THE East Lothian Bowling Association U27s squad take to Loanhead this Sunday, writes Matt Osborne.

The shortened format of four rinks of four meant that team manager John Henderson was left with the unenviable task of leaving out at least eight players from the league campaign.

He has named the following squad for the 11am start at Loanhead for the Sunday morning tie against Midlothian.

The winners will go on to play again in the afternoon (2pm).

Team: Rory Glen (Elphinstone), Rhys French (Aberlady), Kieran Dodds (EL Co-op) and Danny Stevenson (EL Co-op); Beth Riva (Gifford), Jack Sands (EL Co-op), Calvert Alison (East Linton) and Robbie Shields (EL Co-op); Emma Blyth (Tranent), Robbie Buchanan (Tranent), Cammy Shaw (EL Co-op) and Dean Riva (Gifford); and Ewan Leith (Aberlady), Andrew Ferguson (Prestongrange), Sean Mackie (EL Co-op) and Dean French (Aberlady).

The East Lothian seniors return to the Matt Purdie (over-60s) on Monday when they welcome current title holders Edinburgh to East Lothian Co-op, with the game scheduled for a noon start.

Seniors’ convenor Tommy Young has named the following starting line-up for the group opener.

Team: JP Hamilton, G Baillie, N Cochrane and W Auld; C Yorkston, J McKeller, A Russel and D Arnot; P Fallen, J Murray, D Whitson and A Burt; D Pryde, R Veitch, K Fender and W Cormack; D Hogg, A Valentine, L Middler and T Young. Res: J Clydesdale, A Pringle and R Scott.

Division One

Meanwhile, Haddington continue to set the pace in Division 1, a 6-2 win over form team Tranent leaving them six points clear at the top of the table.

Port Seton can claim top spot with an 8-0 victory over East Linton in their postponed fixture.

Prestongrange and West Barns continued their impressive starts to the season as the cemented their place in the top half of the table.

This week sees league leaders Haddington visit Prestongrange in the pick of the top-half fixtures; Port Seton welcome Ormiston, while Tranent host Elphinstone.

Bottom sides East Linton and EL Co-op will be looking to move off the foot of the table with games against West Barns and Castlepark respectively.

Division Two

Winton and Aberlady look to have set an unassailable lead in Division 2 in their quest to return to the top flight.

Winton claimed yet another 8-0 victory as they visited bottom side Longniddry.

Aberlady made sure they kept pace as they claimed a 7-1 victory at Dunbar.

Port Seton A and Tranent A look to be the closest challengers but find themselves at least two sizeable wins from mounting any challenge to the promotion-chasing pair.

Longniddry look to be adrift at the foot of the table, with East Linton A and EL Co-op A once again finding themselves at the wrong end of the table.

Aberlady and Winton continue their promotion quest as they welcome Longniddry and EL Co-op A respectively.

Tranent A will look to capitalise on any slip up as they welcome East Linton A, with Port Seton A and Prestongrange A doing battle on the same night.

Dunbar and Macmerry take on one another as they both look to distance themselves from the bottom three.

Division Three

North Berwick remain top of the table in Division 3, an 8-0 win against Dunbar A their latest as they opened a five-point lead over Gifford.

Gifford themselves have a game in hand but against third-placed Cockburnspath.

Cockburnspath welcome North Berwick across the Border in a first versus third battle, while Gifford head to bottom-of-the-table Castlepark as they keep focus on a return to Division 2.

Prestongrange B are best placed to take advantage as they head to Haddington A this coming Friday.

Division Four

Athelstaneford look to have promotion within their grasp as they hold a massive 15-point lead over the chasing Gullane in Division 4.

The chasing pack are all separated by fewer than nine points.

Athelstaneford head to fourth-placed Pathhead and second-placed Gullane take on Castlepark B in the next set of fixtures.

Haddington B tackle Prestongrange C in a foot-of-the-table clash.