world bowls

The Scottish dream team of Alex Marshall and Paul Foster yesterday scraped through to Monday’s pairs semi-finals at the World Indoor Bowls Championships in Great Yarmouth.

Marshall and Foster have won 11 Singles titles between them, as well as three Pairs victories together, but were pushed to the limit by defending champs Jamie Chestney and Mark Dawes.

The Scots took the opening set and only narrowly avoided a deciding tie-break as they advanced 6-3, 6-6.

There was disappointment for fellow Scots Darren Burnett and Stewart Anderson, when the 2016 winners suffered a shock first-round defeat to Australian qualifiers David Rankin and Kyle McIlroy, who won 6-4, 3-7, 2-0.