THREE East Lothian bowlers will help fly the flag for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games next year.

The national team was announced this afternoon (Thursday), with Dee Hoggan and Lauren Baillie-Whyte selected as two of the five women and Alex Marshall one of five men heading to Birmingham.

The sport was a major contributor to Team Scotland’s record overseas medal haul at Gold Coast 2018, with the two gold, two silver and a bronze won also moving Scotland to the top of the table as the most successful nation of all time in lawn bowls at the Commonwealth Games.

Among those winning medals in Australia was Marshall, who will make his seventh Commonwealth Games appearance, looking to further cement his position as Scotland’s most successful Commonwealth Games athlete of all-time.

Marshall, of Tranent, has won five golds and one silver, which puts him at the head of a list of Scottish sporting greats.

Meanwhile, Baillie-Whyte makes her second Games appearance.

The Port Seton bowler will be aiming for a medal eight years after taking fourth place in the Fours on her debut at Glasgow 2014.

Finally, Hoggan, also of Tranent, will represent Team Scotland for the first time having already secured Scottish and British Isles Women’s Singles titles.

She said: “I was quite emotional after I had got the call to say I was selected for the Commonwealth Games and to say I’m over the moon is an understatement.

“It’s every sportsperson's aspiration to represent their country at the highest level of their sport and you can’t get a bigger stage than the Commonwealth Games in the world of bowls.

“Getting the opportunity to represent Scotland in this means the world to myself and also my family, who have always supported my bowling for the last 24 years.”

The East Lothian connection does not stop there, though, with Aberlady's Billy Mellors the lawn bowls team manager.

He said: “Full credit to our 18-strong squad, who all successfully met the testing selection criteria and made it exceptionally difficult for the panel to select the final 10 athletes.

“I am very pleased with our immensely talented team announced today and I wish them every success on the greens at Leamington Spa in July and August next year.

“The athletes will now enter a period of preparation for Birmingham 2022 involving squad days, venue specific training and test matches to ensure they peak at the right time and deliver medals for Team Scotland.

“Personally, I’m looking forward to working with the athletes and the support staff and I'm certain Birmingham 2022 will be another triumphant Commonwealth Games for our lawn bowls team."

Joining Baillie-Whyte and Hoggan in the women’s team are Caroline Brown, Claire Johnston and Hannah Smith.

Lining up alongside Marshall will be Stewart Anderson, Darren Burnett, former East Lothian player Paul Foster and Iain McLean.

The allocation of players to specific events, as well as selections in para-bowls, will be made next year.