FLOODLIT bowls is popular at Carrick Knowe and this week's annual member-and-guest invitation pairs event, sponsored by Belhaven brewery, reached its climax last night with Chris Crawford and Ian McKenna sharing the winners' cheque.
McKenna was capturing the title for a third time since the event's inception 13 years ago while Crawford of Coltbridge was making a successful return to the club he left last season.
The nine-end final against Steven Thomson of Castlepark and re
cently-crowned national pairs champion James Hogg was dominated by Crawford and McKenna.
The telling part of the final came with a hat-trick of singles that pushed the Crawford/McKenna partnership into a 6-2 lead then, when they answered the loss of a single with a double to lead 8-3, it was all over with one end to go.
Last night's opening play saw Crawford/McKenna secure a 8-3 win over Paul Miller of Bainfield and recent national pairs champion Darren Hush. The winners then followed up with a commanding 9-2 triumph over Alex Ruthven and Tom Carberry of Stenhousemuir in the quarter-finals.
Their semi-final opposition came in the shape of Gary Taylor of Tramways and young E&L star Craig Aitken, who fancied their chances but soon trailed 8-0 and made an 11-6 exit.
Meanwhile, Thomson and Hogg, who had defeated George Ballard and Gary Swain of Portobello 11-2 the previous night, followed up with a 7-2 win over James Scott of Colinton and Archie Officer.
Defending champions Kenny Proudfoot and Jim Robertson of Maitland provided the opposition in the semi-final and they made a dramatic 7-6 exit to a 1, 2, 2 finish from Thomson and Hogg.
The last-16 stage also saw Ian McLaren of Corstorphine and Ricky Webber hang on to beat David Duncan of Wardie and John Duncan 9-8, while Taylor and Aitken scrambled an 8-7 win over John Mitchell snr and Bill Herd of Slateford.
Ruthven and Carberry clinched a 10-7 win over Clive Glass and Gordon Logan of Kirkliston while Ross Heriot of Stenhouse and Billy Johnston dealt a 7-2 exit to Jimmy Sutherland of Corstorphine and Rab Steedman.
Holders Proudfoot and Robertson opened with an 11-2 win over John Leslie (unattached) and Graham Pringle while Scott and Officer beat David McIntyre and Russell Wilson of Juniper Green 9-8 after an extra end. Proudfoot and Robertson snatched a 10-9 quarter-final win over Heriot and Johnston while Gary Taylor and Graig Aitken edged a 6-4 win over McLaren and Webber.
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