Bowls: Trophies up for grabs at busy day of indoor finals

Finals are played today (Friday), with the gents’ singles, ladies’ singles and gents’ senior singles among the prizes up for grabs.

Billy Mellors, looking for his seventh East Lothian indoor crown in just nine years, faces Alan Young in the gents’ singles.

Mellors is no stranger to the later stages of national competitions and will have one eye on another run comparable to his one of 2014/15 that saw him eclipse world top-16 star Michael Stepney in one of the best national finals.

Young will draw on his wealth of bowling nous and excellent singles record in a bid to etch his name into East Lothian indoor history.

Meanwhile, sisters Dee and Kim Hoggan will have split friends and family allegiances as they battle it out for ladies’ singles glory.

Dee sits amongst the bowling elite in the high-performance squads and will be looking to claim her sixth title at Meadowmill.

Kim is looking to claim the singles title for the first time and has proven on more than one occasion to have the ability to better her sister on the singles stage.

Janet Fairnie is among those in action at East Lothian Indoor Bowling Club

Good friends Yvonne Veitch and Janet Fairnie, along with close pals Danny Stevenson and Robbie Shields, will battle it out for the ladies’ senior singles and gents’ junior singles titles respectively.

Stevenson is looking to add to a growing bowls CV that already includes the outdoor national junior singles title.

Fairnie is out to emulate her run that saw her crowned the national senior singles winner in the 2018/19 season but is unlikely to have it all her own way against Veitch, who herself was a national singles winner outdoors in 2011.

Rising star Beth Riva faces new club member Emma Blyth for the ladies’ juniors title.

Riva has established herself in the junior international teams and ladies’ indoor teams over the past two years and, after claiming the ladies’ two-bowls singles title last week, will have her sights set on the singles crown.

Blyth, although new to the county, has already established herself at her outdoor club and has caught the attention of members with some exceptional performances while leading in club competitions at East Lothian Indoor Bowling Club.

Willie Wood, centre, is among those in action tonight (Friday)

Finally, the legendary figure of Willie Wood continues to show his class on the indoor surfaces and faces the stern challenge of Andy Burt for the gents’ senior singles title to complete the schedule for the Friday evening showpiece.

All ties are scheduled for 6.30pm and it promises to be an exhibition of singles play – all are welcome.