Northern is a club with a respected history in the bowling circles of the Capital City but yet to see their name etched on the coveted silverware of The Edinburgh & Leith Top Five Singles Championship however their 2016 campaign is progressing well.
Read MoreThe visit of a high profile team of Bainfield individuals in the second round was seen as a tough call, even with home green advantage, but Northern treated their local support to a top class show, and a commanding 4-1 victory.Northern entered the match buoyed up by a 3-2 win at home to tough nuts, to crack, Hillside in the first round and delivered an opening shock via twice club champion Andy Reid producing a stunning performance that blasted the proven talents of Stuart Clark into oblivion. Reid exploded into a 15-3 lead over the opening 13 ends having added 2, 2, 3, 1, 1 from 6-3 then with Clark at his 15-4 mercy the Northern warrior put his opponent to the sword with a 1, 3, 2 finish to win 21-4 in 17-ends.
Gordon Wilson Jnr was also in the mood to take no prisoners and he proceeded to savage E&L Hamilton Trophy star Steven Pilley, 21-5, in 19 ends having accelerated into a commanding 14-5 lead then motoring to 21 with a run of 1, 1, 1, 2, 2. Jamie Reid – son of Andy – is seen as an emerging star and how better for the 2013 winner of the E&L Under 25 singles to prove it by capturing the scalp of an exceptional singles star in the shape of Alex Hurry Jnr.
Hurry – a District Singles champion and winner of The Edinburgh Open – would be content when holding his younger opponent at 7-7 after 10 ends but Reid set the home banking alight with a scorching run of 2, 1, 2, 1, 2 to look the real deal at 15-7. Reid remained solid to have Hurry at his 17-13 mercy after 22 ends and displayed his killer instinct with a run of 2, 1, 1 to win 21-13 in 25 ends.
Having reeled off a great hat trick of wins to clinch the match victory Northern then celebrated an excellent 21-19 win for Darren Prentice over a former District Singles champion in Craig Paterson. Bainfield avoided suffering a complete whitewash with Adam Brock edging a 21-18 win over four times Northern champion Stan Christie.
Other second round results : Sighthill 3 London Road Foundry 2; Balerno 1 Tanfield 4; Mayfield 4 Blackhall 1; Dean 4 Carrick Knowe 1; Craigentinny 5 Currie 0.