Denis Breslin got his revenge when beating Jim McCaskell 21-18 to win the Men's Senior Singles having lost out to Jim in the Seniors Championship final.
Daniel and Jim McCaskell won the Todd Pairs with an 8-6 victory against Dalkeith's David Salkeld and Robert Campbell Jnr who were also last years beaten finalists. The beaten semi finalists were John Brown (who also had time to roll a wrong bias, see Hall of Shame) and partner and Davie Allan and Scott Rogers.
Marianne McGarrity won the 2 bowl handicap for the 2nd time with a 21-20 win against Gillian Mackintosh in a cracking final.
Gordon Jamieson, Bobby McLeod and Jim McCaskell won the Triples with an end to spare against Phil Whyte, Bobby Black and Gordon Hastings.
Max Rowell won the Junior championship for the first time with a 21-13 victory against holder Dean Mackintosh. Max had recovered from 9-3 down and levelled the game at 13-13 before Dean gave away 2 shots. Once Max hit the front there was no stopping him as he finished 2, 2, 2, 1, 1 for a 21-13 win.
Craig Mackintosh led from start to finish in a 21-7 win against Gavin Inkster.
Rosemary Mackintosh beat Eileen Mitchell 21-18 to win the Ladies 3 Bowl Singles for the 4th time.
Gordon Hastings beat Jimmy Stoddart to win the 2 Bowl singles for the 3rd time.
Jim McCaskell beat Denis Breslin to win the Seniors Championship for the first time.
Gordon Grundison, Harry Batten, Mike Carnie and Scott Mackintosh hammered Graeme Todd Jnr, Jim Russell, Denis Breslin and Graeme Todd Snr 29-7 in the final of the rinks to gain revenge for a similar scoreline in the 2006 final
Rena McLeod, Eileen Mitchell and Marianne McGarrity came from 10-4 down to win 14-12 against Gillian Mackintosh, Diane Bell and Rosemary Mackintosh.
Graeme Todd Jnr and Scott Mackintosh beat George and David Kyle 16-15 to win the Nominated Pairs.
Eileen Mitchell and Jim McCaskell beat Margaret and Harry Batten to win the Mixed Pairs.
Mike Lannon and Bob Haldane were declared the winners when the rain came down having been undefeated with 3 games remaining. This was quite surprising considering that Bob Haldane found the time to roll a wrong bias.
The LRF seniors won the Retired Mens Bowling League Knockout Cup when they won 38-29 against Seafield. There were wins for all 3 LRF rinks with Jim McCaskell leading the way with a 17-12 win against Bill Mulcahy. Walter Thompson beat George Cooper 10-7 and Tom Bisset picked up a single at the last to win 11-10 against Bob Peebles.
Betty Traynor and Marianne McGarrity beat May Cockburn and Ann McCaskell to win the Ladies Pairs.
Ronnie Bell, Diane Bell and Davie Sinclair won the Belhaven Open Mixed Triples when they defeated Ann McCaskell, Jim McCaskell and Graeme Todd Jnr 5-1 in the final. The beaten semi finalists were Marianne McGarrity, Rab Gardner and Peter Miller and Helen Borthwick, Eileen Foggo and Carlo Volante.
David Kyle lost 21-4 to George Kirk in the final of the Edinburgh Bowling League Knockout Junior Singles. This was the 4th time George had won this competition having also beaten David in the 2007 final.
LRF beat Postal 44-27 in the semi final of the Seniors Knockout at Willowbrae. Jim McCaskell led the way with a 17-6 win against George Smith. Walter Thompson beat George Gray 16-12 and Tom Bisset won 11-9 against Mike McPhillips. The final is at Civil Service on Thursday 3rd September at 2pm against Seafield.
Gordon Jamieson, Jim McCaskell and Phil Whyte suffered at heavy defeat at Craigentinny against Bob Fleming from Musselburgh.
Dean and Gillian Mackintosh won the Junior Senior Pairs when they defeated Max Rowell and Ronnie Bell in the final.
Gordon Gray, Graeme McDonald and Phil Whyte beat Niddrie (skipped by Ronnie McCardle) 16-15 at Inveresk.
Gillian Mackintosh, Lisa Stevenson, Stuart McKean and Scott Mackintosh won the title with a 4-3 win against Eileen Foggo, Helen Borthwick, Bill McDonald and Bill Leslie.
David Kyle won 21-17 against Liam McKay from Tramways at Hillside. David now plays Gavin Rogers from Pilrig at LRF on Wednesday 19th August for a place in the final.
Mike Lannon, Davy Allan, Graeme McDonald and Gordon Gray were a little bit unlucky to lose at an extra end against Niddrie, skipped by Robert Bowie. After a sluggish start, LRF gained control and moved from 5-9 to 13-10 with 1 end to play. LRF lay shot but Robert removed it and just managed to stay himself to lie 3. Unfortunately Gordon Gray was unable to change the situation with his last bowl. At the extra end, LRF again lay shot with 1 bowl to come. Once again Robert removed the shot bowl to seal the victory. Boo !
The 1st XVI completed their season with an 8-1 victory against Dean in a meaningless fixture. We finished bottom of division 2 but tied on points with Postal who will also be relegated unless we can wangle survival due to reconstruction. Graeme Todd Snr led 10-2 but was under pressure at 16-13 up before winning 19-13 against Andy McNab. Scott Mackintosh was 12-9 in front before losing a 6 to trail 15-12 but then scored 3, 1, 2 to win 18-15 against Bob Linton. Gordon Hastings was 12-3 then 18-7 ahead before winning 22-18 against Kevin McNab despite losing a 5 at the last end. David Kyle dropped the point that would have seen us finish 7th when he peeled with Roddy Watson 15-15. The turning point in this game was when Roddy faced 8 shots against but drew the shot with his last bowl.
