East Lothian Indoor Bowling Club star Emma Brown is already a major figure in the sport, with 12 full caps to her credit, and the pride of the Garden County was in great form again on Sunday, qualifying through to the last four of the National Ladies Junior Singles.

East Lothian will now have a double interest at the national indoor gala finals on January 31, with Brown joining National Gents Singles semi-finalist Billy Mellors at the Fraserburgh IBC showpiece.

Brown was at Abbeyview IBC in Dunfermline for the playdown action of this season’s championships and showed tip-top form to win three games and reach the semi-final stage.

“I was really pleased with my form and my hope as I can perform at the same or even higher level when the finals take place early next year,” said a delighted Brown.

Brown launched her bid for the national title with a hard-fought 21-16 win over Stonehaven’s Heather Garvie, then found life much easier in her second-round clash when she defeated Stephanie Buchan of Elgin 21-5.

Challenge number three came in the shape of Lesley Doig of East Fife and Brown had to be at her very best to come out on top, 21-18.

The line-up for the semi-final pitches Brown against Michelle Keenan of Dumbarton and Stacey Laidlaw of Midlothian against Claire Walker of Blantyre.

In the gents’ playdown action at Abbeyview IBC, East Lothian champion Calvert Allison played a good game in his opening-round clash with well-known Garioch star Jason Banks but went down 21-12.

East Lothian IBC icon figure Alex Marshall is in World Bowls Tour action next week when he lines up in the Co-operative Funeralcare-sponsored Scottish International Open from tomorrow (Saturday).

The opening event in the new 2014/15 World Bowls Tour season will be staged on the portable rink at the Dewars Centre in Perth from tomorrow to next Saturday (November 8).

With extensive live television coverage on BBC Scotland from Monday, the event will feature the top 16 players in the world, joined by qualifiers from all over the world.

In the draw just announced, five-times world champion Marshall faces a first-round clash against UK qualifier Duncan Christie of England.

The clash will be staged on Monday at 1pm and is expected to be screened live on BBC2 Scotland.

The ladies’ side from East Lothian IBC’s mission to win Division 1C of the Scottish Ladies League continues to gain force, with the confident Garden County side chalking up win number three with an impressive 24-shot (97-73) home win over Teviotdale on Saturday.

Wins for the rinks skipped by Nancy McNeil and Muriel Hamilton more than covered the defeats of Margaret Thomson and Yvonne Veitch to leave them top of the division on shot margin, just ahead of chief rivals Balbardie.

“It was another fine win for us considering the fact we were without the services of two regular skips in the shape of Emma Brown and Janet Fairnie,” said team manager Sheena Currie.

McNeil kept up her excellent winning form by skipping Margaret Murray, Irene Combe and Gillian Mackintosh to a spectacular 42-7 win over former internationalist Joyce Dickey, while Hamilton skipped Rose Mackintosh, Jean Russell and Cathy Ward to a thrilling 21-20 win over Margaret Pearson.

Thomson was edged out 20-18 by Isobel Bennett, while Veitch was always against the collar in a 26-16 loss to world stage star Julie Forrest.

The side are back in action tomorrow (Saturday) and for the second consecutive week they have home advantage against Tweedbank. Icon figures Emma Brown and Janet Fairnie return to the line-up.

Team: M. Kivlin, A. Berwick, M. Thomson, J. Fairnie skip. L. Morgan, M. Devine, D. Rowan, Y. Veitch skip. R. Mackintosh, J. Russell, M. Hamilton, E. Brown skip. M. Murray, I. Combe, G. Mackintosh, N. McNeil skip.

The struggling men’s side from East Lothian IBC return to Scottish Premier League action tomorrow when they travel to Wishaw to face fellow B section strugglers Lanarkshire.

It is certainly not mission impossible for East Lothian but the continued absence of star figures Alex Marshall and Derek Oliver is a huge blow to their hopes, while Stewart ‘Beanie’ Thomson is also an absentee.

However, the return to action of internationalist Billy Mellors, along with experienced Andy Jeffrey, should be a massive boost to team morale across the carpet.

Current National Under-18 Singles title holder Calum Darling is stood down to the reserve bench, while Jamie Higgins moves from skip to third in a rejigged side.

Team: L. Middler, G. Darling, J. Higgins, S. Kennedy skip. K. Simants, A. Burt, D. Berwick, G. Robertson skip. E. Fallen, M. Osborne, A. Jeffrey, B. Mellors skip. C. Allison, S. Logan, M. Johnston capt, W. W. Wood skip.

Following an idle week, the senior side returned to Scottish Senior League business on Wednesday when they made the trip to Galashiels to tackle Tweedbank.

Meanwhile, the senior contingent of George Gray, Gordon Good, John Hamilton and John Holmes are in National Senior Fours action on Sunday at Falkirk IBC and they face East Fife in the opening round at 10am.

Youth coaching at East Lothian IBC continues tomorrow (Saturday) morning and every other Saturday between 8am and 10am, where new members and anyone interested in taking up the sport are more than welcome.

The trophy presentation for the Pencaitland & Winton Bowling Club 2014 season will take place in the Winton Arms in Pencaitland today (Friday) at 7.30pm. All members and guests are welcome.