LANARKSHIRE WEST are the only side to have arrived unbeaten – they won all seven West Section ties – to the knockout stages of the Scottish Cities & Counties Championships which start today but all eight sides have reached the final in recent years.

They travel to Alloa to take on North Section runners-up Highland.

Since Lanarkshire split into two teams some years ago – they had taken the title seven times before then – it has been the South team that has had the upper hand. They are defending champions and have claimed the Andrew Hamilton Trophy four times since 2006.

They are in the other half of the draw and have a difficult task at Hurlford today when they tackle 12-time finalists East Lothian, who have won the title three times in recent years, most recently in 2011. The winners of that tie will face Angus or Ayrshire North who meet at Birkhill & Muirhead. It has been 60 years since Angus won the title – they beat Fife in 1953 – but they have contested the final four times since, most recently in defeat to Lanarkshire South in 2006. Ayrshire were also prolific winners down through the years prior to the split.

Edinburgh & Leith, winners of the East Section and beaten finalists last year, are favourites against Dunbartonshire East, runners-up in the South Section, at Sighthill. Edinburgh & Leith have contested 20 finals and won for the 10th time in 2001 against Dumfriesshire, who avenged that result in the 2004 final.

n Rutherglen's Mark Kelsey and Robert Moles, from Titwood, will bid to regain the Glasgow singles title in the championship finals at Bellahouston, while Glengowan's Alan Stewart and Strathaven's Brian Perrie will contest the Lanarkshire singles title in the county finals at Newarthill.

n Tributes have been paid to Jack Wallace, president of Bowls Scotland, who died following a short illness at the age of 80. Wallace, from the Fairfield club in Govan, was born in Newbury but moved to Arbroath with his Scottish parents. He joined the board of the Scottish Bowling Association in 1993 as the District 24 Secretary, organising all of the clubs in the Glasgow South-West Area.

He was an honorary member and past president of Fairfield Bowling Club, an honorary member of the Govan League and took up the presidency of Bowls Scotland at the annual meeting in November. Bill Knox, chairman of Bowls Scotland, said: "He was prepared to support clubs, counties and anybody in the bowling world who needed help. We will all miss him greatly."