The 2nd XVI blew their chance of avoiding relegation when they lost 7-2 away to Summerside to miss out on survival by a single point. Alec Sime was 11-7 up then 12-11 down but he finished strongly to record a 20-13 win against W. Donaldson. Gordon Jamieson was 6-5 ahead after 8 ends but only scored a further 3 shots in a 17-9 defeat to Malcolm Newlands. Bobby McLeod was still in touch at 11-15 with 3 ends to play but lost a 6 on his way to a 21-15 defeat to Davie Hill. Tom Bisset was peels at 7-7 after 7 ends but could only manage 1 more shot in a 17-8 loss to A. Dall.
This years winner of the Top Rink is Phil Whyte with a 70% record over the season. Well done to Phil and the rest of his rink. For full details click here.
Christine McIntosh and Denis Breslin won the Senior Mixed Pairs (Chambers Trophy)
Dean Mackintosh and Bobby Black went one better that last year when they defeated Gillian and Scott Mackintosh 9-2 in the final. Dean and Bobby picked up a 3 at the first end and then a single at the next to lead 4-0. Scott ran the jack for 2 shots at the next but Dean continued to pepper the jack and a couple of singles moved Dean and Bobby 6-2 ahead with 2 ends to play. Again the mixture of youth and experience saw Dean and Bobby lie 3 shots and Scott was unable to move the jack with his final bowl giving Dean and Bobby a well deserved victory. The well beaten semi-finalists were Ronnie and Diane Bell and Rena McLeod and Marianne McGarrity, managing only 1 shot between them!
Oops, almost forgot to mention. Bobby Black was winning his semi final that easily that he even had the time to roll a wrong bias. This moves him only one behind joint leaders May Cockburn and Dorothy Hunter with 3 each. See the Hall of Shame for the latest standings.
Scott Mackintosh lost 21-20 to Andy McNab from Dean at Summerside. The early part of the game was quite tight with Andy leading 11-9 before Scott pulled away to lead 17-11. At the next end Scott held the shot but Andy played a brilliant last bowl to turn him out for 4 shots. Scott picked up a 3 at the next end to lead 20-15 and looked to be heading for victory but Andy had other ideas. A string of accurate running bowls saw Andy pick up a 2 followed by 4 singles for a 21-20 victory. An excellent game on a good rink.
David Kyle won 21-10 against Paul Barclay from Goldenacre at Dudley in the Junior Singles. He now plays Tramways at Hillside on Thursday 13th August in the quarter final.
Alec Sime, Harry Batten and Mike Carnie lost to Ferranti at Merchiston.
Mike Lannon, Davy Allan, Graeme McDonald and Gordon Gray knocked out Craigentinny's Andy Reid, Daniel Johnstone, Paul Robertson and Craig McCall with a 17-15 win at West End. Playing on a tricky rink on a very poor green, LRF held the upper hand during the early exchanges. LRF battled into a 13-5 lead after 10 ends, then potential disaster. Lost a 7 followed by a 3 to stand 2 down with 3 to play (only play 15 ends in this competition). But we steadied our nerve and finished 1, 2, 1 to win by 2 shots. They now play Niddrie in the quarter final at Portobello on 13th August.
The Seniors finished their season with a 7-0 defeat away to Mayfield which means we will be playing in division 2 next season as we finished bottom of the league.
The 1st XVI lost 9-0 to Willowbrae and with Niddrie picking up 4 points against Postal we will be playing in division 3 next season. Graeme Todd built up a 12-9 lead but then lost 4 ends on the trot to trail 15-12. Graeme held 2 shots at the 16th end which would have made it peels playing the last but Ian Paterson drew a perfect shot with his last bowl to move 16-13 ahead and he held on to win 16-14. Scott Mackintosh was 13-12 down after 11 ends but then lost 1, 2, 1, 1 to trail 18-12. A 2 at the 16th end gave them hope and they held 4 shots at the last end until Craig Duffus drew 2nd shot with his last bowl to win 18-15. Gordon Hastings held an early 8-3 lead Scott Wigham won 8 of the last 11 ends to win 22-11. David Kyle picked up a 2 at the first end but then lost three 5s in the next as he slipped 19-3 behind. He did pull it back to 22-11 before losing 25-11 against Gino Di Ponio.
The 2nd XVI won 7-2 against Brunstane to keep alive their hopes of gaining promotion to division 2. Archie McIntosh looked to be cruising to victory when he picked up a 6 to lead 18-6 but he then lost a 3 and a 7 to make it 18-16. Archie held his nerve as he picked up a couple of 2s in the last 2 ends to win 22-16. Gordon Jamieson was in front from start to finish as he won 17-11 against Charlie Bain. Bobby McLeod led 12-6 after 11 ends but won only 1 more end as he held on for a 13-12 win against Hugh Findlay. Tom Bisset was peels at 5-5 after 5 ends but then fell 22-7 behind however he proved what a team player he is as he dug in to clinch the vital shot to secure the aggregate by 1 shot in a 22-10 defeat to Ken Grant.
Scott Mackintosh began his quest for the elusive Tait Trophy with a convincing 21-3 win against Wallace Millar from Willowbrae at Craigentinny.
Scott won 21-5 in the semis and lost 21-17 in the final. Report may follow later if I can be bothered.
From our roving reporter, Northfield, Ayr...
