East Lothian IBC top the end of year performance report on the national indoor bowls league scene with the galaxy of stars from the garden county entering the New Year holding prime position in three major events.
Read MoreThe mainstream gents team are defending the premier league title and are going great guns in their bid to retain it having won five out of six to sit two points clear of West Lothian in the B Section. Tough tests do lie ahead though with visits to two strong teams that boasts undefeated home records in the shape of last seasons Scottish Cup winners Falkirk, and chief rivals West Lothian. It is very rare for East Lothian to slip up in fixtures they are banker bets to win so they are expected to deliver home victories over Paisley and Elgin.
West Lothian have made a strong return to premier league status and with four wins out of six are in with a shout to upset the qualifying odds at the expense of last seasons champions. Lowly Elgin are also due to visit Livingston in the new year resumption while away wins at Ardrossan and Paisley will be hard earned but possible to achieve.
Meanwhile, Bainfields bid to keep Edinburgh on the premier league map isnt setting Princes Street alight but three wins out of six see them end the year sitting mid-table in the A section. Keeping clear water between them and bottom two clubs Coatbridge and winless Cumbernauld is the New Year resolution at the Hutchison Crossway Stadium. Tough assignments in the New Year resumption loom up in the shape of home games against the current top two, namely Blantyre and Midlothian while visits will be made to Lanarkshire and Cumbernauld.
Midlothian sit proudly at the top of the table with five wins out of six but are joint with a Blantyre team they have to visit and that is an awesome task as they have been invincible at home for numerous years. Midlothians four-match run in also includes home games at Dalkeith against Coatbridge and Lanarkshire.
Sadly, there is no end of 2017 cheer for the gents of Balbardie with the dismal record of six defeats leaving the Bathgate based club anchored at the foot of the Division 1 South table. Having dropped from the premier league into Division 1 the challenge facing Balbardie is to avoid making a straight line plunge into Division 2. However, Inverclyde are just two points better off with four games to play so leapfrogging them isnt a forlorn hope with Abbeyview, Ayr, and Inverclyde all due to visit The Park of Peace Stadium while an away fixture takes Balbardie to East Kilbride.
The mainstream ladies of East Lothian have taken East Premier Division by storm with a whirlwind start to win six out of six yet havent quite shaken off their neighbour rivals Midlothian who are just two points off the pace. East Lothian enter the final straight with just two hurdles to clear in the shape of a home challenge against Bainfield and a juicy away visit to chief rivals Midlothian.
Meanwhile the scenario in Division 1 East is a neck and neck race to the line featuring joint leaders Balbardie and West Lothian. Balbardie visit Headwell and Teviotdale while West Lothian visit Headwell and Tweedbank.
The excitingly talented and frisky Seniors of East Lothian are set to clinch the qualifying honours in the East B League as having won 10 out of 11 they hold a 2 point lead and a massive plus of 112 shots over second placed Bainfield With just one fixture to fulfil in the January climax East Lothian entertain their closest rivals but would have to collapse to an unlikely 57 shot defeat.