First match of the afternoon here to a packed crowd in the arena at Newton Hall was between Mike Stepney from Elgin, Scotland and David Gourlay also from Scotland and it was some match to watch!
In the firstStepney that dominated and it seemed to be the case of,”anything you can do, I can do better” as time after time he beat Gourlay’s bowls and in a great tussle took the first set 1-10. But it was the second set that came alive as Gourlay really got stuck in. Stepney took a single in the first end and Gourlay then defied everything as he took a 4 from Stepney on the second end. 3rd end went to Stepney with a double - Gourlay took 3 shots over the next two ends to go 7-3 up, then it was one apiece in the next two ends to leave Gourlay at 8-4 up in the 7th end. Stepney held on to a double in end 8 leaving him looking for 2 to draw and seal the match - Gourlay was having none of that and when the dust had settled Gourlay took the 2nd set with a single 9-6 - Tie break!!
Once again it was Gourlay that played big bowls in the first end to take that and then the second end it was Stepney that played a power shot to leave Gourlay looking at 2 down - Gourlay again steadied himself and used his last bowl and beat Stepneys last bowl to take himself into the quarter finals.