Second match of the afternoon was between the big man from Elgin, Michael Stepney, up against Troon’s Paul Foster MBE. In Stepney’s first season in the WBT Rankings he was looking forward to seeing what he could do against the five times World Indoor Champion and both players knew that they had to be performing well.
Into the first set and it was Foster that started off going 6,0 by end four. Stepney was playing well and he took a double on the next end with Foster responding with a double on the next end. Stepney persevered and took a double on end seven putting him back in touch but it was Foster that took two singles in quick succession to take the first set 4,9.
Second set and it was Stepney’s turn to start as he took two hard earned singles in the first two ends but again Foster lifted his game as he took the next three ends to go 2,5 in the lead. Stepney fought back hard with great bowls as he then took a single and a double to draw 5 all in the seventh end but is was Foster that finished off with a treble and a single to take the second set and match for a place in the quarter finals where he will face England’s Nick Brett on Thursday afternoon.