Scott Mackintosh's dream of glory ended when he went down 21-17 to Alistair Reid of the Seafield Bowling Club, Ayr. The usual LRFBC contingent were out in force supporting Scott as they had done all week. After a cagey start, with neither player imposing himself on the other, Scott led 11-10 after 13 ends. At the 14th end, Scott picked up a 4 to lead 15-10, but he did not consolidate this lead as he lost the next 3
ends 1,2,1. He then picked up a 2 which edged him in to the lead at 17-14. At the next end, Scott was lying 2, but his last bowl was too high in the head. This made Alistair play a wider line with his last bowl, which looked like it was falling into Scott's bowl, but it slipped past to pick up the white for a 1. The next end proved a disaster for Scott, when he lost a 4 and did not have a bowl within a yard of the white. So he went from a possible 19-14 lead to a 19-17 deficit in 2 ends. Could things get any worse......?? You Bet!!! Alistair scored another 1 to take his lead to 20. Moving into the 22nd end, Scott lying 1, has last bowl. He tries to draw to score 2, however he is slightly heavy, picks up the white and drags it into the pack! The umpire is called for a calliper measure and gives the shot to Alistair. He is crowned champion and Scott's journey is finally over....
I had an informal chat with Scott back at LRFBC and found him to be in an upbeat mood. He reflected on his achievements over the last 2 months, winning the district championship where he knocked out Craigentinny's finest on the way! He also dumped hot favourite, Robert Marshall out of the Blue Riband Scottish Singles Finals - No mean feat. He now realises he can hopefully move on to bigger and better things. Scott, you have done yourself, your family, your friends and your club proud! I am sure your dad would be as chuffed as we all are with your efforts.
One last thought.... When might we see Dean or Craig taking on the auld man in the LRF championship final? Not too long, I hope.
GGTTH
Scott Mackintosh beat Hugh Smith from Stonehouse 21-17. As in the previous round the early stages were quite tight before Hugh pulled into a 15-10 lead. Scott fought back to lead 20-17 then clinched victory with a brilliant last bowl trail and a place in the last 8.
The quarter final saw Scott Mackintosh line up against Robert Marshall from Slateford in a repeat of last years Tait Trophy final which Robert won. Scott was out for revenge and opened up a 12-2 lead as Robert struggled to master the rink. A change of length saw Robert close the gap to 12-9 before he turned Scott in for shot when holding 3. This allowed Scott to get back on his favoured shorter length and he increased his lead to 20-12 before claiming a place in the last 4 with a single at the next end as Robert failed to draw within 5 feet with his last bowl. Scott now plays Graham Jardine from Milton of Campsie on Sunday at 9.30.
Scott Mackintosh beat Martin Watters from Shawlands 21-14. The early stages were quite tight but eventually Scott opened up a 15-10 lead. Martin pulled it back to 15-14 before Scott finished with a 1, 2, 3 for a 21-14 victory and a place in the last 16.
Report submitted by Denis Breslin, our roving reporter.
Strange goings on at the foundry when reigning champion Scott Mackintosh met eight times finalist Bob Haldane in the mens final. After the opening blows the score stood at 6 - 6 after 9 ends. Up till then it had been pretty mundane with neither player in top form. Suddenly Scott exploded into life winning seven ends on the trot with scores of 2, 1, 1, 3, 2, 2, 2 to lead 19-6 after 16 ends. The crowd sighed and waited for Scott to deliver the fatal blow. But wait - his opponent is made of stern stuff. The dogfight then began. The "great dane" turned on the "Scottie" with a vengance taking 6 of the next 7 ends to be 17-20 down. Consternation! Was the mighty Mack melting? Was he about to let a 13 shot lead disappear? Was Bobs bruising broadside about to pay dividends? On to the 24th end. Bobs first two bowls better than Scotts and lies two. His third was near but not counting. Scott still two down after his third bowl. Bob plays a slack last bowl nowhere near the head. Scott ponders. Does he rely on his draw which has failed him this end or go for an all out drive which he had only used once in the game and missed? He opts for a yard or two on and rests Bobs bowl to claim the championship for the 10th time (seven in a row). What a finale to a great final. Well done Bob for a great comeback. Scott now goes on to Ayr with the best wishes of the club and the district behind him. Ann has the free bar all ready!
GGTTH
Scott Mackintosh won the Charity Cup for the 2nd year running as he came from behind to beat Ronnie Bell 7-6 in the final having trailed 6-0. The beaten semi finalists were Diane Bell and Gillian Mackintosh.
1st XVI V Leith (Home)
The 1st XVI lost 6-3 at home to league leaders Leith. Denis Breslin recovered from 10-8 down to lead 16-11 then held on for 16-15 win against Gavin Ramsay. Graeme Todd led 15-12 before losing 1, 2, 3 to trail 17-15 playing the last end before he played a 'wonder' bowl to pick up a 2 for a 17-17 peel against Robert Wood. Gordon Hastings was still in the game at 11-8 down after 13 ends but lost a 5 at the 14th before losing 18-9 against Drew Dodds. George Kyle was just rubbish as he lost 23-7 to John Ramsay.
Marianne McGarrity beat Diane Bell 21-?? to win the Ladies Championship for the 4th time.
The 1st XVI lost 7-2 away to Wardie. Gordon Hastings was the only rink up as he won 18-17 against John Duncan. Graeme Todd led 12-6 before collapsing to a 26-17 defeat against Alan Ward. Denis Breslin led 14-13 but slipped to a 20-15 defeat against Larry Sorrell. George Kyle trailed 10-7 but the loss of a 5 at the 12th end killed the game as he lost 21-9 to John Maginnis.
The 2nd XVI won 6-3 at home to Liberton. Tom Bisset won 15-11 against B. Dick. Phil Whyte recovered from 9-3 down to triumph 16-12 against Bob Hogg. Alan Black trailed 16-0 after 8 ends before losing 27-5 to Charlie Duncan. Bobby McLeod only won 7 ends but still managed to beat G. Kemp 18-15.
