Bowls pair best in world
East Lothian ace Alex Marshall MBE and partner Carol Ashby, right, won their first world title as a partnership at the Potters World Matchplay mixed pairs championships in Norfolk when they won the all-Scottish head to head against Falkirk's Ceri Ann Davies and Glasgow's David Gourlay.
Marshall and Ashby, a former winner of this title when she lived in Eastbourne, and who now resides in Livingston and plays at Midlothian, joined forces and produced the goods in the epic two-hour final last Sunday.
Defending champions Davies and Gourlay started brightly and clinched the first set by a three-shot margin in the 11th and final end.
But Marshall and Ashby responded well in the second set, building up an 8-3 lead before levelling the match.
In the tie-break best-of-three-ends, Marshall clinched the first end, and then delivered a winner in the second to seal victory for the second seeds.
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"They got off to a good start, and when we lost the first set I spoke to Carol and agreed that we would think of the next set as the start of a new game," Marshall said.
"I played a lot better in the second set, and Carol played some good bowls."
Marshall turned his attentions to his singles campaign on Tuesday but he crashed out to rising star Stewart Anderson, who won 4-10, 9-4, 2-1 to book his a place in the quarter final.
Marshall had coasted through his opening match last Thursday when he beat English qualifier Tim Stone in straight sets 10-6, 7-3.
More bowls news in East Lothian News, January 22, 2010
The representation from the host club can't play on home territory so the gents trio will parade their skills at Stirling while their female counterparts head for Cumbernauld, both on Saturday. Scotland cap Derek Oliver will skip the East Lothian challenge with fellow first team stars Malcolm Higgenbotham and Mark Johnston and they open in the prelim round at 9.30am against Glasgow. Margaret Devine, Kathleen Bain and Murial Hamilton carry the flag in the ladies action and they face Lanarkshire in the prelims at 9.30am.
East Lothian’s Emma Brown and Dee Hoggan were last weekend part of a Scotland Ladies U-25 side that failed to retain the ladies home international series title at the Cynon Valley club in Wales. They lost their last match of the series 76-69 in a winner takes all confrontation with England.
East Lothian's bid to bridge a 19 year gap in winning the Scottish Team Championship title is very much alive after a single shot margin victory over Midlothian.
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