Prestwick hosts Scottish bowling final

Feb 19 2010 by Mike WIlson, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

PRESTWICK Indoor was the venue on Saturday for the Jack High Insurance Scottish Gents League Cup final when Lanarkshire beat Blantyre 86-72.

Before a large crowd, Lanarkshire won on three of the four rinks and claimed the title for the first time since 1984.

Prestwick can be justifiably proud of hosting another major event in the calendar and will also host the Scottish national finals and Scottish Knockout Cup final before the end of the season.

Saturday sees the gents return to action with the Scottish Knockout Cup first round. The Bellevue Road side take on holders Tweedbank from Gala in a match being hosted by Nithsdale of Dumfries.

Team Manager Robert McCulloch has named the following side: Rink 1: Allan Hendry, Craig Cobbledick, Brian Fulton, Robert McCulloch; Rink 2: Junior Cole, Gary Martin, Stuart Reid, Paul Boyd; Rink 3: Lee McCulloch, John Keir, Stuart England, Drew Boyd; Rink 4: Jamie Houston, Eddie England, Andy Kilday, Craig England.

The seniors will also be back in action on Saturday when they look to continue their good start to the Ayrshire League. They sit with seven points after the first round of matches and play leaders Auchinleck, who have eight points, at Irvine.

Rink 1: Willie Kennedy, Willie Scott, Tommy Collins and Cliff Eade; Rink 2: Alec Thomson, John Docherty, Jim Ross and Michael Higgins; Rink 3: Hector Berretti, Jim Lindsay, Alan Paxton and Morris Sturgeon.

The seniors play Newton Stewart in the quarter-final of the Scottish Seniors Knockout Cup at Castlemilk next Wednesday.

Morris Sturgeon won the club senior singles, beating John Docherty 21-14 in the final and will now represent Prestwick in the new Scottish Seniors Singles Championships next season.

The Scottish Young Indoor Bowlers Association held their national pairs and triples playdowns at Newton Stewart on Sunday. Prestwick came up short in both competitions with Ardrossan qualifying in the pairs and Auchinleck qualifying in the triples.

Sunday sees the Ayrshire Championships playdowns. Between the gents and ladies, there are 13 competitions to be played for and the playdowns will be split over five venues.

The prelim round will be held from 9.30am to 12.30pm and the first round proper will be from 1-4pm. Prestwick will host the ladies singles, gents fours and senior fours competitions.

Order of play: ladies singles prelim: Auchinleck v Irvine, Prestwick v Ardrossan; Ladies singles semi-finals: prelim winners and Galleon v Ayr.

Gents fours prelim: Galleon v Irvine, Ardrossan v Auchinleck; Gents fours semi-finals: prelim winners and Prestwick v Ayr.

Senior fours prelim: Ayr v Irvine, Auchinleck v Ardrossan; Senior fours semi-finals: prelim winners and Galleon v Prestwick.

Ayrshire finals day will be at Ayr Indoor on Sunday, March 21 with all 13 competitions being contested.

Tickets for the club's sportsmen's dinner on Saturday, February 27 are available, price £25, from the rink office.