2024 Imagine Cruising World Indoor Bowls Championship – Day Four Recap
Greg Harlow and Nicky Brett, holders of the Imagine Cruising World Indoor Bowls Open Pairs Championship, were beaten in the opening match of day four of the 2024 event at Potters Resorts, Hopton-on-Sea, yesterday (Monday). WBT’s Anne Dunwoodie takes a look at their game, as well as all the day’s action.
DAWES AND CHESTNEY END REIGN OF HARLOW AND BRETT
Mark Dawes and Jamie Chestney ended the reign of the Imagine Cruising World Open Pairs champions Greg Harlow and Nicky Brett in the first of the quarter-final encounter of the day (pictured).
In what was a high calibre exchange, champions in 2018 and 2021, Dawes and Chestney snuck the closely fought opening set with a double on the last end to win 8-7.
The turning point in the second set came on the seventh end. Leading 5-2, Dawes and Chestney widened that advantage with an amazing count of four shot to move 9-2 ahead and leave Harlow and Brett requiring two full counts over the remaining two ends to take the match to a tie break.
However, that outcome never materialised with Harlow and Brett only managing a singles on the eighth which automatically ruled them out of contention 9-3.
ANDERSON AND BURNETT HEAVE MIGHTY SIGH OF RELIEF
Twice former World Indoor Bowls Pairs winners Scotland’s Stewart Anderson and Darren Burnett were pushed all the way in their quarter-finals by Belfast qualifiers Mark McPeak and Stuart Bennett.
The Scots started with a bang, taking a 9-0, four end lead and eventually went on to win the set 11-4.
In the second though the terms were reversed with McPeak and Bennett orchestrating the set. This time it was the Irish duo who scored on the opening four ends to lead 6-0 and then they punished the Scots over the last four ends, won the set 11-5 to square the match at one set all and take the game to a best of three end shoot out.
Once again, the first two ends the game were shared, but it was a very relieved Scottish pairing that held on to snatch a last gasp win on the deciding end and wrap up 11-4, 5-11, 2-1.
They now continue against twice former winners Mark Dawes and Jamie Chestney in the semi-final this (Tuesday 9th January).
FOSTER AND BANKS BOOK PAIRS SEMI-FINAL SPOT
The new all-Scottish partnership of Paul Foster MBE and Jason Banks did the business over last year’s beaten finalists – Mike Stepney from Elgin and Guernsey resident Jason Greenslade in their Open Pairs quarter-final.
It was an evenly match performance from both pairings but in the opening set Foster – who has won this title five times – in 2002 with Hugh Duff and then an additional four times with Alex Marshall MBE – and Banks scored heavier mid-set and enjoyed a single on the last end to win 8-6 and give them an early advantage.
Stepney and Greenslade put that disappointment behind them and motored through the first seven ends of the second set, taking a 6-3 lead with two ends remaining.
On the penultimate end, Banks lay they shot and Foster added a second to cut that deficit to 6-5.
Then in the set decider, Stepney was forced into playing a runner with his second delivery, smacking the jack to the ditch, and Foster replied with a draw to the ditch just six inches away.
Skip Greenslade though will consider himself unlucky – twice catching the line but playing a fraction over the weight and dipping into the ditch at the end to leave Banks and Foster counting a single to draw the set at 6-6, which was good enough to give them a one and a half set to a half victory.
CANADIAN QUALIFIER TAKES THE LAST SPOT IN SINGLES
Canada’s Dylan Jacobs, a 32-year-old cook from the Woodstock club, and who made his debut appearance at Potters Resorts last year in the Imagine Cruising Open Pairs, this time round, is the Singles representative.
Dylan came through his preliminary round match 16-1, 13-1 against Kiriyat Ona club member Sasson Eliyahu from Yehuda in Israel, who was making his debut at Potters.
Dylan now continues his World Indoor Bowls Championship campaign with a first round clash against former champion Mervyn King on Thursday, January 11, at 11.15am.
PAXTON AND WALKER EDGE OUT CUMBRIAN QUALIFIERS
In the all-English confrontation, Rob Paxton and reigning world indoor singles champion Jamie Walker came through a hard quarter-final clash against Carlisle qualifiers Paul Wallace and Kenny Johnstone from the Cumbria club 9-6, 7-5.
Full houses of four shots were instrumental in both sets in formulating the overall result.
In the first set, Paxton and Walker led 4-3 after five ends, but a full house of four shots on the sixth end gave them an 8-4 advantage and they stayed in control, counting a single on the last to win 9-6.
In the second, the Cumbrian duo scored singles in the first two ends but once again Paxton and Walker racked up a full count of four to take a 4-2 lead.
At 5-6 down playing the last end, Wallace and Johnstone kept the scoring tight and actually held a set lie on the last end, but Walker had little hesitation in disturbing the head and chalking up the vital shot they required for their straight sets victory 7-5.
The English partnership move forward to a semi-final confrontation today (Tuesday 8th January) against the all-Scottish pairing of Jason Banks and five time former holder Paul Foster MBE at 3.45 pm.
RESULTS FROM DAY 4
PQF1 Mark Dawes & Jamie Chestney (Eng) bt *Holders Greg Harlow & Nicky Brett 8-7, 9-3.
PQF2 Stewart Anderson & Darren Burnett bt Mark McPeak &Stuart Bennett 11-4, 5-11, 2-1.
PQF4 Jason Banks/Paul Foster MBE bt Mike Stepney & Jason Greenslade 8-6, 6-6 .
SINGLES PRELIMINARY MATCH – Dylan Jacobs (Can) bt Ellyahu Sasson (Israel) 16-1, 13-1.
PQF3 – Rob Paxton & Jamie Walker (Eng) bt Paul Wallace & Kenny Johnstone (Eng) 9-6, 7-5.
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