Gillett fails to deliver in semi defeat

LEICESTER’S Les Gillett’s hopes of making a first Open Singles final were dashed by Robert Paxton, writes Dominic Picksley.

The 49-year-old was crushed 8-5 10-1 in a one-sided semi-final at the World Indoor Bowls Championships.

Gillett, who is fourth in the provisional world rankings, had been in great form going into the last-four clash, having knocked out previous champions Alex Marshall and David Gourlay, but found his Devonian opponent too tough a nut to crack.

Such was the onslaught, that Gillett even waved the white flag with three bowls still to deliver on the eighth end of the second set, conceding the match and departing the tournament at this stage for the fourth time in his career.

“I have no words, really,” said Gillett. “I am just very disappointed. I just didn’t play as well as I could.”

With two doubles traded on the first two ends, the match looked like it was going to be a rollicking spectacle, and when Gillett added another two on the fifth end to trail 5-4, it was indeed nicely poised.

But Paxton, who reckoned it was one of his best-ever performances on the portable blue rink at Potters, cranked up the heat and Gillett just had no answer and eventually lost the first set.

Gillett’s frustration was summed up on the third end in the second set when attempting to bowl in for shot with his final delivery, his green bowl toppled off the rink into the side ditch, leaving him to look on in bemusement. That gave Paxton a double to move 4-0 up.

Gillett turned around a count of four down to one up on end five and give him a lifeline, but he was never to trouble the scorers again as Paxton cruised into his third final in five years.