Mary Hay, Margaret Murray and Charlie Malcolm won the Mixed triples when they defeated Gillian Mackintosh, Rosemary Mackintosh and Gordon Gray.
The 1st XVI lost 5-4 away to Maitland. Graeme Todd picked up a super 6 at the 10th end to lead 12-5 but came under pressure at 14-13 up playing the last end. With 2 shots against Graeme played his final bowl into the head and moved the jack for 2 shots to win 16-13 against David Todd. Scott Mackintosh led 4-2 but lost the next 8 ends to trail 13-4. Scott won 4 of the last 5 ends but it was not enough as he lost 15-10 to Brian Higgins. Gordon Hastings was involved in a tough game against Ian Watson. Gordon led 5-0 but then lost 3, 4 to fall 7-5 behind. Gordon then peeled at 8-8 before going 11-8 down. Back he came and moved 15-12 up before losing a 3 to stand peels at 15-15 with 2 ends remaining but he finished with 2 singles for a 17-15 win against Ian Watson. George Kyle was 9-4 ahead before losing 2, 3 to go peels at 9-9. Peels were then called at 10 and 11 before Jim Robertson finished with four 2s to win 19-11.
The 2nd XVI won 5-4 at home to Blackhall but this could easily have been a 9-0 win. Tom Bisset was peels playing the last but lost the shot to lose 16-15 to R. Souter. Phil Whyte was peels at 13-13 playing the last end and he lost a 3 to lose 16-13 to Duncan McLean. Alan Black was 10-9 down playing th elast and picked up a 6 to win 15-10 against David Bisset and Bobby McLeod had an easy 22-11 victory against N. Davidson.
Gillian and Scott Mackintosh lost the Inter District Final to Roz Watt and Malcolm Cook from Beechwood. On a surprisingly heavy Parkside green Gillian and Scott turned in a disappointing performance. The Beechwood pair took an early 4-0 lead but the LRF pair kept the score tight at 6-4 down after 8 ends. A fortunate 2 and then a further 3 shots at the next end moved the Beechwood pair 11-4 ahead after 10 ends. Gillian and Scott were struggling to master the rink but they were not yet out of it at 13-8 down with 2 ends remaining. Scott trailed the jack to lie 3 and added a further 3 shots to pick up a 6 and take the lead for the first time in the game with one end remaining. At the last end Gillian lay shot before Malcolm trailed the jack to lie 1 but Scott turned them in for a second shot and failed with his last as they lost the game 15-14. I don't know what was worse, getting in front then losing the game or knowing that they were both capable of playing so much better.
LRF lost in the Top 5 against Maitland.
The Juniors game against Willowbrae was rained off after 5 ends.
The Seniors notched up their 3rd win in succession with a 5-2 victory against Willowbrae.
Gillian Mackintosh, Diane Bell and Ann McCaskell won 14-9 against Willowbrae.
The 1st XVI defeated Postal 9-0 to draw level on points with them. All credit to the selectors who had made a few changes to the team however we need to keep this going and get a result against Maitland next week. Graeme Todd found himself 9-1 down after 6 ends on the infamous rink 2 but he picked up three 3s, two 4s and a 5 on his way to a 26-12 win against Bob Moxey. Scott Mackintosh led 9-2 but Euan Murray pulled it back to peels at 12-12 after 15 ends. A 2 at the 16th put Scott 14-12 up but Euan lay 3 for game before Scott drew 2nd shot for a 14-13 victory. Gordon Hastings put together a run of 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1 to move from peels at 4-4 to 13-4 up before winning 19-7 against Colin Bain. George Kyle trailed 9-7 but 2, 4 put him 13-9 ahead. He came under pressure at 14-13 up but finished 2, 1 for a 17-13 win against Stan Mitchell.
The 2nd XVI lost 7-2 away to Mayfield. Alec Sime was the only winner as he built up a 12-2 lead before winning 19-10 against Rab Laidlaw. Tom Bisset was 6-3 up but lost 6 ends running to trail 12-6. A run of 4, 1, (1), 3 put Tom 14-13 up playing the last end but he lost a 3 in a 16-14 defeat from Derek Brunton. Alan Black got back to losing ways in a 20-9 defeat against George Hastie. Archie McIntosh was a player short but led 5-1 before losing 1, 7, 6 to trail 15-5. He closed the gap to 16-14 before losing 20-15 to Brian McFarlane, which was 20-11.25 after he lost a quarter of his score.
The Seniors lost 6-2 against Corstorphine in the Top Ten. Bobby Black won 21-10 in the singles but the pairs and triples got beat and the fours got hammered.
Marianne McGarrity and Rab Gardner won the Invitation Pairs for the second year running when they defeated George Kyle and David Batchelor in the final. The beaten semi finalists were Diane Bell and Colin Smith and Nicola Barclay and Adam Boath.
The Ladies won 4.5-2.5 against Postal. Rosemary Mackintosh won by 1 shot and Diane Bell won by 1 shot. Ann McCaskell lost a 3 at the last end to lose by 2 shots.
The Seniors made it 2 wins on the trot with a 5-2 win away to Tipperlinn. Jim McCaskell won 16-8 against R. Shephard and Phil Whyte won 20-11 against A. Hall. Tom Bisset lost 16-8 to I. Somerville.
