SCOTLAND'S golden boys Alex Marshall and Paul Foster are chasing further glory for their already packed CV after producing a grandstand finish in yesterday's all Scottish semi-final pairs clash in the Just Retirement World Indoor Championships at Hopton-on-Sea to move through to their fifth successive pairs final in this event.
Winners of the title in 2011, '12 and '13, the Scots lost to Nicky Brett and Greg Harlow in last year's title decider and once again the high-flying duo who won the outdoor pairs title in Australia in 2012 and Commonwealth gold last summer, didn't get things all their own way with the international colleagues Jonathan Ross and Wayne Hogg turning in a superb performance to push the title favourites every step of the way before edging a 7-7, 8-6 victory with the last bowl of the match.
On the world ranking list at thirteen and sixteen, Ross and Hogg, a scratch pairing who only teamed up for this event, commandeered the early stages of the first set, only dropping one of the first five ends to take a 6-1 lead, however Foster and Marshall reeled off a 2, 3 and 1 to hold a 7-6 penultimate end lead but Hogg played the perfect shot to count the vital single and share the set at 7-7.
The second set was a closer affair with the match tied at 3-3 and 4-4. A double followed by a single gave Foster and Marshall the upper hand with two ends remaining, but two sensational draw bowls to the lip of the ditch saw them count a double and brought Ross and Hogg to within one shot playing the last where a single would have taken the match to a three end shoot out or a double would give them a place in the final.
After five bowls, the outsiders held a match lie with two touchers to a full length jack, but Marshall played up to the head and sprung the jack.
Then with just two bowls remaining, under pressure Hogg drew the vital shot to within a foot of the displaced jack which would have sent the match into a tie break, but once again Marshall rose to the occasion, playing an inch perfect bowl that carried the back to the ditch to secure their berth in the title decider on Monday 19th January.
"That was one hell of a match" said Marshall later. "Wayne drew a miracle shot to draw the first set although both players were outstanding. In the second Jonathan never missed a running shot once and they both turned a lot of heads.
"On the last end of the match I knew any solid connection would be needed to alter the head so was happy to punch the jack into the open but when Wayne drew the shot I was left with no other option that to go for the bowl or jack for the match.
"We knew we wouldn't get it easy against Jon and Wayne, they are quality players. Like our game against the Midlothian boys the previous day, we knew we would have our work cut out. We've had two really testing matches and that will stand us in good stead in the final."
The expected line up for the final in one week's time failed to materialise, with reigning champions Nick Brett and Greg Harlow outplayed in their all English semi-final exchange against Simon Skelton and Rob Paxton 10-5, 12-4.
Brett intimated later "I didn't produce the goods and left Greg with a lot of difficult shots to play. I'm really disappointed with my performance while Harlow said we didn't play well and they were very good, especially Rob. We left them too much room. We knew what we had to do but we just couldn't do it."
Attention switches to the singles now with three Scots in action today. 2011 champion Stewart Anderson tackles fellow Scot and former beaten semi-finalist Colin Walker this morning and in the same half of the draw, five-time champion Alex Marshall meets talented Welsh youngster Liam Bouse who retained his national Under-25 singles title last week.
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