies in the talented hands of Creena Docherty, Irene Wright, Carole Clarkson and former internationalist Margaret Russell who open against Perth in the prelim round.

Balbardie have been drawn in the section hosted by Glasgow IBC where the strongly formed rink of Kim Ross, Delia Flannigan, Margo Duff and Sharon Leitch line up in the first round proper against a Lanarkshire opposition skipped by Kimberley Harrison.