The 1st XVI lost their 4th game on the trot as Niddrie defeated them 7-2. George Kyle was the only winner as he came from 6-3 down to score a convincing 20-8 win against Ronnie McCardle. Scott Mackintosh was behind for most of the game but managed to lead 13-10 with 2 ends remaining. Peter Grantham finished 3, 2 to win 15-13. Gordon Hastings was still in touch at 6-3 down before losing 4, 6 to trail 16-3. Gordon won 6 of the last 8 ends but it was not enough as he lost 19-14 to Gary Swain. Graeme Todd was never at the races as he suffered his 4th defeat on the trot in a 27-5 drubbing from Davy Scott.
Gillian and Scott Mackintosh won the District Mixed Pairs with an 18-13 victory at Leith against Betty and Grant Walker from Blackhall. Shots were hard to come by in the early stages as Blackhall took a 5-3 lead after 7 ends. The LRF pair hit the front with a run of 4, 2, 1, (1), 2 to lead 12-6. A 3 at the next end put them 15-6 ahead but Blackhall hit back immediately with a 4 to close the gap to 15-10. LRF stretched their lead to 18-10 with a count of 3 and they were happy to see out the game with the loss of 1, 2 to win 18-13. Scott and Gillian will now play the District 12 winners on a date to be arranged for chance to play in the last 16 at Ralston.
Betty Levin defeated Jean Trayner from Goldenacre 7-1 in the final to win the Margaret Hastings Invitation Singles for the second time.
The Juniors won 6-0 at home to Pilrig. Dean Mackintosh won 19-8 and Euan Pryde won 29-4.5.
The Ladies lost 6-1 away to Willowbrae. Ann McCaskell lost 18-9 and Diane Bell lost 13-9. Rosemary Mackintosh should have won but lost a 5 at the last end to finish peels at 17-17.
The Seniors got their first victory with a 5-2 win at home to Mayfield. Tom Bisset won 15-10 against R. Laidlaw. Denis Breslin won 18-14 against R. McKenzie and Walter Thompson lost 15-10 to Willie Weir.
Gillian Mackintosh, Diane Bell and Ann McCaskell won with an end to spare against Summerside.
The 1st XVI lost 7-2 away to Dean to remain at the foot of the table. Scott Mackintosh was the only rink up as he held on to beat Roddy Watson 17-15. Scott had picked up a magnificent 7 to lead 9-3 however Roddy clawed his way back into the game to trail by 1 shot playing the last end. Scott faced 4 against but drew a cracker to win the game 17-15. Jim McCaskell led 9-7 courtesy of 9 singles but couldn't quite hold on to his lead as he lost 13-10 to Kevin McNab. Graeme Todd trailed 12-7 but then lost three 2s on his way to a 20-9 defeat against Bob Linton. David Kyle's early season form seems to have deserted him as he suffered another heavy defeat losing 31-4 to Mark Davies. At the halfway stage in the league LRF are 8 points adrift from survival and a major shake-up of the rinks is required if they are to avoid dropping into the 3rd division.
The 2nd XVI picked up their first win of the season with a 9-0 win against Summerside to move out of the bottom two. Phil Whyte was top scorer having come back from 6-4 down to win 21-9 against Vince McGowan. Alan Black picked up his first win of the season with a 19-7.56 win against Dave Wood. Tom Bisset led 18-6 before winning 19-9.75 against S. Fyfe. In a ding dong battle that saw the lead change 5 times Bobby McLeod produced a 2, 2, finish to win 21-18 against J. Burgess.
The district final was rained off so they will try again on Sunday 21st June Leith @ 6.45pm.
Dorothy Hunter, Mary Hay, Eileen Mitchell and Margaret Forfar lost in the district final against Willowbrae. They were well beaten 23-3 however they finished on a high with a 2 at the last end.
Dean Mackintosh finished runner up in the District Singles for the 2nd year in a row, winning 4 of his 6 games.
Craig Mackintosh, Max Rowell and Daniel Graves won 3 out of 5 games to finish runners up in the District Triples at Willowbrae.
Bit of a shock here. The women won!
Singles - Diane Bell lost 21-14 to Jim McCaskell
Pairs - Rena McLeod & Eileen Mitchell won 22-2 against Denis Breslin.
Triples - Gillian Mackintosh, Nicola Barclay and Rosemary Mackintosh won 25-9 against Harry Batten, Charlie Malcolm and Bobby Black.
Fours - Betty Levin, Mags Batten, Margaret Forfar and Ann McCaskell won 14-11 against Graeme Todd.
Senior Fours - Muriel Foster, Helen Borthwick, Faye Clark and Aileen Duff lost 25-8 to Tom Bisset.
Senior Singles - Marianne McGarrity beat Alan Black 21-12.
Scott Mackintosh won the District Singles with a 21-18 win against Andrew Caldwell from Craigentinny. Scott will play the District 30 representative at Ayr on Wednesday 29th July @ 9.30am. Here are a couple of match reports submitted by avid viewers.
Scott Mackintosh was playing a great drawing game lying two sometimes 3 and Andrew Caldwell was a one bowl wonder hitting the head and getting a result. He then gave the jack away but Scott continued to draw immaculate bowls and Andrew played loose bowls and still one that would count. Andrew kept the jack and played better but Scott hung in playing a drawing game. Andrew had a chance to win the game with a trail for four but he failed. Scott continued to draw and keep the cool and Andrew had chance to draw the shot when Scott was 20-18 up but he went in the ditch. Scott went to 21 and thoroughly deserved to win as his drawing ability was far superior to Andrews. Well done Scott.
Report submitted by Mum.
