Edinburgh champions Carrick Knowe have home green advantage when they tackle Vale of Leven in tomorrows first round action of The Scottish Inter County Top Ten Championship sponsored by Broxburn based firm Dechmont Forklift Trucks.
Read MoreA full strength Carrick Knowe team is seen as favourites to go on and capture the coveted national crown however spearhead figure Richard Tough in the Singles is an enforced absentee for the visit of the Dunbartonshire champions who have good away form in the shape of their 6-2 win at Alva in the prelim round. James Hogg takes on the pressure keg role in the Singles and as a player of international status is well equipped to do so; his place at skip in the Triples is taken over by Paul ODonnell who along with Graham Pringles moved up a position while Craig Aitken comes in at lead. Iconic figure Colin Mitchell skips Kevin Tennant in the Pairs while Stephen Pringle, John Priestley, John Ramsay, and Darren Hush form the rink.
East Lothian champions East Linton enter the national top ten arena for the first time and the champions of the garden county are at home to their West Lothian counterparts, Linlithgow. Graham Bell is the East Linton spearhead figure in the Singles and is supported in the Pairs by Colin Murdoch and George Cowan Snr while Grant Fender skips father Keith and Calum Blair in the Triples. Stevie Kerr has a front-three of George Cowan Jnr, Terry Sawangsuk and Mike Newlands; however a giant sadness mixed with uplifting memories is cast on the occasion by the recent untimely passing of original team member Alan Colonel Clydesdale.
The demise of Boness BC a founder club in 1882 of The Linlithgowshire BA leads to their legend figure Ewan Shearer making his Top Ten debut for Linlithgow with the international star coming in to play second to Mark Graham and Steven Fleming in the Triples. Gary Orr leads the visitors attack in the Singles supported by Andy Cruicshanks and Scott Mushet in the Pairs while Andy Grimshaw Jnr, Tommy Hamilton, Derek Logie, and Gary Smith form the Rink.
Edinburgh & Leith entertain Stirling County East in todays Hamilton Trophy match at Colinton and a team that continues without the presence of ace figure Robert Marshall introduced Darren Mckenny of Pilrig at third to Darren Hush. Team manager Graham Pringles switched John Ramsay from third to Hush to lead for James Hogg with talented teenager Lewis Betts soaking up the atmosphere from the reserve bench.
West Lothian bring in Darren Pearce of Kirkliston and Scott Mushet of Linlithgow at the expense of host club players Alec Allan and Andy Semple for the visit of West Fife to Newbridge.
East Lothian are without Alex Marshall MBE and Alister Kennedy against Borders at Gala Waverley while Midlothian tackle Fife at Strathmiglow.