A LACK of ladies is causing concern at Tweedbank Indoor Bowling Club, just two games into the new league season.
This Saturday the team have an away match against Bainfield and so far only 11 ladies have indicated availability, although 16 are needed.
The ladies have so far struggled to provide a full team for each of their two SIBA Division One fixtures and sit at the bottom of the table.
Last Saturday they entertained Portobello, and with the first five ends completed the two teams were level at 26-26.
In the next five ends, two rinks continued to stay ahead, but the other two began to slip behind. With the available ends fast running out, a 34-shot lead was enough to ensure victory for Portobello, the final score being 109-65.
Tweedbank seniors welcomed East Lothian last week with a team that was largely unchanged following an excellent result away to neighbours Teviotdale the previous Wednesday.
East Lothian are tough opposition both at home or away, and on this occasion they were already 21 shots ahead with five ends played. The gap continued to widen as the match progressed and it soon became a case of damage limitation for the home team. The final result was a win for East Lothian by 39 shots with most of the deficit down to the one rink which always faced an uphill battle against a rink skipped by a certain Mr W. W. Wood MBE.
Following their disappointing defeat last week away to Portobello, the gents do not have a league game until Saturday, November 10, when they are at home to Abbeyview.
With no league match, focus for the gents was on the National Singles, which took place at Cumbernauld. In this, the club was represented by Kenny Johnstone whose preliminary round opponent was Bill Anderson from Teviotdale.
Johnstone started well and was soon 10-2 ahead, but Anderson fought back and the match became very close. Either player could have won, but eventually Johnstone was able to hold off the challenge, winning by 21-19.
In the first round, his opponent was Tom Mann, representing West Lothian. This was a tough encounter and for most of the match Johnstone was having to chase his opponent.
However, he was never far adrift and although the result was disappointing at 21-19 for Mann, it was a match which could have gone either way.
Johnstone still has two more chances of success in the pairs and triples categories, which will both be played in January.