Scott Mackintosh played in the SBA Singles district Final against Andrew Caldwell of Craigentinny @ Hillside. This was the second year running Scott had won through to the final and the LRF contingent were out in force to cheer him on. Scott started off very steadily and settled down to an excellent drawing game but found himself 3-0 down surprisingly. He drew back to 3 all at the next end and from there the game was nip and tuck score wise but Scott was always the better player because even when Andrew won the end he still gave Scott the jack which suited him most of the time. Andrew had a chance of game when he was winning 17-16 but the jack clipped Scott's bowl and only 1 shot was scored. From then on Scott piled on the pressure and Andrew, who did not really find line or weight throughout most of the game had to resort to running bowls. With the score at 20-18 to Scott Andrew drove and the jack stopped on the edge of the green with the nearest bowl about 3 yards away. They each had a bowl left and Scott played his shorter than he would have liked. Andrew played his last bowl but was too heavy and it went in the ditch leaving Scott lying the shot he needed to get through to Ayr. The cheers went up for a much deserved win which was long overdue.
Report submitted by Diane Bell (Junior Reporter).
The Ladies won 7-0 at home against Trinity. Diane Bell won 25-4, Rosemary Mackintosh won 21-3 and Ann McCaskell won 14-11.
The Seniors lost 7-0 away to Niddrie, their 6th defeat in 6 games. Jim McCaskell lost 21-9 to J. Watters. Phil Whyte lost 18-10 to G. Blair and Bobby McLeod lost 13-11 to J. Curran.
The 1st XVI missed an opportunity to close the gap on the teams above them when losing 7-2 to Willowbrae. Jim McCaskell was the only winning rink as he edged home with a 2 at the last end in a tight game where peels were called at 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14 against Ian Patterson to win 16-14. Graeme Todd led 7-4 but then lost the next 6 ends to trail 12-7. A couple of singles closed the gap but it wasn't enough as he lost 15-10 to Colin Hairs. Scott Mackintosh was in contention at 9-7 down against Craig Duffus before losing a 7 on his way to a 22-8 defeat. David Kyle trailed 13-1 after 6 ends before closing the gap to 13-10. He then lost 2, 3 to fall 8 behind before losing 19-15 to Gino Di Ponio.
The 2nd XVI lost 8-1 away to Brunstane. Bobby McLeod claimed the solitary point although it should have been 2 as he lost 4 shots over the last 3 ends to peel 18-18 against J. Balfour. Tom Bisset stood 9-8 down after 8 ends then lost 11 shots over the next 5 ends as he slipped to a 23-14 defeat against Ian Spence. Alan Black is still looking for his first win as he surrendered a 10-8 lead when losing 15-10 to Derek Morrison. Phil Whyte lost a couple of 5s and a couple of 3s on his way to a 23-11 loss against C. Bain.
Scott Mackintosh had a convincing 21-7 win against Goldenacre's Colin Hutchison. Colin opened with 1, 3 to lead 4-0 before Scott got on the card with a single. Scott then moved 10-4 in front before Colin scored a single to make it 10-5. A couple of 3s moved Scott onto 16 then Colin picked up a 2 to make it 16-7. Scott picked up another 3 to hit 19 then scored a double to clinch a 21-7 win. Scott now plays Andrew Caldwell from Craigentinny in the district final at Hillside on Friday @ 6.45pm. Can Scott make it 3rd time lucky or will he suffer another defeat in a major final!
The Ladies lost 6-2 against Craigentinny. Diane Bell lost 21-5 in the singles. Gillian Mackintosh and Ann McCaskell lost in the pairs. Eileen Mitchell, Margaret Forfar and Rosemary Mackintosh won 21-6 in the triples and Rena McLeod, Mary Hay, Betty Levin and Marianne McGarrity lost in the fours.
Gillian and Scott Mackintosh defeated Jean Clements and BJ Smith from Hillside 21-12 in the semi final. They play Blackhall in the district final next Sunday at Leith @ 6.45pm.
Dorothy Hunter, Mary Hay, Eileen Mitchell and Margaret Forfar won against Willowbrae in the semi final. They play next Sunday in the district final at Leith @ 2pm.
The Juniors lost 6-0 away to Craigentinny. Dean Mackintosh lost 19-12 to Kerr McKail and Martin McVey lost 24-6 to Daniel Gormley.
The Ladies notched up their 3rd win of the season with a 5-2 win at home against Goldenacre. Ann McCaskell led the way with a 19-12 win against Z. Kinnear and Rosemary Mackintosh won 15-12 against M. Thomson. Diane Bell lost 15-9 to K. Hutchison.
Gordon Jamieson and Jim McCaskell lost to Tanfield in the 2nd round.
The Seniors lost 5-2 to Corstorphine, their 5th defeat in 5 games. Jim McCaskell lost 15-12 to B. Page. Phil Whyte won18-13 against A. Fisher. Bobby Black lost 25- 8 to I Ferrier.
Eileen Mitchell and Marianne McGarrity lost 14-10 to Craigentinny.
Gillian Mackintosh, Diane Bell and Ann McCaskell won 28-8 against Dudley.
The 1st XVI got hammered 9-0 away to league leaders Leith. Graeme Todd Snr took the lead with a 3 at the first end but then proceeded to lose shots in handfuls on his way to a 35-11 defeat against Robert Wood. In a close game Scott Mackintosh was still in touch at 14-11 down playing the 16th end. Facing 3 against Scott struck the head but the jack rebounded up the green for 2 shots to Leith and then a 3 at the last saw Archie Davidson win 19-11. Gordon Hastings was 13-1 down after 6 ends but he closed the gap slightly to 18-8 after 10. John Ramsay then won 6 of the last 7 ends to win 27-9. David Kyle lost a 5 at the 1st end but fought back to 6-5 down. He then won only 1 of the next 9 ends, which included the loss of an 8 (eight) as he was hammered 35-9 by Drew Dodds.
