World of sport
Scots legends book their semi-finals spot
Defending Pairs champions, Paul Foster and Alex Marshall, are one match nearer a fifth title as they moved into the semi-finals at the World Indoor Bowls Championships at Potters Resort, after beating English qualifiers Paul Maynard and James Rippey.
The legendary Scottish combination, who have accrued a staggering 26 world titles between them at the indoor sport’s blue riband event, were given a tough early examination, before eventually running out 8-6, 10-2 winners.
Maynard and Rippey had knocked out 2017 winners Les Gillett and Jason Greenslade in the first round, and made a confident start, moving 3-0 up after two ends in the first set, a lead which became 5-4 with two ends to play.
But Foster and Marshall are not held in the highest esteem for nothing, and needing to produce something special to ensure the initiative, they duly delivered to win backto-back ends and take a firm foothold in proceedings.
From there, they moved up a couple of gears and stormed into a 5-0 lead after four ends, an advantage they were never to relinquish as they ran out comfortable winners.
Marshall and Foster will now face Mervyn King and David Gourlay in the last four, after that duo won a thriller against Mark Royal and Robert Paxton, edging a tight contest 8-3, 3-9, 2-1.
Elgin’s Michael Stepney dragged himself and new partner Simon Skelton, last year’s runner-up in the Singles, over the line, producing a match-winning bowl on the final end of the three-end tie-break to see off Welsh duo Damian Doubler and Daniel Salmon 4-9, 9-5, 2-1 in the opening match of the day.