Burnett sees off Welshman in thrilling world singles last eight clash

Arbroath bowler Darren Burnett was carrying Scotland’s hopes single-handedly when the quarter-finals of the Just World Indoor Singles Championship took centre stage on the portable rink at Potters Resort in Hopton-onsea yesterday.

Playing for a place in today’s semi finals, the Arbroath ace – who lost out in the mixed pairs final earlier in the week – was involved in a thriller with unpredictable Welshman Jason Greenslade, but, after a fascinating struggle, got through to today’s semi finals with a sensational 11-10 6-7 2-1 victory.

It was a rollercoaster of a game that kept a large crowd in the International Arena enthralled as the initiative changed hands continuously.

Burnett scored the first eight shots but dropped the next 10 to trail 8-10, before winning the first set with a double and a single.

In the second set, the 41-year-old Burnett again took control, building up a 5-1 lead after four ends, but the dogged Welshman dug in and never allowed the Scot to get away and, as in the first set, they went into the last end all-square.

This time it was Greenslade who came out on top, taking the game into a tense best-of-three-ends tie-break in which both men showed their skill at the draw and their accuracy with their drives.

With Burnett winning the first end, and Greenslade, who is 47, winning the second with his last delivery, it all came down to a sudden-death third end, and then pressure was on Burnett when he stepped on to the mat to deliver the last bowl of the end.

A match-lie against him, Burnett took two timeouts to consider his options before deciding to put his faith in the draw.

Greenslade’s shot was a foot away from the jack and Burnett set off on a gallop up the rink, arriving at the head well ahead of his bowl.

Usually calm and collected, the Arbroath man uncharacteristically waved at his bowl frantically, urging it to make the trip – and it just about made it – though an umpire’s measure was required to confirm that he had drawn the winning shot.

“I’m feeling really good,” Burnett said.

“We both made mistakes and my game imploded for a while in the first set, but I felt I was in charge for most of the match.

“It’s a great feeling to have landed a place in the semi finals.”

Standing between Burnett and a place in the final is Blackpool’s Mark Dawes, who played brilliantly to beat Suffolk’s Mark Royal 8-7 9-3 in a high-quality quarter-final.