Scott Mackintosh opened with a 4 and raced into a 10-0 lead against Alan Ward from Wardie. Alan closed the gap to 13-10 but Scott pulled away again to lead 17-11. Scott burnt the end with 2 against then picked up a 4 to claim a 21-11 victory.
The Ladies won 6-2 against Postal. Diane Bell recovered from 17-9 down to win 21-19. Gillian Mackintosh and Ann McCaskell lost 19-16. Eileen Mitchell, Margaret Forfar and Rosemary Mackintosh won 27-8 and Rena McLeod, Mary Hay, Betty Levin and Marianne McGarrity won 26-11.
Gillian and Scott Mackintosh defeated Ann Paton and Ian Watson from Maitland 19-13 to move into the semi final.
Wendy Batten, Betty Levin and Marianne McGarrity lost by 6 against Brunstane.
Joan Graves, Vicky Whyte and Ann McCaskell lost against Craigentinny.
Gillian Mackintosh got off to a bad start as she trailed 11-1 but fought back to 19-17 down before losing 21-17 against Tanfield. Diane Bell was 18-17 up when she threw a wrong bias. She recovered from this to lie game but lost out 21-18 to Jean Clements from Hillside.
The Juniors lost 4-2 against Maitland/Dean at Postal. Dean Mackintosh skipped his rink to a 3 shot victory and Martin McVey lost by 5 shots.
The Ladies continue to struggle as they lost 5-2 away to Maitland. Ann McCaskell was the only rink up as she won 19-15. Diane Bell lost 14-13 and Rosemary Mackintosh lost 16-9.
Gordon Jamieson and Jim McCaskell got a walkover as their opponents turned up at the wrong green.
The Seniors lost 7-0 to Craigentinny. Alan Black lost 16-14 to Jimmy Marshall. Denis Breslin lost 21-5 to Ronnie Andrews. Bobby McLeod was hammered 29-2 by Frankie Craig.
The 1st XVI looked on course for a 9-0 win against table topping Wardie but had to settle for a 7-2 victory. Gordon Hastings, still searching for his first win this season, looked to be home and dry at 16-10 up with 3 ends remaining but Larry Sorrell finished 2, 1, 3 to finish peels at 16-16. Scott Mackintosh was in an even better position at 19-11 up with 2 ends to play and holding shot. An outrageous fluke saw John Maginnis hit a short bowl onto the winner to turn it out and he followed through to turn another bowl out for a 4. John went on to pick up another 4 at the last end for peels at 19-19. Graeme Todd Snr made home advantage count on the infamous rink 2 as he built up a 15-6 lead before winning 20-10 against John Duncan. David Kyle stormed into a 14-0 lead against Alan Ward after 8 ends and cruised to an 18-9 victory.
The 2nd XVI lost 7-2 away to Liberton. Phil Whyte was the only rink up as he overturned a 14-11 deficit to win the last 4 ends in an 18-14 win against A. Dawson. Alan Black recovered from 16-4 down to lead 18-16 playing the last end but he lost a 3 in a 19-18 defeat to C. Duncan. Bobby McLeod won the last 3 ends but it wasn't enough as he lost 16-12 to B. Dick. Archie McIntosh was still in touch at 9-6 down after 9 ends but he only managed another 1 shot over the last 8 ends as he lost 22-7 to Gavin Kemp.
Scott Mackintosh won 21-13 against George Johnston from Brunstane. Scott was quick out the blocks again opening up a 14-4 lead however George fought back to 14-11. At the next end George lay the shot but Scott turned him out for a 3 then added a 2 at the next end to lead 19-11 then wrapped things up with a single 3 ends later for a 21-13 win.
David Kyle lost to Gino Di Ponio from Willowbrae.
Agnes Woods and Margaret Murray lost to Portobello.
Rena McLeod and Rosemary Mackintosh lost to Hillside.
Muriel Foster, Grace Taylor, Margaret Batten and Betty Trayner lost to Goldenacre.
Dorothy Hunter, Mary Hay, Eileen Mitchell and Margaret Forfar won against Hillside.
Wendy Batten, Betty Levin and Marianne McGarrity won against Brunstane.
Joan Graves, Vicky Whyte and Ann McCaskell won against Maitland.
The Juniors picked up their first point in the league against Wardie when Dean Mackintosh drew the shot at the last end to peel at 16-16. In the other rink Martin McVey had a chance to draw for 4 which would have won the game however he gave the shot away to lose 12-8.
The Ladies won 4-3 away to Hillside. Ann McCaskell won 17-11 and Diane Bell peeled at 14-14. Rosemary Mackintosh lost 17-14.
Gordon Gray and Gordon Hastings lost to Alex Thompson and Graeme McIntosh from Tanfield in a close game at Portobello.
Gordon Grundison, Harry Batten and Mike Carnie lost in the triples.
The Seniors lost 5-2 away to Postal. Archie McIntosh won 15-10 against Mike McPhillips. Tom Bisset lost 28-12 to Bobby Moxey and Jim McCaskell lost 20-11 to Tam Kivlin.
Gordon Grundison, Harry Batten and Mike Carnie won in the triples.
The 1st XVI had another disappointing result as they lost 7-2 at home to Maitland. Scott Mackintosh was the only rink up as he held on for a 14-13 win against Ian Gardiner. Graeme Todd had a struggle against Jim Robertson. He trailed 14-4 but fought back to 14-11 before losing a couple of 3s on his way to a 21-16 defeat. Gordon Hastings looked to be in control on rink 2 as he built up an 11-6 lead but Brian Higgins hit back with a prile of 3s before going on to win 19-13. David Kyle led 5-1 but the loss of 15 shots over the next 6 ends saw him 16-7 behind eventually losing 21-12 to David Todd.
