It was the first match here at Blackpool Newton Hall in the Co-op Funeralcare International Open with defending champion, Jamie Chestney, facing PBA qualifier, Ian Honnor, in front of a reasonable crowd that had struggled through the cold to get to the venue.
The first set saw the defending champion seemingly in top form as he brushed aside Honnor in the first 6 ends to take 6-1 lead. In end seven though it was Honnor that picked up a little as he took a great triple away and followed that up with a single in end eight to close the gap to 6-5. Holding match lie Honnor saw this disappear as Chestney played a great bowl to take a single and first set 7-5.
Into the second set and it was Honnor that came up seemingly with a second wind but all of a sudden it was Chestney that went walkabout as he struggled to keep his line and Honnor went 3-6 up by the end of the 4th. End five and it all crashed about Chestney as he dropped a count of 4, then again a count of two in the next end and Honnor finished the second of 3-13 as he took a single in end seven to force the much needed tie break. A similar story and it was Honnor that completed the tie break to take the match 7-5, 3-13, 1-2 to go into the second round.