Scots Paul Foster MBE and Claire Johnston will go head to head tomorrow as they battle it out to lift the ‘Just.’ World Indoor Mixed Pairs title with English partners.
Foster is the only one of the four finalists who have previously tasted success in this event, winning the title back-to-back in 2013 and again in 2014 with Laura Daniels from Wales.
In yesterday’s semi-final, with partner Rebecca Field from Norwich, they traded blows with Scotland’s elite squad coach and three-time former holder of this title, David Gourlay and Australia’s top woman bowler Karen Murphy.
Foster took the first set 6-3, but only managed one scoring end in the second with Gourlay and Murphy winning 8-3 to force a best-of-three decider.
In a titanic tussle they shared one end each and, on the last, Gourlay looked as though he had done enough, ditching the jack with his third bowl and holding the shot some eighteen inches away.
However, Foster’s third bowl drew to within a foot and Gourlay missed the draw with his last to bowl out.
Later, both players reflected on what had been a hard match, with some massive bowls played in a match that could have gone either way. Field won the battle of the leads in the first set and then Murphy completely dominated in the second and all played their part in the tie break.
“It’s difficult to find a consistent line and when you think you’ve cracked it, it makes a fool of you.” said Foster.
In the second semi, Auchinleck’s Claire Johnston teamed up with world No.1 Nick Brett and overcame the all-English pairing of Amy Stanton and Greg Harlow.
They lost a double on the last end of the first set to miss out 7-6 but hit back from 6-2 down in the second with a 2, 3 and 1 finish to post an 8-6 win and kept that momentum going in the tie break, where they won 2-0.
Harlow said: “We just couldn’t slot the result away. We had our chances but it just didn’t happen”.
Today, Alex Marshall gets his campaign up and running for a record extending seventh world singles title. He is in action tonight against Rob Chisholm from Wales whilst defending champion Brett lines up against Ireland’s Andy Kyle who won the overseas qualifying event.
Prior to that, however, the new Wales/English partnership of Jason Greenslade and Les Gillett will go head to head against Welsh qualifiers Daniel Salmon and Damian Doubler for the first of the Championship title when they clash in the pairs. Greenslade has lost in the final three times with Rob Weale, while Gillett took out the title in 2001 with Mark McMahon.
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