The 2nd XVI lost 5-4 away to Blackhall. Archie McIntosh was top performer with a 19-13 win against N. Davidson. Tom Bisset had a great result fighting back from 15-6 down to stand 17-13 down playing the last end. Tom conjured up a 5 to win 18-17 against Ian McFarlane. John Graves was peels at 8-8 after 11 ends but lost 5 singles on the trot as he slipped to a 13-9 defeat against D. McLean. Allan Black was still in touch at 9-6 down after 10 ends but he only managed another 2 shots over the last 7 ends as he lost 17-8 to Robert Brady.
Scott Mackintosh won 21-12 against Ian Watson from Maitland. Scott raced into a 9-2 lead before Ian closed the gap to 10-6. Scott pulled away again to 15-6 but Ian pulled it back to 17-12 before Scott picked up a couple of 2s for victory.
David Kyle won 21-9 at Ferranti.
Gordon Gray and Gordon Hastings had a comfortable win against Jessfield at Willowbrae in the pairs.
The Ladies won 8-0 against Braid in the Top Ten.
Teresa Blair and Vicky Page from Corstorphine won the Ladies Round Robin Pairs for the second year running by defeating Rena McLeod and Eileen Mitchell from LRF. The beaten semi finalists were TBA.
Gillian and Scott Mackintosh defeated Jean Marshall and Martin McVey from Postal 15-7.
The Juniors are playing with Postal in the league this year. They lost 5-0 to Tanfield in their first league game.
The Ladies lost 7-0 away to Craigentinny. Rosemary Mackintosh lost 11-8 to Jean Lavin. Diane Bell lost 18-11 to Marie Monteith and Ann McCaskell lost 17-10 to Elizabeth McConnell.
The Seniors lost 5-2 away to Willowbrae. Tom Bisset had a good 22-7 win against A. Hunter. Walter Thompson was hammered 27-6 by Ian Paterson and Jim McCaskell lost 16-12 to W. Brotherstone.
The 1st XVI lost 5-4 to Postal. Top performer was Graeme Todd as he moved from 5-4 down to 13-5 up with a run of 1, 5, 2, 1 then at 15-9 he finished with 4, 5 for a 24-9 win against Neil Rooney. David Kyle looked to be up against it at 4-11 but a 4 at the next end closed the gap to 8-11. The loss of 2 singles widened the gap to 5 with 5 to play before David put together a run of 2, 3, 1, 1 to stand 15-13 up playing the last. David stood 3 shots down but a brilliant last bowl saw him move the jack for 2 shots and a 17-13 win against Colin Bain. Scott Mackintosh looked to be in for a close game at 5-3 up after 6 but the loss of 5, 2, 2, 3, 3, 1 left him reeling at 19-5 down before losing 20-10 against Stuart Turnbull. For the 2nd week running Gordon Hastings slept in the blocks and after 5 ends he was 13-0 behind. He got on the card with a 2 but 5 ends later he was 25-2 down! He did manage to win 4 of the last 6 ends to stop Euan Murray reaching 30 in a 29-6 defeat.
The 2nd XVI opened their league campaign with a 5-4 defeat by Mayfield. Bobby McLeod was 4-3 down but a 5 end burst moved him 12-4 in front before winning 19-9 against George Hastie. Phil Whyte led from start to finish in a 17-13 win against Brian McFarlane. Alan Black led 9-5 but the loss of 6, 4 put him 15-9 down. He pulled it level again at 17-17 but lost the last 2 ends in a 21-18 loss to D. Branton. Tom Bisset got a 2 at the first end then must have gone inside to watch the football for the next 10 ends. When he came back he was 25-2 down before losing 27-14 to A. Witson.
The Ladies opened their league campaign with a 5-2 win against Summerside. Rosemary Mackintosh won 18-7 against R. Reid and Diane Bell won 19-14 against J. Alvin. Ann McCaskell lost to Margaret Keenan 20-13.
Helen Borthwick, Joan Graves, Betty Trayner and Betty Roy beat N. Benson 16-11 in the R. G Lawrie trophy.
The Seniors lost 5-2 at home to Tipperlinn. Phil Whyte won 17-12 against A. Hall. Walter Thompson lost 15-14 to I. Somerville and Denis Breslin lost 19-8 against R. Shephard.
The 1st XVI got off to a bad start in the league with a 7-2 defeat at home to Niddrie. Scott Mackintosh was the only rink up as he raced into a 16-5 lead against Peter Grantham. Peter won 7 of the next 8 ends to draw level at 18-18 playing the last end but Scott picked up a 2 for a 20-18 win. Gordon Hastings had a tough time against Davie Scott winning only 2 of the first 11 ends to trail 16-2. As usual Gordon did start to close the gap but it was too little too late as he went down 19-9. Graeme Todd had a close game against Bob Clark leading 3-0 before going 5-3 behind. Graeme then moved 11-9 ahead but lost the last 3 ends to lose 13-11. David Kyle trailed Gary Swain 8-1 but closed the gap to 10-6 after 11 ends. A brace of 2s moved Gary 14-6 ahead then a 4 at the 15th end killed the game as David lost 18-9.
What does the new season have in store for us.
Will the 1st XVI manage to hold their own in the 2nd division or will they make an immediate return to the 3rd division?
Will the Ladies win the Forth League for the 13th time?
Will the Seniors hold their own in the top division after gaining promotion last year?
Will Scott Mackintosh make it 7 Championship titles in a row?
Will the Ladies qualify for Ayr and actually bring a trophy back with them this time?
Only time will tell. Have a good season.