E&L’s late, late show a winner

Edinburgh & Leith stepped up their challenge in the East section of the Cities & Counties bowls championship with a dramatic last-gasp effort to pip East Lothian 114-110 at The Northern and have now won four games out of five.

Wins for the rinks skipped by Robert Marshall, Willie McDonald and team captain Billy Mellors gave E&L the edge over an East Lothian side that inflicted defeat on Mal Higgenbotham, James Hogg and Paul O’Donnell. An E&L victory looked unlikely when they were outgunned 47-32 over the first seven-end phase by last year’s national champions but a 46-35 reply on the second built a momentum that inspired the home team to capture the third 36-28.

Rink scores, Marshall 21 Alex Marshall 10; McDonald 26 Jamie Higgins 16; Mellors 22 Derek Oliver 14; Higgenbotham 15 Brian Young 19; Hogg 18 Willie Wood 23; O’Donnell 12 Alister Kennedy 28.

The finals of the Edinburgh & Leith Championships take place at Craigentinny tonight with the key match being between Kerr McKail of Summerside against Sean Alexander of Colinton Mains for the James S Fleming Under-25 Singles trophy.