Prestwick indoor bowlers Junior Cole and Robert Rae win national title

Dec 3 2010 by Mike WIlson, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

PRESTWICK claimed their first national title success in five years on Sunday when Junior Cole and Robert Rae won the Scottish National Two Bowl Pairs at snow covered Aberdeen.

They beat Colin Banks and Bruce Middleton from Garioch in Inverurie 2-1 in the final.

In a tight first set, Robert drove the Garioch bowl out the head and confirmed the shot by drawing with his last bowl to claim the one that was needed for the title.

In the second set, the Garioch pair played the better bowls and claimed the set to force the match into a decider. Junior and Robert got off to a great start in the third set as a run of one, two and four saw them shoot into a7-0 lead and they were able to hang onto this lead to claim Prestwick’s third success in the national two bowl pairs.

In the semi finals played on Saturday, Junior and Robert came back from a set down to beat Abbeyview’s Stuart Pagan and Paul Brown 2-1.

There was to be no other Ayrshire success at Aberdeen with Martin Williamson (Irvine) losing in the gents junior singles semi final, Sarah Kennedy (Ardrossan) falling in the ladies junior singles semi and Michelle Cooper losing in the ladies junior singles final.

On Saturday, Prestwick gents play a crucial away match at struggling Coatbridge. Prestwick are hopeful of their first away win of the campaign which would guarantee their Premier League status for next season.

The team, which includes one positional change from the team that defeated Lanarkshire at home two weeks ago, is:

Rink 1: Lee McCulloch, Jordan Slaven, Alan Williams, Drew Boyd; Rink 2: Junior Cole, Mark Kerr, Stuart Reid, Paul Boyd; Rink 3: Allan Hendry, Craig Cathie, Gary Martin, Andy Kilday; Rink 4: Alec Cathie, Craig Cobbledick, Brian Fulton, Robert McCulloch.

The seniors face a crucial league match at home to Auchinleck on Saturday. Both teams sit behind Glasgow and must win almost all of their remaining matches to stand a chance of qualifying from the section.

Rink 1: Willie Ferguson, Jim Ross, Jim Fortune, Cliff Eade; Rink 2: Scott Watson, Willie Fulton, Dougie McKie, Michael Higgins; Rink 3: Alec Thomson, Tom Howson, Joe Reid, Alan Paxton; Rink 4: Willie Kennedy, John Lindsay, John Docherty, Morris Sturgeon.

The ladies resume their league campaign at home to East Kilbride. Victory will maintain the Bellevue Road side’s 100 per cent record at home and give them a fighting chance of finishing second in the section.

Rink 1: Muriel Cowley, Dorothy Nimmo, Jean Paterson, Kathie Mitchell; Rink 2: Margaret McRonald, Nancy Gelleburn, Cathy Lawson, Betty McKinlay; Rink 3: Doreen Wilson, May Hood, Betty Hainey, Wilma Ogilvie; Rink 4: Ann Boyd, Pat Sutherland, Margaret Wells, Val O' Neill.

Prestwick travel to Lanarkshire on Sunday to play their opening match in the Scottish Under 35 League. The match has been moved to a 10am start and the second leg of the fixture will be played after Christmas.

Team manager Paul Boyd names the following: Rink 1: Daniel Sim, Mark Kerr, Lee McCulloch, Craig Cobbledick; Rink 2: Stewart Dunlop, Connor Cannell, Paul Williams, Gary Martin; Rink 3: Craig Cathie, Andrew Weir, Chris Duffy, Allan Hendry; Rink 4: Jordan Slaven, Gordon Woods, Alan Williams, Paul Boyd.

On Sunday, Prestwick hosts the second stage of playdowns for the Scottish senior national singles, pairs and triples. Prestwick have representation in the pairs with Michael Higgins and Morris Sturgeon and in the triples with Willie Kennedy, Willie Scott and John Docherty.

The last 16 round will be played at 10am with the quarter-finals from 2pm to 5pm. Order of play: singles: Newton Stewart v Ayr and Inverclyde v Paisley; pairs: Auchinleck v Blantyre and Prestwick v Inverclyde; triples: Prestwick v Inverclyde and Ardrossan v Blantyre.

Entries are being taken for an open two bowl triples from Tuesday to Thursday, December 28 to 30. Anyone is eligible to play, entry £9 per triple and can be paid on the first night of play.

Teams will play on one of the first two nights with qualifiers through to the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final on Thursday, December 30.

The event is sponsored by Wallaces Express. First prize will be £300 per triple. Entries can be phoned to or sent to the stadium.