West Lothian defend their Handicap Cup

West Lothian successfully defended the Edinburgh and District table tennis league's Handicap Cup with a 5-3 victory over North Merchiston.

Captained by Lewis Hills playing alongside his father, Barrie, a Scottish veterans internationalist, West Lothian's line-up was completed by George Flannigan with North Merchiston fielding Geoff Hunter (captain), Eddie Scott and 14-year-old Kirsten Atkinson who figured in the key tie of the final played this week at the Murrayfield club.

After a knife edged contest Lewis Hills clinched the trophy by beating Kirsten 22-20 in the third end.

Earlier, Kirsten had featured in a rally of 20 fast and unyielding shots at deuce in the fifth end of her match George Flannigan.

It was the second successive year West Lothian had fielded a father and son combination in the final following on from Kevin and Kieran Boyle who, along with Andrew MacDougall, beat Penicuik in 2010.