Bainfield ladies are back in indoor bowls Scottish Cup action this weekend and face a tough challenge when they travel to Dunfermline venue Abbeyview to take on Falkirk in the first round proper.
Falkirk represents a step up in class as they play in the premier league but did have a disappointing campaign with a record of three wins out of 10 that saw them just avoid relegation on shot margin. The Falkirk form-line shows them lose all five of their away games raising hopes in the Bainfield camp that neutral territory in the cup will narrow the gap in class that makes the premier league side favourites to beat lowly Division 1 opposition. “We are aware that Falkirk have an excellent reputation as a formidable force in ladies bowling and we will respect that but our spirits are high and the challenge for us is to guard against being overawed”, said team manger Muriel Old.
“I don’t recall Bainfield having ever played Falkirk in a league or cup game so both teams are new to each other and along with the dynamics of a neutral venue and cup tie atmosphere this adds an extra dimension of unpredictability”, she added. Old – capped 21 times in an unbroken run from 1982 to 1988 – and her co-selectors Ann Paton and Nan Tennant have opted to make no changes to the line up that performed heroically against Balbardie in the prelim round. Rink 1. Gladys Christie, Ann Matthew, Anne Watson, and Marion Dickson. Rink 2. Sylvia McAnna, Lily Murray, Isa Wilson, and Theresa Blair. Rink 3. Aimee Robertson, Karen Tumblety, Rita Reid, and Isabel Anderson. Rink 4. Susan Allan, Cathy Falconer, Kathleen Barr, and Anna Anderson.
Midlothian enter the cup scene tomorrow with the stars from the Dalkeith stadium pitting their skills as a premier league club against Headwell of Division 1 at Stirling. The Midlothian form in their league campaign was patchy with five wins out of 10 but there should be an evident gulf in class in their favour in comparison to the opposition only managing 4 wins out of 10 in Division 1B.
Jeanette Conlan is Scotland’s most capped player with 72 to her name between 1984 and 2010 and she remains to the fore at Dalkeith as one of the four Midlothian skips – the others being Shona Johnstone, Stacey Laidlaw, and Sandra McLeish. Rink 1. Kelly McDougall, Susan Liddle, Gaynor Duncan, and Stacey Laidlaw. Rink 2. Elaine Young, Mary Brownlee, Keanette McVicar, and Shona Johnstone. Rink 3. Sandra Muir, Norma Shillinglaw, Grace McGregor, and Sandra McLeish. Rink 4. Dorothy Millar, Audrey Wilson, Anne Rutherford, and Jeanette Conlan.
Meanwhile two Edinburgh and Lothian stars in the shape of Daniel Gormley of Bainfield and Ewan Fallen of East Lothian feature in the Scotland team competing in the Under 25 Home International Series being played at Glasgow IBC over the weekend.Gormley makes his debut against defending champions England in tomorrow’s opening session (9-45am) playing second to team captain Callum Taggart of Paisley while Fallen’s second series finds him play second to Kevin Anderson of Dumbarton.Scotland play Wales on the 2-45 session tomorrow then conclude against Ireland on Sunday’s 9-30am session.