Maitlands capture of the Edinburgh & Leith Top Five Singles Championship for the prestigious Ian McFarlane Trophy is hailed as a great achievement and emulates the triumph celebrated by the club in 2005.
Read MoreAce figure Brian Higgins featured in both title campaigns and the richly talented and competitive veteran proved to be an inspiring spearhead in the 2018 quest for glory as he won all six of his challenges. The recent final against Bainfield at Parkside was an epic encounter that went right down to the wire before Maitland clinched a thrilling 3-2 victory.
The strong Maitland support were enthused by the winning performances delivered by Higgins, Graeme McIntosh, and Alan Trotter while Bainfield were kept well in the picture by the triumphs of Stuart Clarke and Brian Stoddart.
Bainfield were first off the mark with Clarke storming to a 21-16 win over Gary Stout having responded to a 16-12 deficit with a whirlwind finishing run of 1, 2, 3, 2, 1. Higgins brought Maitland into the picture with the recent national seniors singles finalist producing a purple patch spell of 3, 1, 3 to cross 17-14 then battle hard to clinch a 21-19 win over Stuart Wilson.
McIntosh a former champion of the Edinburgh Open at Balgreen came under severe pressure at 18-15 down to Craig Paterson but engaged a higher gear to accelerate to 21 with a powerful run of 1, 1, 2, 1, 1. Stoddart kept the melting pot sizzling with a dramatic 21-20 win over iconic E&L figure Alan Brown having slipped from 19-17 up to 20-19 down before snatching victory with a double on the 29th end of marathon confrontation. Although finely balanced at 2-2 it was looking like Game Set and Match for Bainfield with Steven Pilley leading Alan Trotter 20-14 in the last of the five head to heads; but Trotter staged a spectacular escape to a title clinching victory by conjuring up a magic run of 2, 1, 1, 1, 2 to hit 21 on end 27. This was a final full of major dramas and played in a great sporting spirit by both teams, reflected Higgins.
There was also awesome drama in this weeks semi finals action of the West Lothian Top Five Singles with Bathgate (High) holding the ace hand against record holding Kirkliston at Broxburn; but forced by heart wrenching circumstances to concede defeat. With the match balanced on a cliff-edge at 2-2, the last match on the green saw Bryan Cooper lead Grant Logan 19-16 having just carded a magic 3 however in running up to the head an audible crack in the Achilles Heel regions resulted in a crippling effect on the Bathgate star. Logan and KBC gave the distraught Bathgate camp some 40 minutes for Super Cooper to recover but being unable to do so Bathgate very sportingly conceded a match clinching third victory to KBC. Neil Speirs (21-8 over David McCormick) and Raymond Logan (21-18 over Rab Hilson) had kept Kirkliston in the picture while Bathgate had cheered wins for Cameron Greer (21-10 over Mark Allison), and Alan McCormick (21-13 over Stevie Forrest). Meanhile the other semi final action played at Bankton Mains (Livingston) resulted in a straight 3-0 win for Linlithgow over Broxburn. Gary Smith 21 Alan Roxburgh 5; Andy Dunnett 21 Jamie Edwards 9; Gary Orr 21 Scott McMaster 16; Ewan Shearer 11 Stuart Mcmaster 12; Steven Fleming 12 James Bird 16.
Todays bowling highlight in The Capital is the final of the Specsavers Edinburgh Cup featuring two top notch teams in Carrick Knowe and Parkside going head to head at Craigentinny (2pm). Carrick Knowe reigned as champions in 2016 while the Parkside named was etched on the silverware in 2005 and 2010. The semi finals saw Carrick Knowe beat Northern in a 7-6 nail-biter while Parkside dealt an 8-4 exit to Tanfield.
This is Tait Trophy weekend with the semi finals and final of Edinburgh & Leiths Holy Grail Champion of Champions event being staged at Parkside on Sunday 11am and 2pm). Last nights quarterfinals at Craigentinny featured; Robert Marshall (Slateford) v Les Mitchell Liberton) or Colin Mitchell (Carrick Knowe); Scott Mackintosh (London Road Foundry) v Kevin Boyd (Parkside); Craig Ramsay (Leith) v Donnie Gilbertson (West End); while Scott Purvis of Gorgie Mills receives a walk over.
Tranent wins in the Singles, Triples, Fours saw them capture the East Lothian Top Ten title at the 6-2 expense of Elphinstone in the final played at Castlepark.
The Seniors stars of East Lothian and West Lothian go head to head in Mondays final of The Matt Purdie Trophy being played (12noon) at Abbeyview (Dunfermline).