IT'S Scottish Bowls Cup final day at Cumbernauld tomorrow and the Bainfield versus Blantyre clash at noon will result in a new name being engraved on the trophy.
There is a buzz of excitement in the Bainfield camp and, although taking nothing for granted, the expectations are high that the Capital club can celebrate their first title success in the event.
"Blantyre are dangerous opposition and this will be
the toughest test of our campaign but our progress has bred confidence," said team captain Craig Moss.
Moss along with Gavin Smith, Chris Downie, Stevie McLeod, Chris Steven, Jamie Gracie, Colin Hutchison and Paul O'Donnell represent a band of players who have currently or previously achieved Junior Scotland cap status.
They are the strong nucleus of a team that is supported by full caps Alan Brown and Robert Marshall plus battle hardened campaigners Alan Trotter, Graeme McIntosh, Stuart Patterson, Willie McIntosh, Neil Butters and Darren Grant.
"We have promised so much yet, to date, achieved so little so the cup final is a big day for us as a team as it is the chance for us to prove to our supporters that we can deliver," said O'Donnell – currently captain of Junior Scotland – who is joined at the helm of the Bainfield rinks by Smith, Steven and Marshall.
"Craig has been banging the drum the entire campaign and has us on a high so our team spirit is the best its been for a long time and we are really all up for a challenge that won't be easy as Blantyre possess a strong competitive bite," added O'Donnell.
• THE Division 1 action at West Lothian IBC saw joint leaders Bryan Cooper, James Speirs, Thomas Mann and Neil Speirs drop a 5 at their first end but maintain their title challenge with a 21-10 win over Walter Cherry, John Sneddon and Kenny Black.
They are tied with the rink of Kenny Hardie, Billy Arnott, Calum Logan and Mark Allison who blitzed Bob McMillan, Sandy Craig, Len Fairley and Brian Halloran 20-6. But George Sneddon is just one point off the pace after skipping Cameron Greer, Des Hagart and Joey Strickland to a 15-8 win over George Marshall, Jim Elliot, Fraser Elliot and Davie Anderson.
Graeme Archer and his rink of Calum Black, Frazer Muirhead and Grant Knox lost 14-7 to Ian Lockie, Craig Ramsay, Blair Mackie and John Aitken.
The full article contains 411 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
