Craigentinnys ambition of going one over the eight and capture the coveted Division 1 title of the Alpha Trophies sponsored Edinburgh Bowling League for a record extending ninth time has got off to a flying start in contrast to their tradition as a club slow to get into their stride.
Read MoreThe defending champions did drop points at home in this weeks second round of fixtures but a 7-2 win over Northern is seen as a respectable result and it leaves them sharing top spot with chief title rivals Parkside.
Northerns bloody nose punch landed on Craigentinny was delivered by the rink of Gary Harrison, Larry Sorrell, Gordon Wilson Snr and Gordon Wilson Jnr and it came the shape of an explosive 14-4 lead converted into a 17-14 win over David Brown. And Mike Burns had the rink of Craham Cook, Lewis Betts, and Andrew Caldwell on the canvas at 10-5 but the home rink bounced back with counts of 2, 2, 2, (2), 4, 3 (10 to triumph 18-13. Jamie Reid also posed a threat to the home team when carding a sizzling six to cross 15-14 Andrew Jeffrey produced a grandstand finish of 1, 2, 3 to skip Craig McCall, Alex Noble, and Gary Nisbet to a 20-15 win. Willie McDonald played a solid anchor role for Craigentinny by skipping Gavin Rogers, Stuart Betts, and Gordon Bold into a 13-1 lead then on to a 22-7 win over Andy Reid.
Parkside winners of the title in 2007/12/15 also failed to secure full points on home territory but well satisfied as an early season pointer with their 7-2 triumph over a Maitland team that have been serious title challengers in the recent past.
Tanfield’s former glories of six title triumphs lie in the distant past, with the last of their celebration being in 2006, and having not long since bounced back from a relegation trauma will be well pleased with an 8-1 win at home to Hillside.
Brunstane have made an encouraging to their first taste of life in the highest echelon of the EBL and having come up in second placed to Postal will be well chuffed to score a 7-2 win at home to last seasons Division 2 champions.
The top of the bill fixture in Division 2 featured two recent Division 1 clubs and former Edinburgh Cup Champions – in the shape of Queensberry at home to Summerside and it will be seen as a formbook result that The Queens triumphed 7-2.
Carrick Knowe had to start at the bottom when they came in as late joiners of the EBL and having taken Division 5 and 4 by storm it will be seen as a nightmare of a start that a club with eight members of the E&L 2017 Hamilton Trophy Team have only managed to bank 8 out of a possible 18 points. This weeks narrow 5-4 away win over Seafield followed a shock 6-3 opening defeat at home to Colinton.
The rink scores at Parkside against Maitland were, Paul Veitch 22 Graeme McIntosh 6; Bob Ramsay 21 Gary Stout 13; Kevin Boyd 23 Alan Trotter 10; Neil Watson 15 Brian Higgins 17. And at Tanfield; David Snodgrass 17 D Ronaldson 11; Liam McKay 14 B Irving 10; Stuart Campbell 20 BJ Smith 13; Alan McNab 17 C Scott 17.