Bowls: Portobello’s Four battle to final slot
Anderson and Co, champions at Portobello, beat Ardrossan, East Kilbride and Edinburgh rivals Bainfield in the playdowns at Lanarkshire IBC.
The Portobello rink received a bye in the prelim round and they started their campaign proper with a testing match against Ardrossan, winning 16-13.
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Hide AdEast Kilbride provided the opposition in the second round but they found Portobello too hot to handle as Anderson skipped her rink to a resounding 28-15 victory that set up a quarter-final clash against Bainfield.
It was an Edinburgh derby with an extra edge, with the winners being rewarded with a place on the national final stage and the pre-match odds probably favoured the Bainfield rink including Susan Allan, Anne Watson and Alison Ross.
Ross and Co had hit the campaign trail running with a 22-6 devastation of Coatbridge in the preliminary round then they showed good and solid determination with a battling 21-17 win over Allander.
Bainfield then faced section favourites Midlothian, whose line-up was Joyce Green, Megan Grantham, Gaynor Blair and five-times title winner Sandra McLeish.
But the Bainfield champions turned in a sparkling performance that resulted in them dishing out a 25-16 exit to the stars of the Dalkeith stadium.
Midlothian had coasted to a 23-12 win over Stirling in the preliminary round but were less convincing as they were forced to battle all the way to beat Fintry 24-21 in the first round.
The section final did bowls in the Capital City proud as both rinks went at each other hammer and tongs but, in a thrilling climax, the bragging rights went to Portobello as Anderson and Co edged a 21-19 victory.
West Lothian were in action at Portobello and put up a very strong show before losing out to Whiteinch in the section final. Junior Cap Jenifer Richardson skipped Helen Macdonald, Margaret Russell and Lisa Barrett to a 25-10 win over Tweedbank then beat Alloa 25-15 and enjoyed a 24-20 success over Teviotdale.
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Hide AdHowever, the West Lothian champions lost 20-9 to Audrey Cameron, Anne Marie Taggart, Liz Brown and Lorna Cameron of Whiteinch.
East Lothian made a 26-19 exit to Teviotdale in the prelim round and were joined by Balbardie who lost 27-29 to East Fife.
Portobello face Dumbarton in their semi-final while Whiteinch tackle Elgin.