Carrick Knowe retain WoL 16s league title

The climax to the 2012 outdoor season still holds great promise for Carrick Knowe bowlers with the finals of the Edinburgh Top Ten and the Edinburgh & Leith Top Five Singles still to contest; but come what may the club is currently in celebration mode having clinched the Water of Leith 1st Sixteens League title.

Carrick Knowe were the defending champions and claimed the title for a fabulous fourth time in five seasons when they wound up their 18-match campaign with a spectacular 5-0 home win over 2011 runners-up Slateford.

Carrick Knowe did receive a bit of help though and spokesman Craig Aitken admits that Currie BC will be on their Christmas card list in recognition of them dishing out a 3½-1½ defeat to Sighthill in the home side’s 
final fixture.

Due to weather disruptions it was the penultimate match for Sighthill who needed a 5-0 to stay in contention for the title so their setback at Currie left them a hopeless 8½ points adrift with one match to play.

“We were under pressure from Sighthill in what was building up to be tight finish to the race for the title but we fended them off on the run in with a 4-1 away win over 
Gorgie Mills then our clean-sweep result in the final match,” said Aitken.

Meanwhile, Carrick Knowe’s entry into the final of the Top Five Singles for The Ian McFarlane Trophy came at the expense of Tanfield who made a great start to their semi-final with Robert White defeating 
Richard Tough 21-15.

But Darren Hush levelled the match at 1-1 with a solid performance to lead 13-6, 18-12 then win 21-13 against Stuart Campbell while James Hogg tipped the scales when cracking on from 8-6 to beat Graeme McIntosh 21-10.

Carrick Knowe clinched a 3-1 victory when Johnny Priestley answered pressure at 12-10 with a strong finish to beat Alex Thompson 21-13.

Play in the other semi-final saw Sighthill beat Dean 3-2 in a thrilling climax that saw Gary Connelly the hero with a double on the 27th end to beat Andy McNab 21-19.