2024 Imagine Cruising World Indoor Bowls Championship โ Day Five Recap
2024 Imagine Cruising World Indoor Bowls Championships Open Pairs finalists secured and two seeds fall in the opening rounds of the open singles, let’s recap a busy Tuesday on the portable rink at Potters Resorts, Hopton-on-Sea, with the World Bowls Tour’s Anne Dunwoodie.
GOODWIN CAUSES FIRST MAJOR UPSET IN SINGLES
Twenty-six-year-old Harry Goodwin, a plasterer from Sittingbourne in Kent caused the first major upset in this year’s Imagine Cruising World Indoor Bowls Singles Championship when he knocked out local Wymondham painter and decorator Wayne Willgress in the first round 4-7, 6-10, 2-1 (pictured).
Goodwin, making his debut in these Championships, started slowly in the opening set, due mainly to trying to assess the playing surface in the International Arena and lost the set 7-4.
In the second set though he found line and length and powered into a 9-1, five end lead. However despite a fightback from Willgress, Goodwin maintained the lead, won the set 10-6 to square the match at one set all and force a best of three end shoot-out.
He continued to hold sway counting the first end but Willgress once again levelled the match when he drew shot to a respotted jack on the forehand side of the rink to take out the second end.
But victory went to Goodwin who counted the vital third and deciding end to win 2-1 and he now plays his second round match on Tuesday 16th January against the winner of this morningโs opening game (Wednesday 10th January) between David Gourlay MBE and Welsh qualifier Dan Salmon.
ANDERSON AND BURNETT WIN THROUGH TO OPEN PAIRS FINAL
Scotland’s Stewart Anderson and Darren Burnett came through a tough semi-final clash against the all English partnership of twice former winners Mark Dawes and Jamie Chestney and now go forward to the final which will be shown on BBC Television on Monday 15th January.
The Scots won their first title in 2016 against countrymen Ronnie Duncan and Colin Walker 10-7, 10-6 and then in 2022 they denied Dawes and Chestney – who were the defending champions 9-6, 7-11, 2-0.
This semi-final was another classic exchange between the teams.
In the first set, the Scots led 8-3 with two ends to play but their English counterparts scored a double and held a set lie only to be thwarted by Burnett’s last delivery rolling in for second shot to take first blood 8-6.
In the second set. it was nip and tuck all the way.
The Scots led 4-0 after three ends, England scored a 1, 3 and 2 to go 6-4 ahead, the Scots responded with a treble to move 7-6 in front, England added a double then a single on the eighth end squared the match at 8-8 going into the deciding end, where a relieved Anderson and Burnett scored that vital single to secure their tilt at the title next week.
BANKS AND FOSTER WIN PAIRS SEMI-FINALS
The new partnership of Jason Banks and Paul Foster MBE were made to dig deep to win a titanic struggle against the strong England pairing of Rob Paxton and reigning World Indoor Singles champion Jamie Walker in the second of the Imagine Cruising World Indoor Pairs semi-finals.
The Englishmen marginally held the upper hand throughout the opening set and a double on the last end gave them an early one set to nil advantage 9-6.
They carried that momentum into the second set and went 5-1 up after just three ends. However there was a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel for the Scots with both Banks and Foster upping their game and reeling off a 1, 2, 3, 1 and 2 over the next five ends to win the set 10-5 with an end to spare and force a three end shoot out.
They counted the first end and after a tense second end Paxton and Walker levelled the score by the merest of margins to take the match to a further nail biting conclusion.
With shot against him, Foster ran the jack and his bowl to the ditch with his first delivery and lay about a foot from it and that position never changed over the course of the remaining three bowls and left the Scots as the match winners 2-1.
They move through to an all-Scottish final on Monday 15th January against Stewart Anderson and Darren Burnett, with the match being shown live on BBC from 1pm.
GREENSLADE SECOND SEED TO BOW OUT OF SINGLES
Guernsey-based Number 9 seed Jason Greenslade became the second ranked player to exit the Singles Championship in his opening match.
Greenslade succumbed to Billy Mellors from Aberlady in East Lothian and who qualified for this event from the West of Scotland Club in Glasgow in December – 22 years after his first appearance in this event in 2002.
Billy, a Project Manager, quickly hit his stride, and won the first set 7-5.
The second set was a reversal of the first, as Greenslade dominated, racing into a 10-1, six end lead and chalking up the set 10-4 to push through to a best of three end tie break.
He continued to take the plaudits, winning the first end, but Mellors countered in the second, scoring the shot with his third delivery to keep himself in contention at 1-1.
With game against in the deciding end, Greenslade opted to ‘kill the end’ as per the WBT rules. He connected with the target, but when the dust settled Mellors retained the shot and accordingly won the match 2-1.
Mellors now moves through to a second round clash on Thursday 18th January against the winner of the match between Irish qualifier Ali Coleman and former champion Nicky Brett, who play each Thursday 11th January.
RESULTS
SINGLES: Harry Goodwin (Eng/Q) bt Wayne Willgress (End/8) 4-7, 10-6, 2-1.
PAIRS SEMI FINAL (1): Anderson/Burnett bt Dawes/Chestney 8-6, 9-8.
PAIRS SEMI FINAL (2): Banks/Foster MBE bt Paxton/Walker 6-9, 10-5, 2-1.
SINGLES: Billy Mellors (Scot/Q) bt Jason Greenslade (Guer/9) 7-5, 4-10, 2-1.
Every match is being streamed live on the World Bowls Tourโs Facebook page and YouTube channel at no cost. Important: Please be mindful of fraudulent activity on social media, particularly during the World Indoor Championships. The streaming is available free-of-charge and you should not make any payment or share personal data with anyone promoting live streaming links. Please only watch the live coverage via the official sources.
From Monday 15th to Sunday, January 21, coverage will be available through BBC on BBC 2 and Red Button.
The full daily schedule and draws can be found at the following links:
Bowls International is the worldโs most respected bowling magazine, available monthly in both digital and print formats.
- SUBSCRIBE to Bowls International
- Buy a PRINT COPY of Bowls International
- Buy a DIGITAL COPY of Bowls International
A six-month print subscription to Bowls International is priced at just ยฃ19.90, or a 12-month subscription is ยฃ35.99 โ thatโs less than ยฃ3 per month and includes FREE POSTAGE.
