Final match of the afternoon here at Potters Resort on the portable rink in the ‘Just’ 2020 World Indoor Ladies matchplay was the first of two semi finals and was between the defending champion, Scotland’s Julie Forrest and former champion, Alison Merrien MBE from Guernsey.
The first set it was Merrien that got off to a great start taking six shots to Forrest’s single over the first four ends. Forrest came back in the next two ends to take a double and a single to only be trailing by two shots 4,6. But it was Merrien charging hard as she took the final three ends of the first set with two singles and a double 4,10
Second set and it was totally reversed as suddenly Forrest found her way and it was Merrien that was on the back foot. End three and Forrest was up by a single shot 4,3 and then she stormed ahead over the next 4 ends, leaving Merrien trailing behind as she piled in shot after shot and Merrien just could not match it. By end seven it was Forrest that was 11,3 up and although Merrien tried desperately hard she could only wrest a single away from Forrest in end eight and second set to Forrest 11,4.
Tie break and this was much tighter and Julie had to play a great bowl to take the first end. Second end and it was Merrien that lay a really good shot just beside the jack, played a defensive blocker which made it nigh on impossible for Forrest to run straight at the shot bowl, never shy, Forrest tried a running bowl and it went against one of her wider front bowls which was quite a yard short- then came the wicked blow as this bowl came through, crashed against Merrien’s shot bowl and rolled round the jack to take the final shot. Tie-break and match to Forrest to give her one of the spaces in the final here tomorrow afternoon.