PILRIG'S campaign to win the Specsavers Opticians-sponsored Edinburgh Cup for a third time is up and running after they scored a commanding 8-4 points victory over Willowbrae in last night's first-round action.
Last season's Division 1 champions of the Edinburgh Bowling League did drop a game on both their home and away legs but their passage into the second round was never in doubt.
David Poole was the surprise loser at home but his blushes were spared
by wins for the rinks skipped by Chris Steven and Gavin Smith. Steven appeared to have been hard pushed at 15-13 but the Edinburgh & Leith Under 25 star had created a deep comfort zone by skipping Graham Ward, George Tregoning, and Alan Russell into a commanding 14-3 lead over Craig Duffus.
Smith triumphed 20-11 over Peter Craig, having also made a strong early impression by skipping Mike Trenholme, Scott Millar and Stephen Stewart from 4-3 to 15-3 with a run of 1, 4, 3, 3. Poole and his rink were sunk early when they trailed 13-3 to John Dunlop, Graeme Hyslop, Jim Robertson, and Ian Pryde, who went on to win 22-12.
Willowbrae's win on their home leg came via the rink of Richard Dimelow, Ben Munro, Gordon Taylor, and Wallace Millar, who soon led 11-2 and powered on to inflict a 19-6 defeat on Mike Wilson.
But Darren McKenny was in the right mood for Pilrig and the E&L star skipped Gavin Rogers, Gordon Cook, and Graeme Hislop into a 13-3 lead and comfortably converted that into a 19-6 win over Scott Whigham.
Tom Wilson expected to be troubled by home stalwart Ian Paterson but probably snuffed out the danger with a 4, 1, 1, 1 opening to lead 7-0 and he went on to skip Andrew Boyle, Jimmy Gow, and Peter Rogers to an 18-9 success.
The Cup draw has been exceptionally kind to Pilrig as Hillside are the only other Division 1 side in the same half and, if both survive, they aren't scheduled to meet until the semi finals.
