Falkner and Harlow edge thriller to book final spot
There is finally some live bowls taking place as The Potters resort is hosting this year’s World Indoor Championships, the event started this week and concludes on January 24.
The men’s pairs has been renamed for this year only as the open pair’s with female participation for the first time.
Last year England’s Greg Harlow and Nicky Brett lifted the title however Brett has been unable to join Harlow in a title defence due to a broken wrist therefore Harlow moved up to skip England’s Ellen Falkner MBE.
In the opening tie Harlow defeated Wales Dan Salmon 8-3,7-6 before coming from behind in the quarter finals against England’s Perry Martin 4-10,8-5 and 2-1 on a tie breaker.
In the semi-finals the Anglo-Scot combination of Simon Skelton and Michael Stepney would be the surprise opposition after they dispatched the five-times title winning Scotland’s Paul Foster MBE and Alex Marshall MBE on a tie-breaker, Stepney landed the first set 7-6 before the title favourites levelled it off taking the second set 8-5.
In the semi-final Stepney took the first set 9-4 before Harlow forced a tie breaker by landing the second set 8-3, Falkner and Harlow secured a final place 2-1 in the tie breaker.
Event qualifiers Scarborough’s Jack Bird and Carlisle’s Stu Irwin recorded two cracking wins, a first round 8-5, 4-6 tie breaker win over Scotland’s Stewart Anderson was followed by and even better result against another scot David Gourlay 6-5, 10-3.
Sadly any dreams of a place in the final were dashed in the semi finals as the 2018 champions England’s Mark Dawes and Jamie Chestney ran out straight sets winners 9-6, 9-1 although in the second set Irwin was unlucky on several occasions.
The final takes place on Monday with Falkner being
the first woman to appear in the pairs final.
The singles event has also started, England’s Simon Skelton defeated Scotland youngster Connor Milne 1½-½.
Former world champion England’s Mervyn King ended Ellen Falkner’s appearance in the singles 6-4, 9-5 while another former champion England’s Mark Dawes survived an early scare beating Scotland’s Darren Weir 1½-½, the first seed to go out was the number five England’s Les Gillett as fellow Englishman Perry Martin got home 2-1 on a tie breaker after losing the opening set 9-8.
The next seed to exit was Scotland’s Michael Stepney, local Norfolk based Wayne Willgress lost the second set 8-2 but regrouped to get home 2-1 in the tie breaker.
Championship favourite Scotland’s Paul Foster MBE made light work of Ireland youngster Sam Barkley 122, 11-7.
The 2019 champion Scotland’s Stewart Anderson held his nerve to beat England’s Andrew Walters 2-0 on a tie breaker.
Despite reaching the pairs final Jamie Chestney’s hopes in the singles were ended as Wales Dan Salmon inflicted a 1½-½ on
the fourteenth seed.
The second of the invited women made it to the last sixteen, Scotland’s Julie Forrest produced a late charge against fellow Scot Jason Banks, after losing the first set 11-3 and trailing 7-4 in the second Forrest sprang into action to level the sets up and then win the tie breaker 2-0.
There was to be no fairy tale for England’s Andy Thomson MBE, after receiving the sponsors wildcard Thomson was beaten on a tie break 2-1 by fellow country man Greg Harlow.
Following the loss Thomson announced his retirement from the world bowls tour, the 65 year old has been a fixture at the event
for 33 years and played 178 games during which produced three singles titles and three pair’s titles.
Thomson will now turn his focus to helping Australia at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022 as he is part of the coaching set up.
Another former winner Scotland’s David Gourlay progressed with a straight sets win over England’s Scott Edwards.
The mixed pairs gets underway this weekend with the final set for Tuesday, the women’s match play singles final takes place on Thursday and the men’s singles final takes place on Sunday January 24.
All the games can be viewed via the world bowls tour plus next week the BBC coverage via BBC2 and the red button gets underway although it is somewhat disappointing that the event has gone under the radar nationally.
There was some sad news for the local bowls scene, keen Sunderland & District tour supporter Houghton Town’s Ken Borgesson (75) passed away.
*Stephen Hendry’s snooker comeback has been delayed after he withdrew from next week’s WST Pro Series.
The seven-time world champion retired in 2012 but last year accepted a two-year invitational card to return to the big stage.
The WST Pro Series, a new tournament which beefs up snooker’s schedule with no overseas events due to coronavirus, sees 16 groups of eight players initially play best-of-three matches.
Hendry had been drawn in group G but will be replaced by John Astley.
The tournament will be held at snooker’s new regular base of Milton Keynes, where coronavirus protocols are in place and nearly all the sport’s events – including the ongoing Masters – have been held since it returned in June.