Results from World Indoor Championships

In the first match on Monday at Potters Resort in the ‘Just’ 2018 World Indoor Championships it was Darren Burnett from Scotland up against Graham Mckee from Scotland.

Mckee said he was really looking forward to it, especially having received the European Qualifier of the Year Award just two days before at the WBT Awards Gala Dinner.

The virtually-full audience were treated to a high class display of bowls. The first end of the first set the Umpire, Allan Thornhill, could not split the measure and all agreed it was a no score end. McKee took the second end with a single.

The third end it was Burnett with an amazing bowl to convert picked up a full house of 4. Over the next three ends though it was McKee that fought off Burnett to pick up five shots to take the score to 4-7. Burnett picked up five shots in the next two ends to go into the last end 9-7 up, he lay shot and match and then McKee fired, picked up the jack and ran it to the ditch to lie a count of 2.

Burnett just ran short and McKee had a chance with last bowl to add another but he too fell short. Set one ended in a 9-9 draw.

Into the second set and it was Burnett who had to step up several gears and by end five he was 4-3 up.

Despite really good bowls from McKee it was Burnett that picked a single on end 6 and again a double in end seven. McKee valiantly fought back and Burnett had to play well to keep the onslaught down to a minimum and McKee was only able to get two singles so Burnett took the set 7-5 and match victory.

When Burnett came off he said, “That was a good match and I had to play really well to come out of it as the winner.”

The first afternoon game was semi final 1 of the ‘Just’ 2018 World Indoor Pairs. With the pairing of Jonathan Ross and Robert Paxton playing against Jamie Chestney and Mark Dawes the stadium was almost full with only a few spare seats and an eager audience.

Into the first set and it was Paxton and Ross that set it all alight as they absolutely powered their way through with Paxton delivering outstanding, perfect bowls.

It seemed that no matter what Chestney and Dawes did they just did not stand a chance against Ross and Paxton. Paxton played the skip’s position in devastating style as they powered through to clinch the set 10-2.

Into the second set and this time, halway through, it seemed as if skip Chestney had had a second wind as he suddenly found some form and stopped the runaway train of Paxton.

Paxton / Ross were 4-1 up on the third end and seemed unstoppable and then Chestney started. For the next four ends Chestney left to his last bowl and just kept stealing the head away from Paxton. Chestney and Dawes collected five shots this way and won the set 4-6 to force a tie break.

Into the tie break and in the first end again Chestney used his last bowl to sit with shot bowl just behind the jack, leaving Paxton with his last bowl the hard task of trying to either remove or just try to sit on top of the jack. Unfortunately, just as he was about to deliver his bowl, there was a disturbance from within the crowd and he had to wait several minutes for this to be resolved. Paxton reset himself but to no avail and the first end went to Chestney and Dawes.

The second end saw Chestney and Dawes pick that one up also and they go through to the final on the Monday, January 22, which will be the first live programme on BBC2 at 2pm.

The second semi final of the Pairs was between Andy Thomson MBE and Mark Royal against Greg Harlow and Nick Brett. This was an incredible match with all four players and none giving way to the other.

In the first set Harlow and Brett took an early lead of 2-4 going into the fifth end and taking a single there and again on the sixth to make the score 4-6 leaving Thomson and Royal looking for a minimum of a four to draw the set. Despite some good bowls for Thomson they could only make a double, so Harlow and Brett took the first set 4-6.

The second set and it was Thomson’s turn as he and Royal picked themselves up and raised a gear going 4 – 1 up into the fourth end. Harlow and Brett fought back hard and it was 4 all going into the final end of the 2nd set. Thomson drew a great bowl and it was set to Thomson and Royal. Into the tie break and the Harlow-Brett pairing unleashed some great bowls to take both first ends to seal the match victory and see themselves through to the final.

Results:

10.00am:
Darren Burnett (S) v Graham McKee (Ir) :: 9,9 – 7,5

2.00pm:
Pairs Semi Final 1:
Robert Paxton (E) & Jonathan Ross (S) v Jamie Chestney (E) & Mark Dawes (E):: 10,2 – 4,6 – 0,2
Followed by
Pairs Semi Final 2:
Andy Thomson MBE (E) & Mark Royal (E) v Greg Harlow (E) & Nick Brett (E) :: 4,6 – 5,4 – 0,2

7.30pm:
Charity match in support of Potters Friends Foundation with Audience participation
Total raised at finish £291.65