East Lothian 14/4

Both are international stage figures of sound reputation and both are bidding to etch their name on the Championship honours board for a third time. Mellors captured the Scottish indoor crown recently as 2015 and is fired up by the chance of making it into next season’s national singles line-up. Kennedy has also enjoyed national singles title success back in 2008 and 9 years on remains ambitious to qualify and have another tilt at national singles glory. Mellors set up the chance of celebrating a third title success having played brilliantly in his semi-final to beat Scott Mackintosh, 19-10. Kennedy retains a sharp edge to his domestic form in particular and proved it in his semi-final where he held all the aces in a convincing 20-14 win over Lessel Middler. The singles finalists will line up as partners in the finals of the Gents 4 Bowls Pairs while they have also reached the climax to the Gents Triples along with Andrew Jeffrey. They have already celebrated title success in the Gents Fours as along with fellow Scotland caps Jamie Higgins and Derek Oliver, the rink being labelled the ‘dream team’, won both the pre and post Fours competitions to secure a place in next season’s national fours.

Rivalling the gent’s singles for the prospect of delivering a special encounter of the thrilling kind is the final of the Ladies Singles with Scotland caps Dee Hoggan and Emma Logan going head to head. Despite only being 26 years old Hoggan already has three championship crowns to her name and paved the way for a tilt at making it a magnificent fourth with a 21-8 semi-final win over former five times champion Janet Fairnie. Logan has been crowned the ladies junior singles champion on six occasions and having beat Megan Kivlin 21-12 in her semi-final she is now bidding to win the main singles honour for a first time. Logan has already enjoyed finals week successes having captured the Ladies 2 Bowl Pairs title with a 2-0 sets win over Megan Kivlin and Margaret Thomson then followed that up on Monday evening by landing the Ladies 2 Bowl Singles title following a 21-13 triumph over Yvonne Veitch. A new name will be etched on the Gents Junior Singles trophy when Craig Mackintosh and Lewis Betts line up against each other while Melissa Penman and Megan Kivlin contest the Ladies Junior Singles final. In the Gents Senior Singles Lessel Middler and Peter Fallen meet in the final while Rose Mackintosh and Jean Russell contest the climax to the Ladies Senior Singles. All the finals on Friday evening get underway at 6.30pm.

Meanwhile the final of the Under 13 singles played last week resulted in a 21-13 win for Aaron Betts over Kieran Dodds. Cockenzie & Port Seton celebrated a third title success in the Wood & Hay Funeral Care sponsored Top Club tournament following a 44-32 shots victory over Tranent in last Friday night’s final. The strong partnership of Lessel Middler and Willie Wood MBE captured title glory in the Gents Senior Pairs for a second successive year after winning both the pre and post competitions to secure a berth in next season’s national senior pairs. The Top 4 title went the way of Graham Robertson, Alan Young, Joe Mower and Stuart Fleming.

A select mixed team from East Lothian IBC are in the midst of cup final fever as they prepare for Saturday’s Headwell IBC Mixed Team Championship Final with Dunfermline based club Abbeyview providing the opposition. The following side has been named: – Seniors: L.Middler, J.P.Hamilton, A.Morgan, T.Young skip Ladies: J.Russell, H.Fender, M.Thomson, J.Fairnie skip Gents: M.Osborne, K.Cunningham, S.W.Thomson, D.Berwick skip Mixed: D.Hoggan, K.Hoggan, J.Carpenter, J.McCrorie skip

The climax to the Jock Brodie Senior Challenge Cup, sponsored by Norman T Craig and Co-operative Funeralcare, will take centre stage at the Alex Marshall Arena on Wednesday (April 12) and the final which gets underway at 11am will feature defending champions East Lothian and Livingston raiders West Lothian. In last Wednesday’s semi-final action East Lothian proved too strong for Abbeyview while West Lothian seen off the challenge of Midlothian.

Tranent Bowling Club staged their opening of the green ceremony at Polson Park on Saturday at 2pm and honorary member Robert Small, who has been a stalwart member of the club for a remarkable 77 years, will deliver the first jack of the new outdoor season. Elsewhere Cockenzie & Port Seton also open their green on Saturday at 1.30pm with club legend Tam ‘Boom Boom’ Bellany doing the honour of throwing the first jack.