Scotland Men crowned British Bowls Internationals winners

Scotland Men were crowned British Bowls Internationals winners after a dramatic final day of action at the National Centre for Bowling, Ayr.

Heading into Sunday at the top of the overall table, Scotland knew there was still work to do, with matches against Ireland and England to close out the competition.

The Men produced an outstanding morning session against Ireland, recording a 14-0 victory to strengthen their position at the top of the standings.

Greg Logan and Andrew Dunnett opened with a 16-15 Pairs win over Ryan McElroy and Mark Wilson, before Ewan Shearer, Lewis Betts and Grant Logan defeated Dean Mills, Sean Trainor and Marty McHugh 19-11 in the Triples.

Further points came from Liam Nicholson and Colin Bonnar, who won 18-9, while Robbie Cuthill, James Hogg and Gary Prunty edged past Mark Brown, Conor McCarten and Jack Moffatt 14-12.

Darren Gaultieri and Iain McLean added a 20-15 Pairs win, before Gordon White, John Fleming and Connor Milne completed the full session victory with a 15-14 win over Jason Kerr, Stephen Kirkwood and Stuart Bennett.

Scotland Women also started the final day strongly, defeating Ireland 11-3 in the morning session.

Emma MacLeod claimed a 21-16 Singles win over Sophie McIntyre, while Dawn Anderson, Jessica Weir, Rebecca Houston and Alison Lamont edged a close Fours contest 13-12.

Lorna Cameron added a strong 21-7 Singles victory, while Erin Bedwell, Megan Sproat, Natalie McWilliams and Stacey McDougall secured an 18-10 win in the Fours. Leah McCloy, Emma Blyth, Lynn Lees and Gail Notman also earned a point after a 12-12 draw.

The final session saw Scotland Men take on England, with the overall title still on the line.

England won the session 10-4, but Scotland’s work across the week proved enough to secure the overall title by three points.

There were Scottish wins in the final session for Robbie Cuthill, James Hogg and Gary Prunty, who defeated Isaac Jenner, Phil Broughton and Tristan Morton 20-13, and for Liam Nicholson and Colin Bonnar, who claimed a 14-12 Pairs win over Louis Ridout and Dom McVittie.

Scotland Men finished top of the Men’s table on 82 points, ahead of England on 79. Ireland finished third on 56 points, with Wales fourth on 46 and Jersey fifth on 17.

Scotland Women closed their campaign with a 10-4 defeat against England, who went on to secure the Women’s title.

Erin Bedwell, Megan Sproat, Natalie McWilliams and Stacey McDougall continued their strong finish to the week with a 19-10 Fours win over Ruby Philpott, Yaz Hasan, Bex Wigfield and Annie Dunham.

Dawn Anderson, Jessica Weir, Rebecca Houston and Alison Lamont also finished with a victory, defeating Laura Holden, Jamie-Lea Marshall, Katherine Hawes-Watts and Lorraine Kuhler 12-9.

England Women topped the final standings on 86 points, with Scotland Women finishing second on 74. Ireland placed third on 55 points, Wales finished fourth on 51 and Jersey fifth on 14.

The final day brought a brilliant week of British Bowls action in Ayr to a close, with Scotland Men claiming the Men’s title and Scotland Women securing second place after a strong campaign on home soil.

Full scores and final standings are available via the British Bowls page.