Age barrier forces Moss to scratch from national title tilt

BAINFIELD'S junior champion Craig Moss, 24, experienced the highs and lows at the playdowns for the national indoor bowls championship at Portobello over the weekend.

Moss by-passed the preliminary round and was in fine form to beat a Falkirk challenger with comfort in the first round proper.

And, in a major boost, the junior cap knew his qualifying prospects had been enhanced with the surprise defeat of 2006 champion Derek Oliver of East Lothian

Unfortunately, it was discovered that if Moss was to become the national champion, he would be too old to represent Scotland for the British Isles title as the Championships will be played in Belfast in March, by which time Moss will have celebrated his 25th birthday a month earlier.

Once these facts were established, Moss was informed that he was being scratched from the event.

However, he is still eligible to continue his international career at the Home Series in January. Moss would still have been 24 if going on to win the national Under-25 title at the end of this month so he was gutted when told the chance to become Scottish Champion had been denied him.

However, he accepts the ruling but confirmed that both he and Bainfield were unaware of the date cut-off that exists, which means, for many juniors, age 22 is the last time they can compete in their club's under-25 national qualifying event.

Balbardie's Mark McCullagh reached the section final but was denied a place in the final stages at East Lothian IBC by a 21-6 defeat from Steven Allan of Alloa, who proved to be the hammer of the Lothians with the scalps of Derek Oliver (21-10), and West Lothian teenager Calum Logan (21-19).

Logan had earlier defeated Kevin McDougall of Midlothian 21-14, while Jamie Reid of Portobello was a preliminary round casualty at Cumbernauld where Mark Kelsey of West of Scotland emerged the qualifier.

Kelsey will meet Andrew Barker of Elgin in the semi-finals while Allan faces Brian Irvine of Blantyre.