Wilson wins fifth title

Grant Wilson is the men's champion at Balerno Bowling Club for the fifth time having beaten two-time winner, Steven Watson, in the final.

He won 21-15 in the two-hour match which was close early on with peels at ten, then Watson went 13-10 ahead only for Wilson to rally and move to 18-13.

The pair traded singles to 20-15 before Wilson triumphed at the 20th end.

Wilson, a Balerno resident, has previously won the title in 2001, 2004, 2008 and 2019, and he is third in the all-time list of winners behind Willie Dyet with seven wins and Laurie McMorran with six.

He started bowling at the age of 13 and his first club was Fountain Brewery on Slateford Road.

Wilson (in action) recalled that it was people like Jimmy Mitchell who encouraged juniors to play bowls and take part in junior leagues that gave him the bug.

Incidentally, when he first moved to Balerno in 2000 he joined the club and the bowls he used in the final are the same ones he bought from a man he described as "a true gentleman", Alan Rankin, 26 years ago.