BROXBURN Bowling Club is cock-a-hoop after bridging a 106-year gap with their team's commanding 88-71 victory over Newbridge in the final of the WLBA Rosebery Cup.
In the final, played at Blackburn and sponsored by John Walker Painters & Decorators, wins for the rinks skipped by Ian Laverie and teenager Calum Logan made the difference for Broxburn, although Newbridge did make an impression with success on their
rinks skipped by Paul Sweeney and Ian Robertson.
Newbridge – whose only success in the event came in 1977 – opened the stronger and Robertson's 11-1 input helped them capture the first seven-end phase 29-26. However Broxburn hit back with a 37-20 reply on the second phase.
Broxburn's inspiration came from Laverie – a former national fours winner with Glenluce (Wigtownshire) – who pulverised Alec Allan 16-1 while Sneddon roared back into the picture with a 12-3 contribution.
The final phase was a cagey affair with Broxburn defending a match lead of 14 shots, and a 25-22 score kept the match tight and well in their favour. Laverie emerged the hero, skipping Tommy Turnbull, David Wilson and Stewart McMaster to a 32-8 win over Gary Sweeney, John Sweeney, James Speirs and Allan. Logan lent his support, but only just, skipping John Cruickshanks, Mike Nelson and Stewart Grant to a 19-18 win over Simon Sweeney, John Hogg, Stuart Affleck and Thomas Mann.
Paul Sweeney led the Newbridge resistance, setting up leads of 8-1 and 21-9 before skipping James Greenock, Joe Arthurs and Blair Mackie to a 25-18 win over Stuart Dean, Scott Logan, Kenny Hardie and Mark Allison.
Ian Robertson skipped Drew Paterson, James Aitken and Jimmy Speirs into a 12-2 lead, but that was whittled down to a less damaging 20-19 win over Barry Nicholson, Ian McMahon, Brian Edwards and Sneddon.
"The last time we won this blue riband trophy, the team arrived back in Broxburn via horse-drawn carriage and the Public Band turned out to welcome us, that was back in 1902," said BBC president John Campbell.
• LAST NIGHT'S action in the preliminary round of the Edinburgh & Leith Top Five Singles championship for The Ian McFarlane Trophy saw Dean score a 4-1 away win over The Edinburgh club. Robert White provided the inspiration with his 21-7 win over Danny Jackson, while further success came from Bob Linton, Kevin McNab and Andy McNab.
PEACOCK SET TO STRUT HIS STUFF IN BID TO MAKE IT THIRD TIME LUCKY AT NATIONAL SINGLES FINALSSCOTLAND and Danderhall bowls ace David Peacock will return to the national championships at Ayr Northfield at the end of July fired up by an ambition to go one step further than his defeat in the Singles finals of 1992 and 1999, writes .
Peacock will once again spearhead the challenge from Midlothian having qualified in spectacular fashion by beating fellow cap Colin Walker 21-1 in the District Finals.
The game was over in 11 ends and given the stature of Walker – the recently-crowned World Indoor Bowls Council Singles Champion – it was an immense performance from Peacock.
Meanwhile, in the Junior Singles, Gareth Laidlaw of Loanhead MW came under pressure at 15-15 from being 13-5 up against Keith Smith of Loanhead Private but clinched a 21-17 victory on the 23rd end.
Bonnyrigg's partnership of Ronnie Duncan and John Stevenson raced into a 13-2 lead in their 18-9 win over Mick Robertson and Willie Rankin of Musselburgh in the Pairs but Musselburgh turned up trumps in the Triples with John Miller skipping Andrew Neilson and Stephen Robertson to a 16-14 win over Robert Trench, Tom Beattie and Stevie McLeod of Gilmerton P.
Danderhall were back in the winner's enclosure with Henry Aitchison, Cameron Wallace, Billy Peacock and Pete Kerr battling to an 18-14 win over David Bryce, Scott Lees, Callum Redpath and Scott Matthews of Bonnyrigg in the Fours.
A Danderhall hat-trick was completed by Sam McClymont, George Wilson, David Cranston and Robert McClymont in the Seniors Fours with their 20-10 win over Bonnyrigg's A McVie, A Kean, Jim Stevenson and John Anderson.
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